Is there any position in sports more valuable than a quarterback? It is hard to say so. Anecdotally, it is tough to make a case that it isn’t; a franchise’s hopes live and die on who their signal-caller is. There’s a reason the top quarterbacks are earning north of $40 million per year and are often the top picks of the NFL Draft.

In fantasy football, though, this certainly changes. First, with only one quarterback needed to be started, the demand for them is immediately lower; the opportunity cost of not acquiring ample depth at running back and wide receiver is stark. Meanwhile, given how many talented quarterbacks there are, the replacement value of the position is much higher, meaning that missing out on a top option isn’t highly consequential.

That said, the days of quarterbacks going in the top-two rounds are well in the past. As fantasy football drafters continue to recognize the true value of quarterbacks, they’ll only continue to fall in drafts, lowering the opportunity cost of drafting a top player at the position. When everyone zigs, it’s often wise to zag, and that is what you could do by targeting a premier quarterback. There is no perfect roster construction strategy. Instead, in simple terms, it comes down to picking the right players.

However, who are these players? That’s what we will try to identify. At their current respective Average Draft Positions (ADP), all of these quarterbacks are screaming values in fantasy drafts and players that you want to have on your team.

Who should you be rushing to press the draft icon for this year? Let’s dive right into it!

ADP via Fantasy Pros Consensus ECR & Stats via Pro Football Focus.

Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): QB4 ADP

From an entertainment standpoint, there are few quarterbacks more exciting to watch than Lamar Jackson. Coming out of college, though, there were legitimate concerns about his ability to be a franchise quarterback, leading to him falling to the 32nd overall pick in the draft.

Nevertheless, at a time when Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are now both Carolina Panthers, while Josh Rosen has jumbled around different teams, Jackson has an MVP trophy under his belt. He has also been the driving force in continuing the Ravens’ yearly success.

Even now, amid contract talks, there are still plenty of debates on Jackson’s real-life value. That being said, what he can provide for your fantasy team should not be in question. Just look at the production he’s had since being a full-time starter in 2019 on a points-per-game basis:

• 2019: 28.11 FPG (QB1)
• 2020: 22.79 (QB9)
• 2021: 21.08 (QB8)

These are substantial numbers, but they don’t exactly tell the story of a player who should be the second quarterback off the board in fantasy drafts. Generally, there are a lot of volatile factors in the game of football, but one that tends not to be the case is usage. This is where Pro Football Focus‘ expected fantasy points tool comes into play.

To that end, only Josh Allen averaged more expected fantasy points per game than Jackson, which makes sense. After all, before getting injured in Week 14, the 25-year-old was on pace for 4,454 passing yards and 1.178 rushing yards, a combined total that would have broken the all-time record and still would have ranked in the top five in a 16-game season.

So, why didn’t this usage lead to more fantasy production? Let’s start with his rushing touchdowns. Touchdowns are the least stable statistic season to season, and it held true with Jackson’s woes last season. For perspective, let’s take a look at his touchdown rate in each of his three full seasons:

• 2019: 7 touchdowns on 196 carries (3.6%)
• 2020: 8 touchdowns on 184 carries (4.4%)
• 2021: 2 touchdowns on 133 carries (1.5%)

Spot the outlier here? Unless we think arguably the league’s best runner will remain on pace for just three touchdowns, Jackson is in line for a significant bump in that area. At the same time, he should also throw fewer interceptions (13 vs. 8.8 expected INTs).

Sure, the loss of Marquise Brown will hurt, but that can be compensated by Rashod Bateman being healthy for a full season. Baltimore may also be more run-heavy. This may actually stand to be more favorable for Jackson, who may gain extra efficiency as a passer while getting more rushing opportunities.

Jackson’s floor has been made clear as a bonafide top-10 quarterback, which is a very high floor considering his ceiling is the overall QB1. He simply plays a different position than other quarterbacks and could be in line for another historic season. If that’s the case, you won’t want to miss out.

Trey Lance (QB – SF): QB14 ADP

Let’s stick with the rushing quarterbacks here, shall we?

There were five clear-cut first-round quarterbacks heading into the 2021 draft, with Trevor Lawrence generally ranking at the top of the list. From there, how those quarterbacks were ranked was tremendously volatile. Debates picked up further when the 49ers traded up to the third overall pick, sacrificing multiple further first-round selections.

In the end, after about of month of speculation regarding Mac Jones, the pick ended up being Trey Lance. After mainly sitting out during his rookie season, it’s time for the Uber-talented quarterback to become a fantasy star.

We essentially saw Lance play in two-and-a-half games this season, averaging 23.64 expected fantasy points per game. For perspective, that would rank third only behind Allen and Tom Brady, while his actual production (21.64 fantasy points per game) would be good enough to make him the QB6 in points per game. In other words, we’ve already seen Lance’s ceiling on full display, and it comes down to his ability to thrive in the running game. His rushing workload would have had him on pace for 221 carries over a full season, more than Jackson. Lance’s athleticism was his No. 1 trait coming out of college, so this should surprise no one.

There are a lot of questions regarding Lance as a passer, given his underlying numbers in college and limited sample size in the NFL. But consider that Nick Mullins averaged 7.5 yards/pass attempt in 2020, while he averaged 8.5 yards/pass attempt. Why? Well, head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme does a tremendous job setting up receivers to not only get open easily but also create yards after the catch. With Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk in the mix, Lance will have plenty of support to overcome some of his defines.

You may think Lance’s floor is low but is that the case? The rushing workload almost certainly puts him in the mix to be a consistent starter regardless of matchup, as he was in the games he played last season. Meanwhile, playing for a very skilled offense with immense dual-threat potential, the ceiling is a top-five fantasy quarterback. You can quibble about some of the concerns about him leading to the 49ers to their ultimate goal. Yet, for fantasy football, this is a player who needs to be on your roster, especially as he continues not to be priced as a QB1. While the edge remains, take advantage!

Daniel Jones (QB – NYG): QB28 ADP

Wait, what?

Yes, Daniel Jones has only averaged 6.6 yards/pass attempt over his three-year NFL career, along with a 21-17 TD-INT rate the past two seasons. There’s a reason he is going as the QB28 in fantasy drafts right now; the production hasn’t been there. However, we don’t get points for past production. Rather for future performance, and there is a legitimate chance Jones could finish as a top-15 quarterback.

When considering Jones’ lack of production, we’d be remiss not to mention the poor situation Jones has been in. The combination of head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, criticized for their lack of offensive creativity, did not put Jones in any position to succeed. Meanwhile, with Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney dealing with injuries, the Giants had the second-lowest PFF receiving grade and the third-lowest PFF pass-blocking grade. Altogether, it was an absolute mess for Jones.

Now, things are different. For starters, new head coach Brian Daboll comes over from Buffalo after orchestrating one of the most pass-heavy offenses over the past two seasons and being universally praised for his play-calling. Meanwhile, Golladay and Toney should seemingly be back healthy, and investments were made on the offensive line, including the selection of Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal. This is a much better situation for Jones, particularly when factoring in the significance of competent play-calling, immediately giving him the chance to have a career season.

Let’s also not act like Jones hasn’t shown flashes as a passer. His 71.2 PFF passing grade ranked 15th among quarterbacks with at least 300 dropbacks, while he ranked similarly (17th) with a 74.4 PFF passing grade in 2020. Those aren’t world-beating numbers, but enough to be comfortable placing him as the type of mid-tier quarterback propped up or down by the situation. Remember, Golladay was a 1000-yard receiver as recently as 2019, while Toney ranked 11th in the entire NFL with a 2.14 yards/route run. This is an offense with legitimate talent, and with the right coach steering the ship, Jones should be much more efficient this season.

Furthermore, with 62 carries in 10 games last season, Jones was on pace for a 100-carry season. His 18.1 expected fantasy points per game from last year (not including Week 5, where he left early with an injury) already placed him as a high-end QB2. Remember, he ranked as a top-16 quarterback in six of his nine full games last season, a feat that players like Ryan Tannehill and Lawrence couldn’t accomplish in a full season.

With all this in consideration, Jones’ current price as the QB28 is particularly egregious. Depending on the matchup, there will be weeks where he’s a clear starting option, making him a strong QB2 in Best Ball formats, or should you prefer to stream your quarterbacks. Next time you ask for change, make sure to pick up some Danny Dimes!

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.