You love fantasy rankings, but you really love tiers. We get it: Tiers give rankings texture and can be a big help when you’re actually drafting. Here are my first few quarterback tiers, rankings and player notes for 2022.
- Pat Fitzmaurice’s Wide Receiver Tiers, Draft Rankings, & Notes
- Pat Fitzmaurice’s Running Back Tiers, Draft Rankings, & Notes
- Pat Fitzmaurice’s Tight End Tiers, Draft Rankings, & Notes
You can find my full tiered rankings and notes here.
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Tier 1
People used to see video snippets of Josh Allen sailing passes 10 feet over the heads of receivers at the University of Wyoming or at Bills training camp and laugh about what a scatter-armed bum he was. Now, Allen has the top tier all to himself. Football is pretty wild sometimes, huh? Allen has been the leading fantasy scorer at the position in each of the last two years.
Tier 2
- Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC)
- Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)
- Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)
- Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
- Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
- Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)
This is a meaty tier indeed. You’re feeling pretty good if you’re starting any of these guys on a weekly basis. Most of the QBs from this tier deliver rushing value, which helps make them matchup-proof, or at least matchup-resistant.
Patrick Mahomes might still be the best pure passer in the game and could eventually go down as one of the best of all time, but 2021 was a bumpy ride. His interceptions spiked, and he averaged a career-low (by far) 7.4 yards per attempt. But Mahomes is simply too good not to bounce back, and he still gets to run the Andy Reid playbook.
Justin Herbert has finished QB9 and QB2 in fantasy scoring in his first two years in the league. He has a terrific arm and adds value with his legs, too. Some people like him more than Mahomes. My one concern is that yards per attempt is a pretty good measure of a quarterback’s passing ability, and Herbert’s YPA numbers the last two years (7.3 and 7.5) are rather ordinary.
Speaking of YPA, Joe Burrow’s 8.9 YPA in 2021 was so good that perhaps we should consider it a symptom of greatness. Burrow entered the 2021 season less than a year removed from a torn ACL, so we might even see him run more this season. The Bengals have the league’s best 1-2 punch at WR and have upgraded their offensive line.
Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray are electric playmakers coming off disappointing seasons. Both are capable of a QB1 season but must show more improvement as passers to get there.
Jalen Hurts is an interesting case. He ran for 784 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, but his potential as a passer is a matter of debate. The Eagles have supplied him with ample pass-catching weaponry, including new WR A.J. Brown. The bottom line is that Hurts’ running ability earns him a place in this lofty tier.
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Tier 3
- Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
- Trey Lance (QB – SF)
- Russell Wilson (QB – DEN)
- Tom Brady (QB – TB)
- Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB)
- Derek Carr (QB – LV)
- Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR)
- Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)
Dak Prescott’s yearly fantasy finishes since 2016, minus his injury-shortened 2020 season: QB6, QB11, QB10, QB2, QB9. Not too shabby.
If you’re looking for this year’s version of Jalen Hurts, the most obvious candidate is Trey Lance, a fantastic runner whose passing ability is a wild card. If he’s competent as a passer, he could provide Tier 2 production at a discount.
Russell Wilson has been a good fantasy quarterback for a long time, and now he finds himself in an appealing new ecosystem. But Wilson doesn’t run much anymore, and I’m worried that his diminished escapability might sap some of his playmaking ability.
What more can we say about Tom Brady? Perhaps the greatest compliment we can pay him is that he’s going to be 45 when the new season begins and no one seems worried about the possibility of Brady going over the age cliff.
Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best pure passers in the league, but he doesn’t run much anymore, his WR corps is weak, and the Packers’ improved defense could lead to a lot of run-heavy game scripts.
The addition of WR Davante Adams to the Raiders’ arsenal boosts Derek Carr’s fantasy appeal. He’s always been a pretty good yardage guy, but he hasn’t hit 30 TD passes in a season since 2015. Adams should help with that.
Matthew Stafford finished QB5 in total fantasy points last year but only QB11 in fantasy points per game. He tied a career high in TD passes and posted his best yardage total since 2012, so some regression may be inevitable.
Kirk Cousins is a better fantasy quarterback than real-life quarterback. (Fantasy football doesn’t punish him for throwing short of the sticks on 3rd-and-8.) With Sean McVay disciple Kevin O’Connell now coaching the Vikings, we could see Cousins’ passing volume tick upward.
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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to 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 Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
