Some would argue that quarterbacks aren’t nearly as important in fantasy leagues as they are in the NFL but consider the multi-dimensional roles they can play and they can be a league winner in both. Below are a few quarterbacks that should be on your ‘must-have’ list on draft day. Their rankings came from FantasyPros’ own list.

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Fantasy Football Quarterbacks to Target

Check out our must-have quarterbacks ahead of the 2023 NFL season.

Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)

Current FantsyPros ranking: QB3

There’s no question that Jalen Hurts was one of the breakout stars of the 2022 NFL season. In Hurts’ third professional season, he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance and finished second in the league MVP voting behind only Patrick Mahomes II. Statistically, his numbers led plenty of fantasy teams to championships. In 15 games, he totaled over 3,700 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air and another 760 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Hurts was a dual threat in every sense of the word in 2022.

And while 2022 might have been considered a breakout, Hurts’ season was statistically not far off from his 2021 season. In the latter, he totaled over 3,100 yards and 16 touchdowns passing and another 784 yards (more than in 2022), and 10 touchdowns on the ground. All told Hurts was not far off in terms of fantasy value from one year to the next which bodes well for next year.

Not only is the band getting back together on the Eagles’ offense but the NFL rules committee has helped out, too. After plenty of discussion on ‘push plays’ wherein most of the offensive players just shove the ball carrier in short-yardage situations, the NFL didn’t touch the rule. This means you can expect the Eagles (and others) to shove their ball carriers again in 2023 and that includes Hurts. 700 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns can reasonably be expected which will keep Hurts at the top tier of fantasy quarterbacks.

Justin Fields (QB – CHI)

Current FantsyPros ranking: QB5

Justin Fields will be a popular pick in fantasy drafts this year, as he should be. Fields was a top-10 fantasy quarterback last year despite a horrendous supporting cast in the passing game. No pass catcher topped 600 receiving yards and their leading receiver was tight end Cole Kmet who totaled 50 receptions for 544 yards. The top three actual wide receivers on the team – Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Dante Pettis – accounted for 1,061 receiving yards combined. It was bad.

However, Chicago struck early in the offseason in an attempt to get Fields some help. Not only did they trade out of the top pick in the draft, solidifying Fields as the starting quarterback, but they got a haul of picks to help him. More importantly, they received receiver DJ Moore to be the top target in the new-look offense. Moore has seemingly been on the cusp of a breakout during his entire five-year career yet has still averaged 1,000 yards each season. For Moore and Fields, two players may have never needed each other more.

Of course, that’s just one aspect of Fields’ game. He ran for 1,143 yards last year – the second-most for a quarterback in a season in NFL history – and added eight touchdowns on the ground. That was more than enough to make up for the lack of passing stats (2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns) but if Moore, and whomever else the Bears pick up via free agency or the draft, can beef up those passing numbers even a fraction, Fields could be a league winner.

Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)

Current FantsyPros ranking: QB10

While Deshaun Watson won’t give you the rushing production that the quarterbacks above will, he’s capable of some explosive passing numbers. We know this because of his three-year stretch in Houston during the 2018-2020 seasons when he averaged 4,280 passing yards and 28 touchdowns and was a top-five fantasy quarterback in each of those seasons.

Off-field behavior caused Watson to miss the entire 2021 season before being traded to the Cleveland Browns the following off-season. He then missed more time serving a suspension for those off-field issues before returning to the field towards the end of the 2022 season. When he did return, there was obvious rust that he was still shaking off, throwing just two touchdowns in his first four games and throwing for more than 161 yards just once.

Luckily, Watson looked more like his old self over the last two games of the season. He threw for nearly 400 yards and five touchdowns. If you were to extrapolate those totals throughout an entire season, those numbers are much more in-line with his 2018-2020 totals.

Heading into 2023, Watson will have had an entire offseason to prepare with his new team. Not only will he continue to have receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku at his disposal but Cleveland also acquired former second-round pick Elijah Moore from the Jets. For the value Watson has, he can be considered a must-have.

Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)

Current FantsyPros ranking: QB13

Passing-wise, Daniel Jones’ 2022 season wasn’t special. His 3,205 passing yards were, technically, a career-high but that’s not saying much and his 15 passing touchdowns were well below his rookie total of 24. However, you might have sensed a theme with these quarterbacks and what makes them so special when it comes to fantasy scoring. New Giants coach Brian Daboll metaphorically took the training wheels off of Jones and let him run wild to the tune of 708 yards and seven touchdowns which contributed to his top-10 fantasy finish.

For the 2023 season, the rushing numbers should continue while the Giants have already added weapons to the passing game. They signed Parris Campbell, who finally seemed to break out last year with the Colts, and traded for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller to give the Giants a weapon at tight end.

In a game of musical chairs when it comes to starting quarterback jobs, Jones has established himself as the Giants’ starter with nothing stopping him from repeating his top-10 fantasy performance.

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – which optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.

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Michael Moore is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @DLF_Moore.