As we approach the start of the 2023 season, there appear to be more elite options at quarterback than ever before. According to FantasyPros consensus average draft position (ADP), seven quarterbacks go inside the top four rounds and 11 inside the top 100 picks. With dual-threat quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts being real difference makers, it has pushed up the price of the position in recent years.
Personally, I lean towards grabbing one of those elite options whenever possible, but what choices are left if you miss out on them? The quarterback-by-committee approach might just be your friend, and FantasyPros has an excellent tool to help you. You can use the tool to combine two quarterbacks for higher performance or find a bye-week fill-in. Let’s dive in!
As we approach the start of the 2023 season, there appear to be more elite options at quarterback than ever before. According to FantasyPros consensus average draft position (ADP), seven quarterbacks go inside the top four rounds and 11 inside the top 100 picks. With dual-threat quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts being real difference makers, it has pushed up the price of the position in recent years.
Personally, I lean towards grabbing one of those elite options whenever possible, but what choices are left if you miss out on them? The quarterback-by-committee approach might just be your friend, and FantasyPros has an excellent tool to help you. You can use the tool to combine two quarterbacks for higher performance or find a bye-week fill-in. Let’s dive in!
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Advice
Executing the Quarterback-By-Committee Strategy
The quarterback by committee (QBBC) finder can help you find ideal pairings for quarterbacks at any range in the draft. Selecting the area of ADP you’d like to target will show you the pairings that make the most sense around bye weeks, the strength of the schedule and also show you estimated average points per week from the committee.
Over the last four seasons, an average of 27.5 quarterbacks per year have posted at least one top-five weekly performance in fantasy. In regular 12-team, non-Superflex leagues, this leaves many quarterbacks on the waiver wire who can be productive if we can pick and choose them at the right time.
Ideally, you’ll leave the draft with at least one quarterback, but if it’s possible to grab two of an okay standard, we can start planning for the season. We will focus on quarterbacks with an ADP of 15 or higher, but nothing will prepare you better than having a play with the QBBC Finder tool and seeing the outcomes available.
If you miss out on an elite option at the position, one of the best choices you can make is to look for a quarterback with an opening schedule that appears friendly on paper. While strength of schedule (SOS) isn’t the most predictive measure, it provides a strong launching point and can buy you enough time to decide what to do as the season goes on.
Looking at early season fixtures, these quarterbacks stand out, and for each quarterback, you can see some of the QBBC Finder’s suggested pairings.
Geno Smith (SEA) | QB15
Last year’s biggest surprise at quarterback was Geno Smith, who went largely undrafted as fantasy managers assumed the competition between Smith and Drew Lock was closer than it turned out to be. There seems to be an element of worry about Smith reverting to type in 2022, with it being unusual for a player to have such a late-career resurgence.
After only attempting 101 passes across the 2015-2020 seasons but across 20 regular season games in 2021 and 2022, Smith has consistently kept his touchdown rate above 5% and averaged above six completions over expected per game in both seasons.
With rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba added to the mix, Geno Smith is the perfect double-digit round quarterback to target. For those looking to give themselves a safety net, the QBBC tool has several suggestions for pairings.
- Geno Smith + Russell Wilson (avg 19.5 pts/week)
- Geno Smith + Jared Goff (avg 19.1 pts/week)
- Geno Smith + Jordan Love (avg 18.7 pts/week)
Russell Wilson (DEN) | QB18
2022 was not the type of year Russell Wilson nor the Broncos expected after the blockbuster trade for Wilson took place. There are reasons for optimism in 2023, though, with former Saints head coach, Sean Payton, installed as the new head coach of the Broncos. He immediately rejuvenated the Broncos’ offensive line, adding several high-profile additions in free agency, allowing Wilson more time to survey the field and make correct choices.
Once Nathaniel Hackett was fired, Wilson went on to play with more freedom. He had two top-five performances across the last three weeks of the fantasy season. With a better head coach, better offensive line and healthy receiving options, Wilson could be fantasy relevant again in 2023, particularly if he allows himself to be coached by Payton, who had great success with Drew Brees for many years.
Ultimately Wilson is playing for his future and needs a good season.
- Russell Wilson + Derek Carr (avg 18.4 pts/week)
- Russell Wilson + Jordan Love (avg 18.1 pts/week)
- Russell Wilson + Bryce Young (avg 18.1 pts/week)
Matthew Stafford (LAR) | QB20
It still seems a little hard to believe just how bad the Rams’ 2022 defense of their Super Bowl title was, with multiple injuries causing their startling lack of depth to be truly exposed, and now they find themselves in the midst of trying to rebuild on the fly as quickly as possible. Matthew Stafford, in particular, struggled with injuries to his throwing arm and multiple concussions, which stopped him from looking like the gunslinger of 2022 as he supported a historic year from Cooper Kupp and finished as the QB10 in points per game.
Currently, all reports have Stafford in better shape than he’s been over the last few years, dropping some weight and moving around quicker and easier in the pocket, no doubt helped by an improving offensive line which would be hard-pressed to be as poor as last year’s efforts. If Stafford is kept cleaner than in 2022, when he was sacked at a career-high rate of 27% on plays where the defense generated pressure, then it’s likely, we’ll see a return to the better days.
When Stafford was kept safe by his linemen, his clean pocket completion rate was 72.4%, identical to 2021, and even when pressured, Stafford’s completion rate jumped to a career-high 54.7%. So much of the argument for Stafford ultimately rests with his connection with Cooper Kupp, who, despite his own injury issues, was the point-per-reception (PPR) WR2 in points per game last year. At this cost, Stafford is a perfect late-round pick with a high ceiling.
- Matthew Stafford + Kenny Pickett (avg 16.8 pts/week)
- Matthew Stafford + Derek Carr (avg 16.7 pts/week)
- Matthew Stafford + Jordan Love (avg 16.5 pts/week)
More Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
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