Quarterbacks to Avoid: C.J. Stroud, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence (Fantasy Football)

It’s becoming more and more popular to fade the quarterback position in 1QB leagues. Still, the top signal callers will continue to be selected in the early rounds of those drafts, and that’s certainly the case in Superflex and 2QB leagues. As such, it’s important to know which quarterbacks to target and others to avoid. Here are three quarterbacks I’m avoiding in 2024 fantasy football drafts.

Quarterbacks to Avoid

The quarterback position in fantasy football is one in which players have devised strategies over the years to maximize the value. In most traditional PPR or standard leagues, you can only start one quarterback, so the value of this position differs for everyone.

Are you someone who would prefer to get a player like Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to ensure a certain level of production? Or are you ok with streaming throughout the season?

Regardless of your stance, there are three quarterbacks I’d tend to avoid in your upcoming drafts. Of course, this could change based on value, such as an opportunity to draft players multiple rounds after their current average draft position (ADP).

Let’s check it out.

C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU)

There’s no denying C.J. Stroud had a phenomenal rookie season and was, to me, the greatest from a rookie quarterback we’ve seen. He threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, with just five picks in 15 games. He finished as the QB12. All quarterbacks that finished ahead of him either didn’t miss a game or played in all but Week 18.

Stroud now has Stefon Diggs at his disposal, in addition to Nico Collins, who just signed a new deal, and Tank Dell. What’s not to love?

In 2023, Stroud averaged 18.7 points per game, the QB11 in that category. He’s being drafted as the QB5 and No. 46 overall.

The issue for me is simply the ADP, not the player. As for rushing purposes, Stroud had 167 yards and three scores. He had the bulk of that against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12, with 47 rushing yards and a score. We know Stroud can run, but he doesn’t do it as often as we’d like for a top-five quarterback.

I could be wrong here, and no, no quarterback is going after him I’d prefer to take in his current spot, but this is a situation where I’ll let someone else have him. There’s a lot of value left on the board near this spot, including his teammate and running back Joe Mixon, who will get plenty of carries with the team in 2024.

Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)

Since Deshaun Watson came back and started games in the NFL, nothing has pointed to any level of production I’d want any part of on my fantasy team. He appeared in six games last season and averaged 15.1 fantasy points per outing, ranking as the QB32.

As a passer in 2023, he completed 61.8% of his passes for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 142 rushing yards and a score, too.

When he returned from suspension in 2022, he had 1,102 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

He’s not being drafted highly at all at QB21, but this isn’t a situation I’d want to find myself in. If you’re going with a late-round quarterback strategy, avoid Watson. There’s nothing to indicate any type of change and starting him weekly won’t be a fun experience.

Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)

Maybe the Jaguars know something we don’t after signing Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million deal, but he’s still got a lot to prove to be a valuable fantasy quarterback.

In 2023, Lawrence completed 65.6% of his passes for 4,017 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He added 339 rushing yards and four scores, so there’s some mobility there.

These numbers came with a wide receiver group of Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne in the backfield. Ridley was responsible for over 1,000 yards and six scores. He’s now with divisional rival Tennessee Titans.

The Jaguars did draft Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and there are high hopes for him, but he’s still a rookie. Jones also left, but they added Gabe Davis to help make up for that loss.

Lawrence was the QB14 overall in 2023 and was QB17 based on per-game averages. He’s going as the QB16 right now, so drafting him doesn’t require a lot of investment, but there are typically not many performances that could help catapult you to wins.

Last season, he had eight games with fewer than 16 fantasy points. He had a nice stretch from Weeks 11 to 14 with performances ranging from 20.4 to 32.2, but in two of those games, Ridley had nearly 200 receiving yards, three scores and caught 12 passes.

The wide receiver group is worse without Ridley. I’d prefer some higher-upside options around this area, like rookies Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.

More Players to Avoid

DBro’s Players to Avoid (Premium)
Erickson’s Players to Avoid: QB | RB | TE

NFL Patrick Mahomes C.J. Stroud Stefon Diggs Nico Collins Tank Dell Joe Mixon Deshaun Watson Trevor Lawrence Zay Jones Christian Kirk Calvin Ridley Travis Etienne Brian Thomas Jr. Gabe Davis Caleb Williams Jayden Daniels