Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Quarterback-by-Committee (2024)

In a fantasy football landscape where you can drive your team down multiple avenues to win it all, you must ensure you know the road you are venturing upon to master your upcoming season. One of the most famous roads in fantasy football is the QB-by-committee approach or, as some call it, “Streaming QB.”

Today, we will help you navigate and master this strategy so it can be adequately implemented on draft day. And be sure to check out our Quarterback By Committee Finder (QBBC) tool as you navigate your draft strategy. Let’s break down some rules you must remember when journeying down this road of the fantasy football quarterback-by-committee draft strategy.

Fantasy Football Quarterback-by-Committee Strategy

1. You Do Not Use A Committee Approach With Elite Quarterbacks

If you have drafted an elite quarterback such as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, etc., please do your team a favor and don’t draft another quarterback. We see teams with two of these names thinking they created an “edge.” However, all you did was handcuff your optimal potential because you can only start one. This “Bully QB” approach doesn’t work for the trade market either because, in the typical one QB league, most people will turn to the waiver wire rather than pay an elevated price to help alleviate your bench issue.

We also suggest not adding another late-round quarterback in the draft in the hope that the dart throw hits. An example would be drafting Patrick Mahomes and Will Levis.

Drafting Levis is stating that you believe he is useable over Mahomes, and we all know you didn’t draft Mahomes to bust at his average draft position (ADP). Therefore, minus a bye week or injury, Will Levis will take up space on your bench like a (SPOILER ALERT!) skeleton of Wolverine next to Deadpool. Use that extra space to grab another upside running back who can explode onto the scene, and watch as your team’s potential elevates instantaneously.

2. The Floor Is Lava

Do you remember this show on Netflix? I have always wanted to do it after I competed on (and won) TKO. This show has an excellent rule for executing the Quarterback-by-Committee strategy.

The rule is simple: Don’t aim for the floor!

Let’s work with two late-round quarterbacks for this example. This example will utilize Bo Nix and Geno Smith in Week 1. We picked these two quarterbacks because their teams face off. So, in this scenario, we decided to draft both of them. Now, we must choose. The question is: “Where do we lean?”

We lean towards the upside. To find the upside, we like to break down a few questions. The first question is, which quarterback has better surrounding talent? The answer would be Smith.

The next question is, which defense struggled more against the passing game? The answer would be the Broncos, as they allowed the fifth-most passing touchdowns compared to the Seahawks, who allowed the 20th most in the NFL. The Broncos also allowed the third-highest QB Rate and the sixth-highest completion percentage.

Finally, we ask, is either quarterback a “Konami Code?” The answer is no. With everything discussed on the surface, Smith will lead your team to a higher upside.

A JOE PEPE SPECIAL NUGGET OF INFORMATION:

*Remember to also check your Vegas odds. Smith is a home favorite. A unique look into quarterbacks shows that a home favorite tends to outscore the road underdog quarterback most of the time in fantasy football. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as it sounds. Don’t overthink it.

3. Quarterback By Committee Thrives With Konami Code Quarterbacks

At this point, we are sure you have heard the term Konami Code quarterback. However, if you haven’t, it means a quarterback who creates fantasy points with his legs through run-design plays and scrambles. Those types of quarterbacks are cheat codes like the Konami Code back in the day. Most of those quarterbacks, such as Jalen Hurts or Lamar Jackson, are drafted early. However, we have a few hidden nuggets late that you should consider.

Consider these upcoming quarterbacks. They can elevate the floor and provide the potential for a boom week within your lineup. For this example, we will use Trevor Lawrence. Let’s say he has a day where, in a six-point-per-touchdown league, he accumulates 20 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. That’s eight extra points for your quarterback.

Last season, Lawrence averaged 17.3 fantasy points per game (FPPG), which led him to QB13 overall. He produced those stats with an average of 250 passing yards per game and 1.3 passing touchdowns. If you broke the math down, the 150 yards would gain you ten fantasy points, and the 1.3 touchdown average would gain you another six points, giving you a floor of 16 points. Now, we drag back in the rushing average totals from above, and your quarterback, on average, will add two more points from rushing yards and possibly more if he produces a touchdown on the ground.

Don’t forget to grab yourself a Konami Code player within this committee to help elevate it. Some of my favorite later-round Konami Code quarterbacks are Lawrence, Jayden Daniels, Justin Fields, and Daniel Jones*

*Jones is my least favorite and the riskiest of them all, but if you missed out on everyone else, then pull that rip chord and draft him.*

4. Don’t Draft Entire Quarterback Rooms

We understand that some teams, such as the Minnesota Vikings, have quarterback battles proceeding through training camp. If you believe in the Vikings, that is great. However, just drafting Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy is a recipe for disaster. One of them will eventually drop off your roster.

Instead, it’s time to step forward with your player take. Do you believe Darnold will start to begin the season? The Vikings begin the season with the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, and New York Jets. That is a murderer’s row of defenses.

Should you take that bullet to build your committee? The answer is Hell No! Instead, develop your committee with a safer approach by taking a quarterback like Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, or Geno Smith. Follow that quarterback up with a J.J. McCarthy, and now you have an upswing a few weeks down the road because you tackled the bigger picture.

Sometimes, the research needed isn’t analytical but sits firmly within game and season narratives. Remember to blend both into your studies.

Remember, FantasyPros is here to help you through the entire offseason and your weekly debates during the season. You should read all the fantastic work here, listen to our podcasts, and subscribe to our channels in order to optimize your research and dominate your opponents in the 2024 season. If you ever need more help, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on X (formerly Twitter) at @jpep20.

Good luck with your quarterbacks by committee and your fantasy football drafts this season!

Fantasy Draft Advice NFL Josh Allen Patrick Mahomes Jalen Hurts Will Levis Bo Nix Geno Smith Lamar Jackson Trevor Lawrence Jayden Daniels Justin Fields Daniel Jones Sam Darnold J.J. McCarthy Matthew Stafford Derek Carr