When sitting in your fantasy football draft room, few decisions shape your roster structure quite like deciding when to target your starting quarterback.
Though draft boards can feel chaotic as runs on signal-callers inevitably begin, staying calm and executing a disciplined, tier-based strategy is the secret to building a championship contender. Knowing when to strike and when to exercise patience will allow you to maximize value at the position without sacrificing essential depth across the rest of your starting lineup.
There is no denying the allure of the top-tier quarterbacks. Superstars like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson will cost you a premium early round draft pick. Nevertheless, based on their unmatched raw fantasy points and level of elite production over the past few seasons, it is exceptionally difficult to argue against making that move. Having a dual-threat quarterback who can single-handedly win you a matchup on any given week with 30-plus point potential provides a massive advantage if you are willing to spend the necessary draft capital.
If you miss out on the top guys, do not overreact or fall into a panic. Reaching for a second-tier quarterback two rounds early out of sheer fear is precisely how fantasy rosters fall apart. Instead, be patient and target the immense value sitting in the middle rounds with players like Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams and Trevor Lawrence.
Herbert enters an intriguing new setup with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel calling the plays, a brilliant coaching mind who once had Tua Tagovailoa lead the entire league in passing yards.
Williams boasts staggering upside in his own right, especially after head coach Ben Johnson boldly told the media he wants to break the NFL record for a team’s points per game total.
Meanwhile, Lawrence remains sneaky valuable as a runner, already sitting tied for third in quarterback rushing touchdowns over the past five seasons while leading an emerging offense orchestrated by Liam Coen, one of the premier coaching minds in the game today.
If you fail to get one of those middle-round quarterbacks, it is far better to shoot for pure upside late in the draft rather than settling for a boring, low-ceiling game manager. Kyler Murray and Tyler Shough represent dynamic late-round options who possess both the individual skill sets and the situational contexts to smash their current draft positions.
Kevin O’Connell runs a remarkably quarterback-friendly offensive scheme, and Murray’s surrounding cast of weapons, which includes the elite Justin Jefferson, is undeniably first-rate.
As for Shough, he completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions while adding 186 rushing yards and three scores on the ground — despite not starting until Week 9. With the Saints expected to be throwing heavily in the second half of games this season because of game script demands, Shough could produce massive fantasy value at a fraction of the draft cost.
Whether you decide to strike early on a proven elite producer or let the draft come to you in the middle and late rounds, staying disciplined in your approach ensures you won’t overpay while still securing league-winning upside at the position.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy, catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your leagues with the latest football news and advice from Fantasy Alarm.
