Most of the NFL offseason moves have been made after a busy free agency and a fascinating NFL Draft, but for fantasy football players, we’re officially in the part of the schedule known as Best Ball draft season. To help you find success in your drafts, check out these 2023 Best Ball Quarterback Rankings which can be used to identify sleepers, starters and scrubs. If you’re playing Best Ball on Underdog Fantasy Football, be sure to take advantage of the Fantasy Labs Underdog Fantasy promo code and get a $100 deposit bonus when you sign up.
If you’re new to Best Ball, here’s a quick rundown of how it works. If you love drafting fantasy football teams but aren’t a fan of season-long management, Best Ball is the perfect format for you. In this format, entrants draft a team of players in a snake format draft. Throughout the season, there are no waivers, substitutions, or trades. Each week your top scorers at each position automatically are moved into your starting lineup.
For Quarterbacks, it’s important to point out that passing touchdowns are 4.0 fantasy points while rushing touchdowns are 6.0 fantasy points. Interceptions are -1.0 and fumbles lost are -2.0 while passing yards are awarded 1.0 fantasy point for each 25 yards.
Here are the top 20 in my Underdog Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings with some brief analysis at the bottom of the page.
2023 Best Ball QB Rankings
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
- Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
- Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
- Daniel Jones, New York Giants
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
- Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
- Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
- Jimmy Garappolo, Las Vegas Raiders
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
- Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
How I’m Drafting Quarterbacks in 2023
The Champ is here!
Not only is Patrick Mahomes ready to lead his team in defense of their Super Bowl title, he’s also back to defend his title as the top QB in fantasy. He has been the top option for back-to-back years and shows no signs of slowing down. You’ll have to take him early since his ADP is high, but he’s the absolute safest pick at the position. He’s worth considering if you are willing to build the rest of your roster to compensate for drafting him highly. His nearest competition comes from Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen, who join him in the “Big Three” on the top tier. Hurts and Allen do bring a little more rushing upside and have high ceilings as a result, but they aren’t quite as proven as Mahomes and will need to keep rushing for yards and touchdowns to produce elite numbers.
The Challengers
The next tier down is a fascinating group of players that could climb into that top tier if things go break their way. Like many fantasy owners, I’m in love with the upside of Justin Fields and am willing to take him as early as the fourth QB off the board if I have to in order to build around his sky-high ceiling. He showed off that upside last year without much talent around him, and the Bears upgraded this offseason by adding DJ Moore and multiple of other pieces around the young phenom. He could break through and be the top fantasy QB in the league if he takes a big step forward after showing off his rushing and throwing prowess last season.
Joe Burrow locked in his spot as a top-five fantasy QB last year as well and won’t have to work his way back from appendicitis to start this season like he did last season.He’s a very safe pick near the top of the QB rankings, but I actually think the ceiling might be higher for Justin Herbert if the Chargers can quickly adopt new coordinator Kellen Moore’s system. Herbert and Burrow are much safer picks than Fields, but I prefer the swing-for-the-fences play if Fields is available.
Lamar Jackson could also jump up into the top tier if he’s healthy and adapts to his new offense. It remains to be seen exactly how Todd Monken’s system will translate from Georgia to the NFL, but it could mean more throwing and less running based on early reports. If that’s the case it could lower his ceiling, and that coupled with his injury risk makes him come in just behind Burrow and Herbert.
The Wild Card
One of the biggest unknowns in the top 10 is Tua Tagovailoa. Tua showed immense upside when healthy, working well with Tyreke Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He had his best career numbers by far, totaling 3,548 yards and 25 passing touchdowns in just 13 games. He was limited by multiple injuries including concussions which could continue to be a recurring factor. He has had a unique training program this offseason with judo, jiu-jitsu and the latest tech while also bulking up. Pictures of a thicker Tua have gotten plenty of attention this preseason, and it will be fascinating to see if all of the work makes him more durable. If it does, he could be a steal, but the injury risk is very, very real. I would take him as a top-10 option, but I’d also be sure to backstop him with a strong backup or even two so that they would jump into the starting spot in case Tua goes down. I buy his upside, but it would be unwise to build around him without an insurance policy.
Strategic Sleepers
The key to drafting a QB after the top 10 is figuring out what exactly you need. If you have a safe No. 1 you can swing for the fences with an option like Anthony Richardson or Kyler Murray who both have elements of high risk but also high ceilings. If you already have a higher-risk starter like Tua or Fields, there are some solid safer options like Jimmy Garoppolo and Kirk Cousins who can put up solid totals but don’t have quite as high a ceiling since they don’t add rushing production.
Based on ADP, I also think Geno Smith and Daniel Jones are being under-drafted and can be solid starters in 10-to-12-person drafts. If you go with an option outside the top few, it makes sense to prioritize a solid backup who can step up in case of injuries or bad matchups.
Speaking of sleepers…if you’re looking for a new home for your more traditional fantasy football leagues, check out Sleeper Fantasy.
