Nate Hamilton ranks his top QB fantasy football rankings heading into the 2021 season. Which quarterbacks have the most value this season? Considering skills and system, Nate ranks 36 quarterbacks for 2021 fantasy football leagues.
QB Fantasy Football Rankings 2021: League Settings
- Lineup: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB/WR/TE Flex, 1 PK, 1 DT
- 0.5 PPR scoring
- 1 point per 10 Rush/Receiving yards
- 4 pts Pass TD
- -1 pt Interception
- 6 points all other TDs
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Check out the rest of Nate Hamilton’s fantasy previews for detailed tier breakdowns and positional rankings:
- 2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 300 Players
- 2021 RB Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2021 WR Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2021 TE Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2021 PK Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2021 DT Fantasy Football Rankings
QB Fantasy Football Rankings 2021
| Rk | Tier | Player | Pos | Tm | Bye | PosRk | Auction $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Patrick Mahomes II | QB | KC | 12 | QB1 | 27 |
| 2 | 1 | Josh Allen | QB | BUF | 7 | QB2 | 25 |
| 3 | 1 | Dak Prescott | QB | DAL | 7 | QB3 | 21 |
| 4 | 2 | Kyler Murray | QB | ARI | 12 | QB4 | 20 |
| 5 | 2 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | GB | 13 | QB5 | 16 |
| 6 | 2 | Russell Wilson | QB | SEA | 9 | QB6 | 16 |
| 7 | 2 | Justin Herbert | QB | LAC | 7 | QB7 | 16 |
| 8 | 2 | Lamar Jackson | QB | BAL | 8 | QB8 | 18 |
| 9 | 3 | Tom Brady | QB | TB | 9 | QB9 | 12 |
| 10 | 3 | Matthew Stafford | QB | LAR | 11 | QB10 | 12 |
| 11 | 3 | Ryan Tannehill | QB | TEN | 13 | QB11 | 12 |
| 12 | 3 | Kirk Cousins | QB | MIN | 7 | QB12 | 6 |
| 13 | 4 | Joe Burrow | QB | CIN | 10 | QB13 | 4 |
| 14 | 4 | Derek Carr | QB | LV | 8 | QB14 | 4 |
| 15 | 4 | Jalen Hurts | QB | PHI | 14 | QB15 | 4 |
| 16 | 4 | Matt Ryan | QB | ATL | 6 | QB16 | 3 |
| 17 | 4 | Ben Roethlisberger | QB | PIT | 7 | QB17 | 1 |
| 18 | 4 | Sam Darnold | QB | CAR | 13 | QB18 | 3 |
| 19 | 5 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | QB | WAS | 9 | QB19 | 2 |
| 20 | 5 | Mac Jones | QB | NE | 14 | QB20 | 3 |
| 21 | 5 | Baker Mayfield | QB | CLE | 13 | QB21 | 3 |
| 22 | 5 | Jameis Winston | QB | NO | 6 | QB22 | 1 |
| 23 | 5 | Justin Fields | QB | CHI | 10 | QB23 | 2 |
| 24 | 5 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | JAC | 7 | QB24 | 2 |
| 25 | 6 | Carson Wentz | QB | IND | 14 | QB25 | 1 |
| 26 | 6 | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | DEN | 11 | QB26 | 0 |
| 27 | 6 | Daniel Jones | QB | NYG | 10 | QB27 | 2 |
| 28 | 6 | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | MIA | 14 | QB28 | 2 |
| 29 | 6 | Zach Wilson | QB | NYJ | 6 | QB29 | 1 |
| 30 | 6 | Jared Goff | QB | DET | 9 | QB30 | 1 |
| 31 | 6 | Jimmy Garoppolo | QB | SF | 6 | QB31 | 1 |
| 32 | 6 | Taysom Hill | QB | NO | 6 | QB32 | 0 |
| 33 | 6 | Trey Lance | QB | SF | 6 | QB33 | 0 |
| 34 | 6 | Cam Newton | QB | FA | - | QB34 | 1 |
| 35 | 6 | Andy Dalton | QB | CHI | 10 | QB35 | 0 |
| 36 | 6 | Drew Lock | QB | DEN | 11 | QB36 | 0 |
QB Fantasy Football Rankings: Tier Breakdown
Tier 1
These are the elite quarterbacks in the league. They have the pure talent and surrounding weapons to provide you with consistent numbers each week. They are a critical piece of high-octane offenses and are all but guaranteed to give you top fantasy points from the position. If you want one of these quarterbacks, be prepared to draft them much earlier than the rest of the QB class.
Dak Prescott is my favorite quarterback to target in this group. In most cases you can get him later than Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, even though he provides No. 1 quarterback upside. In fact, it would not shock me if he is the top quarterback in 2021.
Tier 2
An interesting mix of quarterbacks here. Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson are on many top-three lists due to their production on the ground, and a rushing QB provides a safer floor for fantasy points each week. That may be something you’ll want to look into as you are drafting this season.
Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, who should be higher, also find themselves here. Rodgers continues to make us all nervous to draft him, however, he is one of the greatest QBs to play the game, so buy the dip. Wilson has been a top-11 QB every season since entering the NFL, but Pete Carroll is going to Pete Carroll. Regardless of the situation these guys find themselves in, they are valuable assets for your fantasy squads.
Tier 3
This is my personal favorite QB tier to draft from — all guys that you can get at a bargain considering their upside. Obviously, Deshaun Watson is highly questionable for the 2021 season. Consider my QB8 ranking as a placeholder for the time being. Ryan Tannehill now has Julio Jones to target in addition to A.J. Brown, and Derrick Henry has been working on his pass catching skills this offseason, making him my favorite QB to target in fantasy drafts. Tom Brady is a consistent performer and anything but human — don’t let his age discourage you. Matthew Stafford is in a much better situation with the Los Angeles Rams with more productive targets and a better all-around offense.
Click for dynasty QB 2021 fantasy football draft rankings.
Tier 4
This tier still has some names in it that I’d be happy with as my QB1 for 2021. Guys like Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan and Derek Carr jump out to me — those three quarterbacks give me a sense of comfortability in their production. They provide safe floors and low-risk picks given their average draft position (ADP). Joe Burrow, if fully healthy, can boom in a big way in 2021. He’s got an amazing wide receiver group to target.
I’m not as high on Jalen Hurts as most. The truth is, I need to see more from him to consider him a top-10 QB and I’m not sold on the Eagles’ pass-catching options, at least for the 2021 season. There is plenty of young talent that may need some time to develop.
Tier 5
This is where things begin to get a bit interesting. Although I am not crazy about any of the tier 5 options, there is still some potential with all of them.
Daniel Jones will have Saquon Barkley back, which should help the Giants offense be more productive as a whole in 2021. It looks like Ryan Fitzpatrick will have several productive weapons to target on the Washington Football Team. Cam Newton is highly underrated after his first season with the Patriots. New England’s offense isn’t the flashiest, but they have made key upgrades in the pass-catching department. Carson Wentz has an opportunity to find new life in Indianapolis with a top-tier offensive line. Ben Roethlisberger could be the most forgotten QB in this tier. I consider him to be an old but reliable option for fantasy.
Tier 6
The remaining quarterbacks have more questions than answers and should be avoided in most 1-QB leagues. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill are in a QB battle in New Orleans and will likely eat into each other’s value no matter who starts Week 1. The rookies are thrown into this tier simply because we have yet to see them perform at an NFL level. Any one of them can click immediately which would impact their ranking, but typically there will be growing pains adjusting to the NFL in their rookie season. Everyone else isn’t guaranteed to even begin the season as the starter and if they do, it likely will not last long.
