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Every fantasy manager wants the best fantasy quarterback on their roster. After all, quarterbacks will be one of your team's highest-scoring players every week. Last year, the top seven fantasy quarterbacks (Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, and Jared Goff) finished top-11 in total points scored in PPR formats.
Of course, every manager wants to draft Allen and Hurts in the early round of drafts, and they are certainly must-have quarterbacks entering the 2024 fantasy football season. However, those are obvious, considering they finished as the top two fantasy signal-callers last year.
So, let's look at four other must-have quarterbacks fantasy managers should be drafting in the middle to late rounds. Think of these quarterbacks as my guys for this upcoming season.
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Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Injuries have been the biggest concern for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson entering the fantasy season. Richardson played in just four games last year (two full games) due to a concussion and a season-ending shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it's hard to ignore what the young quarterback did on the field in those games.
In Week 1, he totaled 21.9 fantasy points behind 223 pass yards, 40 rush yards, and three total touchdowns. The next week, he scored 17.7 fantasy points across just 18 snaps before exiting due to a concussion. Then, two weeks later in Week 4, Richardson finished as the QB2 while scoring 29.6 fantasy points. It might be a small sample size, but there's no doubt that if the former Florida product can stay healthy in 2024, a top-5 fantasy finish is certainly in store.
Why Anthony Richardson should be the FIRST QB off the board in your fantasy draft 🤯@daltondeldon | @scott_pianowski pic.twitter.com/oZfW8QYNMR
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 13, 2024
His rushing upside will give him a weekly high floor and a ceiling that puts him among the best fantasy quarterbacks this season. Richardson's injury-riddled rookie campaign might be at the top of fantasy managers' minds but don't draft scared in fantasy, especially when the Colts quarterback finds himself going in the fifth round of drafts. This is the type of player who wins leagues because he does have overall QB1 upside. His ceiling is too big to pass up on as your QB1 in 2024.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
It's best to just forget about Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's 2023 season. He injured his calf in training camp, which resulted in him being extremely limited to begin the season. In the first six weeks, Burrow averaged just 12.1 fantasy points while rushing for 14 total yards during that span. Weeks later, the 27-year-old injured his wrist against the Baltimore Ravens and winded up missing the rest of the year.
It was a rough injury year for the Bengals quarterback, which led to him finishing as the QB25. But the potential is there for him to finish as a top-5 fantasy quarterback in 2024. For starters, Burrow already has a top-5 fantasy finish to his name. Back in 2022, he finished as the QB4. During that season, he averaged 21.5 fantasy points per game while finishing as a top-8 fantasy quarterback in nine of 17 weeks.
JOE BURROW. Tee Higgins.
WE ARE SO BACK pic.twitter.com/oYW8fDd2bp
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 10, 2024
Burrow is one of the safer quarterback options at his 56.9 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. He has finished as a top-7 fantasy quarterback in the two full seasons he has played (2021 and 2022) and has the weapons around him to finish that high again. At his QB7 price tag, he is one of my favorite targets in the fifth round -- along with Richardson. The Pro Bowl quarterback not only has a high fantasy floor in that Cincinnati offense with Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1, but also a ceiling that could see him finish as high as the overall QB3.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is currently the best value pick at the position in drafts this year. Murray hasn't lived up to fantasy expectations in recent years, mainly due to a torn ACL he suffered during the 2022 season. In 2022, he finished as the QB19 after playing in just 11 games, and last year, he finished as the QB27 while playing in just eight games.
But as we look ahead to the 2024 season, Murray is finally healthy and a big year could be in store. Before his torn ACL in 2022, the 27-year-old finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in each of his first three years in the league (2019, 2020, and 2021). In those seasons, he averaged a combined 21.1 fantasy points per game.
Kyler Murray is going to be SLEPT ON in fantasy football this SZN‼️💤
Why?
- Tore his ACL in 2022 🏥
- People have recency bias
- The Cardinals offense has been nothing to get excited about recently
- Lots of other very talented QBs in the league (especially in fantasy)But… pic.twitter.com/rC9WRbqlaN
— PPRFantasyTips (@PPRFantasyTips) May 19, 2024
The biggest thing for Murray's fantasy value in 2024 will be his legs. He was limited on the ground last year as he worked his way back from a torn ACL. However, if he can rush for over 600 yards and seven touchdowns -- as he did during the 2022 campaign -- a top-6 fantasy finish is attainable. Having Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride in the passing game should also elevate his passing numbers this upcoming season.
If Murray can just stay healthy, he has every opportunity to put up solid fantasy numbers in 2024. His rushing upside makes him a solid pick in the middle round of drafts.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Richardson, Burrow, and Murray are all great quarterback targets in the middle round of drafts. However, if fantasy managers are looking for a quarterback in the later rounds, take a chance on Kirk Cousins. Cousins signed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, and he should continue to be a solid fantasy option with his new team.
Cousins has finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in six of the past nine seasons and three of the past four years. In 2023, the veteran was on pace to finish in that range again, as he averaged 19.3 fantasy points through the first eight weeks of the season. However, a torn Achilles in Week 8 ended his year early.
With recovery going well for Cousins, finishing as a top-12 fantasy quarterback again seems achievable. He has elite weapons around him in the passing game (Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson), and he'll still be throwing the ball 40 to 45 times per game. The 12-year veteran has thrown more than 550 passes in each of his last two full seasons. With a QB18 price tag, he is a must-have quarterback in the later rounds.
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