Quarterbacks - Rest of Season Rankings for Fantasy Football

In a typical year, quarterback rankings aren't too important once we approach the midpoint of the season. As you know, this year has been anything but typical and that especially applies to the football world.

Just this past week, several quarterbacks have suffered serious injuries and some big-name players will need to be replaced. Fantasy managers should also prioritize passers with a more favorable schedule during the latter portion of the season.

For that reason, I am sharing my rest-of-season quarterback rankings ahead of Week 9. Although things have already changed quite a bit (farewell, Derrick Henry), you may be interested in checking out the ROS rankings for running backs and wide receivers the previous weeks. These are updated on a regular basis and will almost certainly be adjusted again in another week, so keep that in mind. I'll provide a rationale as to my ranking as well as identify some potential risers and fallers.

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Updated Quarterback Rankings: Rest-Of-Season

*ECR denotes Expert Consensus Ranking on FantasyPros

Injury Concerns

Kyler Murray was rumored to be out 1-3 weeks due to an ankle injury suffered last week in a loss to Green Bay. The injury doesn't appear serious and may not even cost him a single game but it may limit his mobility if not fully healed. The worst-case scenario is that he returns too soon and reaggravates it, causing more missed time. To date, Murray was the frontrunner for MVP and a top-five fantasy quarterback you could set and forget regardless of matchup. He will remain as such but if he is bothered by the ankle and runs less, he may not be first-half Kyler Murray. It doesn't look like he'll miss game action but it would still be wise to have a contingency plan in the short term, especially since the Cards have a bye in a couple of weeks.

Russell Wilson appears on track to return in Week 10 after the bye week. He'll resume low-end QB1 status in fantasy which makes him a solid if unexciting weekly starter. He ranks 11th in fantasy points per game at the position which is why he sits exactly 12th in my rankings as well as the consensus.

The unfortunate ACL injury to Jameis Winston would mean that Taysom Hill is back in the saddle. Except that Trevor Siemian has been announced as the starter in Week 9. This might make Alvin Kamara owners happier since Hill won't vulture carries and goal-line work. Siemian is a game manager in the purest sense and not relevant in fantasy leagues, especially considering the state of the Saints receiving corps. That is, unless they acquire Odell Beckham Jr...

If Hill does return as the starting QB, he immediately sees a spike in fantasy value. In four starts as a quarterback last year, Hill completed 72% of his passes and accounted for four passing TD and four rushing TD. He only averaged 208.5 passing yards but added 52.3 rushing yards per game. He was a fantasy starter and potential league winner... until Drew Brees had to reclaim his job. The caveat is that Michael Thomas was actually on the field for Week 11-14 of 2020 when Hill was behind center and he has now been ruled out for the year.

Is Mike White for real? We may never know. His second NFL start was cut short after he suffered a hand injury in the first quarter of Thursday night's game against the Colts. Just to complicate things, third-string QB Josh Johnson came in and threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of play and No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson may be ready to return next week. The Jets receivers suddenly look interesting but this QB situation is best to avoid even in Superflex.

Below Consensus QBs

Let's be clear - Ryan Tannehill will not get a bump from the loss of Derrick Henry. Tennessee is one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league and their offensive coordinator recently stated that things won't change much just because they lost their leading rusher. This team can't afford to put everything on the shoulders of its quarterback and expose the defense to more time on the field. I gave my full thoughts on this matter in a recent column on the Titans offense without Derrick Henry.

Matt Ryan is a savvy veteran, former MVP, and prolific passer. He just doesn't have enough weapons around him. He already lost Julio Jones to the Titans and may have lost his best remaining receiver, Calvin Ridley, for the rest of the year. Typically a high-volume passer backed by a poor defense makes for fantasy gold but in this case, it just isn't enough to make him more than a low-end QB2.

Rookie quarterbacks typically have struggles and we've seen plenty of No. 1 overall picks flop. I don't think anyone imagined that "generational talent" Trevor Lawrence would be part of that group. He is completing less than 60% of his passes, has more INT (nine) than TD (eight), and has only led the team to one victory. This franchise is a disaster and Urban Meyer is clearly not cut out for the NFL, so Lawrence simply has no redraft value in 2021 in my opinion.

Trey Lance could be a dynamic playmaker with his legs and arm. Think Taysom Hill on steroids (not literally). But he simply won't get the chance this year. Kyle Shanahan is keeping Jimmy Garoppolo in as the starter so long as he's healthy. That has resulted in a 3-3 record so far. Trey Lance lost his lone start against the Cardinals. Whether you agree or not, there isn't much hope for Lance to be a fantasy asset even in Superflex leagues this season.

Potential Risers

I already have Tua Tagovailoa several spots higher than most rankers and it will remain that way. The trade drama is over, his receivers are slowly getting back to full health, and the offense now centers around his arm as it was supposed to all along. The most encouraging thing about Tagovailoa from a fantasy perspective has been the number of attempts he's had immediately since his return from injury in Week 6. Over the last three weeks, he's thrown the ball 47, 40, and 39 times. This defense, which was a strong point last season, is among the worst in the league and shows no signs of improving. The schedule is pretty nice too, with an upcoming matchup versus the Texans, two games against the Jets, and then the Titans in Week 17.

Tyrod Taylor will reclaim his starting job and try to salvage what's left of Houston's season. It seems like forever ago when he threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener before getting hurt in Week 2. Brandin Cooks is still on the roster, Nico Collins is ascending, and he'll be required to throw plenty. Taylor could wind up being the garbage-time hero we thought Jared Goff might be in 2021.

I'm not saying it's going to happen but maybe, just maybe we see Sam Darnold return to fantasy relevance. His sharp decline after three weeks of glory was seen as regression but it coincided with Christian McCaffrey's injury. It goes without saying that the offense is better with CMC out there but Darnold's passing numbers dramatically decreased without him.

Again, this doesn't mean that Darnold will be a top-10 quarterback if McCaffrey stays healthy (which in itself is a big if) but it's too soon to count him out.

Playoff Schedules

In leagues where most teams roster just one QB and some teams play the streaming game based on matchup, you may be able to plan ahead for the playoffs based on the schedule. Knowing the strength of schedule for Weeks 14-17 ahead of time can always help to determine whether a move is necessary to trade or pickup the right passer now.

Here are the QBs with the most favorable schedules during the fantasy playoff stretch:

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