Dynasty Consensus Ranks: QBs

It’s the off-season, time to take stock of our teams, players and plans for future fantasy football glory. This off-season, the Music City Drive In NFL Team is here to help. If you’ve been following along with the Happy Hour Podcast, you know we’re tackling our consensus Top 10s at QB, RB, WR and TE this March. Each Friday, in conjunction with our weekly panel discussion, we’ll be releasing the Top 10 right here. The panel of voters is Jason Astarita (@astataritajason), John Hamelers (@iheartcaravans), Ricky Valero (@rickyvalero_) and Matthew Fox (@knighthawk7734).

Here’s the process: each panelist submits a list of their Top 10. Each player is scored according to position, from 10 points to 1 point. Then the scores of each are added to determine a Top 10, with the highest score possible being 40 points. Below is the Top 10 along with some analysis and score information.

No. 1 Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Score: 37
First Place Votes: 2
About: Allen is an ultimate dual threat at quarterback, which makes him fantasy gold. He’s rushed for at least 400 yards in each of his four seasons, and his six rushing touchdowns in 2021 were a career-low. He’s also been incredibly durable, starting all 49 games the past three seasons. That’s a big part of the reason he landed at No. 1 on this list.

No. 2 Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Score: 36
First Place Votes: 1
About: Mahomes has a cannon for an arm and he’s not afraid to use it. In his four years as a starter he’s recorded at least 4,000 passing yards and only had fewer than 30 touchdown passes once, likely as a result of missing games due to injury. He’s part of a high-flying offense and that doesn’t figure to change, making him one of the more reliable targets in fantasy football.

No. 3 Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Score: 34
First Place Votes: 1
About: Herbert is an emerging star. In his two seasons he’s thrown for 9,350 yards and 69 touchdowns, at least 30 each season. Herbert is in a solid offense and has shown an ability to thrive no matter who his targets are on the field. He’s looking like a draft steal more and more with each game.

No. 4 Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Score: 24
Highest Placement: No. 4
About: Burrow was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, and he willed the Bengals to the Super Bowl in his second year. Were it not for Herbert, he’d be the emerging star from his draft class. He’s got a bright future with plenty of weapons in his supporting cast.

No. 5 Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Score: 22
Highest Placement: No. 4
About: Murray is another former No. 1 pick, and a dual threat. He’s entering his fourth season but has yet to hit 4,000 yards or 30 TDs in any season. His rushing has boosted his fantasy value, but that number dropped a bit in 2021 and his durability is something of a question, as is his future given some of the off-season back-and-forth with the Cardinals. Still, he comes in fairly high for our panel.

No. 6 Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Score: 21
Highest Placement: No. 3
About: No quarterback seemed to polarize the panel more than Jackson. He ranked as high as No. 3 but as low as No. 9. That range is due to two factors—his immense talent and dual threat ability, and his durability. We’ve seen both on display at times. After back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons, Jackson appeared to be improving his passing in 2021 before an injury caused him to miss five starts. He brings upside, but also risk. That’s all baked into his spot on the consensus ranks.

No. 7 Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Score: 20
Highest Placement: No. 5
About: Dak, coming off a major injury, led the Cowboys to a 12-5 finish and an NFC East title. He’s got a long-term contract on a good offense and figures to stay that way. He threw for 4,449 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2021. While his rushing isn’t what it was early in his career, the inflated passing numbers have balanced that out. He’s the last of the solid consensus picks on this list.

No. 8 Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
Score: 6
Highest Placement: No. 7
About: Lance was a polarizing pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and he remains a polarizing pick for this process. He was ranked as high as No. 7 on one list but wasn’t ranked in the Top 10 for two of our panelists. Lance had a limited resume in college and only recorded two starts as a rookie. His dual threat potential gives him some upside, and the 49ers appear poised to hand over the keys this off-season. It makes him a high-risk, high reward asset to chase.

No. 9 Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (TIE)
Score: 5
Highest Placement: No. 8
About: There was a three-way tie for the No. 9 spot, rounding out our rankings. That shows that beyond the top group there is a tier break and it becomes more about personal preference. Only two panelists ranked Stafford, but neither had him lower than No. 9. He’s coming off a Super Bowl victory and a great season and appears poised for more the next few seasons in Los Angeles. His ceiling and career length isn’t as high as others on the list, but he’s still a safe bet.

No. 9 Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (TIE)
Score: 5
Highest Placement: No. 8
About: Watson is another polarizing option, but not because of his talent. Watson has off-field issues and an icy relationship with the Texans, to say the least. He was a healthy scratch the entire 2021 season. But when he’s on the field, he has Top 5 talent. Three rankers included him in the Top 10, one as high as No. 8. This spot would vault up, likely, if his 2022 fate was to be determined. Another high-risk, high-reward option.

No. 9 Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (TIE)
Score: 5
Highest Placement: No. 8
About: The final quarterback on the list is Wilson. He’s been a solid fantasy producer for most of his career, though his performance and the Seahawks performance slid a bit in 2021. His future is a bit in flux as trade rumors have swirled, but he remains a fairly safe bet to be on the cusp of QB1 production. Still, only two panelists ranked Wilson, meaning some don’t see as much upside as earlier in his career.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.