Few questions come up more frequently in fantasy football draft discussions than where quarterbacks will be drafted in 1QB leagues. Do you give up talent at the skill positions to pay up for Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen? Or do you wait until the later rounds and settle on the likes of Jared Goff or young, unproven signal callers?
Drafting an early quarterback can stifle depth and talent at the skill positions, but it can be an effective strategy if you obtain a true difference maker at the position. Below is an in-depth analysis, including players who fit the draft strategy that you can target this season, whether it be re-draft leagues at Sleeper Fantasy or Underdog Best Ball drafts.
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What is the Early QB Strategy?
This strategy focuses on selecting a top-tier quarterback within the first few rounds, often between Rounds 2–4. Managers who adopt this approach aim to lock in an elite option like Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, whose weekly production can significantly outpace the mid-tier quarterbacks available later. These players often provide a high floor due to passing volume and rushing ability, while also offering explosive ceilings that can win matchups. By securing such a reliable cornerstone early, fantasy teams gain consistency and reduce the stress of streaming or playing matchups at the quarterback position throughout the season.
The trade-off, however, lies in opportunity cost. Drafting a quarterback early means passing up on elite running backs or wide receivers, positions that traditionally thin out more quickly and are harder to replace later in the draft. Critics of the strategy point out that quality quarterbacks can still be found in later rounds, making an early QB pick feel like a luxury rather than a necessity. Still, in smaller leagues or scoring formats that reward quarterbacks heavily, the early QB strategy can provide a distinct weekly edge that makes it worthwhile, especially for managers who prefer the security of a “set-and-forget” player leading their lineup.
Pros of the Early QB Strategy
Fantasy football managers often look at tiers for positional value in drafts. Sean Koerner has an elite quarterback tier of just two players: Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. They finished atop the position in fantasy points-per-game last season with 45 (Jackson) and 40 (Allen) total touchdowns in dual-threat fashion.
Obtaining consistent high-end production is never a bad thing in fantasy football. Allen and Jackson have each proven reliable from a health standpoint and have high-end offenses designed to give them a massive share of the fantasy output from their passing and running prowess. Most 1QB leagues will not need to draft a second quarterback with one of these elite options on the roster and can pick up a flyer for a bye week as needed.
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Cons of the Early QB Strategy
One of the biggest cons of the early quarterback strategy is the opportunity cost. Taking a quarterback in the second, third, or even fourth round often means passing on elite running backs and wide receivers who form the foundation of most fantasy lineups. These positions tend to dry up quickly, and missing out on a top-tier RB or WR can leave a roster thin at spots that typically require multiple starters every week. Since 1QB leagues only start one quarterback with multiple backs and receivers, investing early in a QB can create imbalance and force managers to rely on weaker depth later in the draft.
Another drawback is that the positional advantage isn’t always as large as it seems. While the top few quarterbacks may outscore mid-tier options, the gap between them and solid later-round picks often isn’t as wide as the difference between early-round RBs or WRs and their later-round counterparts. With plenty of capable quarterbacks available in the middle to late rounds—or even on the waiver wire—spending premium draft capital on the position can feel inefficient. In many leagues, the strategy risks overpaying for consistency at quarterback while losing out on upside at positions that more directly impact week-to-week matchups.
Last season, Jackson cleared the quarterback field at 25.7 fantasy points per game, nearly three points better than Allen (22.7). That gap was nearly as large as the point span from quarterbacks 3-14 who all finished between 18.1 and 22.5 points per game. An early-round WR from last season, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with 18.6 points per game compared to late-round starting options like Michael Pittman Jr. (10.4) and George Pickens (11.7).
Top Early QB Targets in 2025
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
The number one quarterback in fantasy scoring last season and Sean Koerner’s number two ranked quarterback this season, Lamar Jackson may be the best athlete we’ve ever seen at the quarterback position. We’ve always known about his running ability, but he continues to set career marks with his arm as well. In 2024, Jackson set career highs with 41 passing touchdowns, 4172 passing yards, and 8.8 yards/attempt.
He is the clear-cut difference maker that the early QB strategy relies on. In 17 games last season, he finished outside the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks in only one matchup. That kind of weekly consistency is worth paying up to secure. Fantasy owners may have to reach all the way up into late round two if they want Jackson to lead their lineup this season.
Check out Koerner’s and Chris Raybon’s 2025 fantasy football rankings to see how the rest of their quarterback rankings stack up.
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Essentially neck-and-neck to be the first quarterback taken off the draft board, Josh Allen may be the most consistent high-end option at the position. He has five straight years of top-2 quarterback fantasy finishes, although last season was a slight drop in production from previous campaigns.
Allen excels with his legs near the goal line as the team’s primary short-yardage runner. He has 27 touchdowns on the ground over the last two seasons and at least 100 carries every season since 2019. His passing totals fell below the 4,000-yard mark in 2024 for the first time in the last five seasons. His lack of pass-catching weapons with the departure of Stefon Diggs may be the biggest culprit. Josh Palmer may not be a major free agent splash, but his addition, along with the more experienced Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, proves to be more formidable than last season.
The late second round/early third round is the target area to grab Allen or Jackson in an early QB build. Without much separation in their projections, fantasy owners should consider waiting for the first domino to fall and drafting the remaining option depending on their draft slot.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
Maybe the most exciting, and nerve-rattling, of the early-round quarterback options, Jayden Daniels enters his sophomore season after a historic rookie campaign. Daniels exceeded all expectations last season with 31 total touchdowns and 3568 passing yards. We knew he was dynamic on the ground in college, but Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury unlocked his running ability in the NFL to the tune of 891 rushing yards and 6.0 yards/carry.
Daniels notched four top-5 fantasy finishes over the last five full regular season games he played, including a massive five-touchdown performance against the Eagles in Week 16. The high-upside potential is certainly in place for the young superstar, but investing a potential third- or fourth-round pick means giving up the likes of Kyren Williams and Mike Evans. Daniels will need to separate himself further from the rest of the top-12 quarterback options to prove he is worth that type of asset allocation in fantasy drafts.
Pictured: Josh Allen
Photo Credit: Imagn
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