Draft season is just around the corner! If you’re not one of the degenerates like me drafting best ball teams all offseason, this is your return after a 10+ month break to the most exciting part of the fantasy football season.
Fantasy football managers are getting better at every aspect of the game, with the draft likely being where the biggest gains are being made. People have locked in sleeper and bust takes, are weighing early season versus late season production, and drafting high-upside rookies. Something that too many drafters haven’t adapted to, though, is tiered rankings.
Ranking your quarterbacks or tight ends 1 through 60 simply isn’t taking into account the value differentials in your draft. Often, when looking at your 1 through 60 positional rankings, there’s five guys that you could rearrange on any given day, but that sixth player is clearly not as good as the first five. Tier-based rankings allow for that to be taken into account.
If you’re looking for Tiered Rankings for Wide Receiver or Running Back, you can find links to those articles below.
Quarterbacks
Tier 1 – The Elite 3
These are the tried and tested top options at quarterback. All have finished in the top three multiple times and give you a great opportunity to win the QB battle each and every week of your season. These are the best of the best dual-threat QBs for fantasy.
1. Josh Allen (BUF)
2. Lamar Jackson (BAL)
3. Jalen Hurts (PHI)
Tier 1.5 – A Rising Star
As a Commanders fan, I want so badly to include Daniels in Tier 1, but I just can’t yet. The top tier has too much history of finishing among the top QBs for fantasy for Daniels to join them after one (albeit incredible) season. He’s also separated himself from the second tier with his dual-threat abilities. So here he stays for now, in no man’s land between the top tiers.
4. Jayden Daniels (WAS)
Tier 2 – High Variance
This is a pretty big drop from Tier 1 when it comes to consistency. While the top tier features elite dual-threat QBs, this tier has elite pocket-passers and the best non-elite dual threat.
These players provide the best option to find the next QB1 overall at a multi-round discount over the top tier, but it’s just as likely, if not moreso, that they finish outside of the top-12 QBs.
5. Joe Burrow (CIN)
6. Patrick Mahomes (KC)
7. Kyler Murray (ARI)
Tier 3 – QB1s
This tier has high-quality starting options. After the top five or so QBs each year, there’s a large tier of players that score 18-20 fantasy ppg. These are the players with the best chance of fitting into that category, while still offering some upside above that with an outlier touchdown season.
8. Dak Prescott (DAL)
9. Caleb Williams (CHI)
10. Justin Herbert (LAC)
11. J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
12. Baker Mayfield (TB)
13. Bo Nix (DEN)
Tier 4 – High Ceiling QB2s
These are the passers that could very well fall outside of that 18-20 fantasy ppg band that make for a solid QB1, but they also posses a higher ceiling that could put them into the top-six QBs for the fantasy season. Drake Maye, Justin Fields, and Anthony Richardson have the dual-threat ability if their passing consistency takes a step forward.
With the others, there have been additions at pass-catcher and/or playcaller positions that lead me to believe an established talented passer could have a breakout, high-touchdown season.
14. Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
15. Brock Purdy (SF)
16. Justin Fields (NYJ)
17. Drake Maye (NE)
18. CJ Stroud (HOU)
19. Jordan Love (GB)
20. Anthony Richardson (IND)
Tier 5 – Low Ceiling QB2s
If you want a steady presence as your backup to a riskier option, or as your QB2 in superflex leagues, this is the place to look. While there’s very few paths to being a top-six QB in this group, there’s reason to believe these quarterbacks won’t lose you your week.
Young passers like Cam Ward and Michael Penix Jr. offer a bit more upwards variance than the others, but with more uncertainty comes a lower floor.
21. Jared Goff (DET)
22. Matthew Stafford (LAR)
23. Cam Ward (TEN)
24. Michael Penix Jr. (ATL)
25. Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
26. Bryce Young (CAR)
Tier 6 – SF Safety Blankets
If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably in a superflex league. Either that, or you’re wondering where the tight ends are, and if that’s the case, just keep scrolling, you’re almost there. This is where the superflex panic starts to set in if you haven’t selected your QB2, or the spot you can go to find a comfortable, reliable QB3.
No one here is going to win you your league, but they should have a starting job for the duration of the 2025 season.
27. Geno Smith (LV)
28. Sam Darnold (SEA)
29. Aaron Rodgers (PIT)
Tier 7 – High Risk Starters
This is where you end up when the QB run ends and you don’t have a QB3 yet. Starters that you aren’t excited about and may not even be starters for the whole year.
30. Russell Wilson (NYG)
31. Tyler Shough (NO)
Tier 8 – Starting QBs?
Starters? We’re past that. These quarterbacks are unlikely to star the entire year, but if you’re desperate, you can probably throw them in your QB2 spot if they do take the starting job.
32. Joe Flacco (CLE)
33. Daniel Jones (IND)
34. Jaxson Dart (NYG)
Tight Ends
Tier 1 – The Elite 2
There are two tight ends projected to be the number one offensive players on their teams. You’ll need to pay a premium to add them, but they’ll save you a lot of time and stress guessing which Tier 5-7 guy is going to get the touchdown each week.
1. Brock Bowers (LV)
2. Trey McBride (ARI)
Tier 2 – The Really Good 2
The elite talent at tight end is not deep. These guys separate themselves from Tier 3 due to playing in a good offense, but they’re still far from the first tier in terms of target share.
3. George Kittle (SF)
4. Sam LaPorta (DET)
Tier 3 – Second Receiving Options
If you avoid risk at the tight end position, this should be the tier you target. These tight ends are projected to be the second receiving options on their team, meaning they should see enough targets to avoid those 0-3 point weeks, but they don’t cost the premium price of the first couple tiers.
5. T.J. Hockenson (MIN)
6. Mark Andrews (BAL)
7. Evan Engram (DEN)
8. Travis Kelce (KC)
Tier 4 – High Variance
This is my favourite tier to target if you can’t get your hands on the elite options. These three give paths to being a top two receiving option on their teams at a stage in the draft where you’re probably drafting players at other positions that will start the season on your bench.
9. Tucker Kraft (GB)
10. David Njoku (CLE)
11. Colston Loveland (CHI)
Tier 5 – Solid Producers
This is the last tier to grab a starting tight end that you can feel somewhat comfortable with. Guys that will provide something in your tight end spot on weekly basis but will likely be touchdown dependent to have a big week.
12. Jonnu Smith (PIT)
13. Dalton Kincaid (BUF)
14. Jake Ferguson (DAL)
15. Dallas Goedert (PHI)
Tier 6 – High Upside/Low Downside
I’m not comfortable with having any of these guys as the only tight end on my roster. There are too many paths to zeroes in my starting lineup. These are guys that you pair together, or with a steadier option from Tier 3-5. By Week 3, the players in this tier could look like league-winners or have multiple weeks with less than three catches.
16. Tyler Warren (IND)
17. Zach Ertz (WAS)
18. Brenton Strange (JAX)
Tier 7 – Dart Throw
If you want a last-round second tight end on your roster that could unexpectedly explode Week 1, but you otherwise wouldn't feel bad cutting them, this is the place to look. Very thin paths to upside, but upside nonetheless.
19. Mike Gesicki (CIN)
20. Kyle Pitts (ATL)
21. Isaiah Likely (BAL)
22. Mason Taylor (NYJ)
23. Chig Okonkwo (TEN)
Tier 8 – Bye Week Replacements
Why are you still reading? Unless you’re in a 2TE league, thinking about having these guys on your opening day fantasy roster is just depressing. I guess I included them, so I can’t be upset, but seriously, why?
24. Hunter Henry (NE)
25. Cade Otton (TB)
26. Ja’Tavion Sanders (CAR)
27. Juwan Johnson (NO)
28. Tyler Higbee (LAR)
29. Dalton Schultz (HOU)
30. Theo Johnson (NYG)