Updated Fantasy Quarterback Rankings 2023: Best QBs, top sleepers & breakouts

Every fantasy football owner hopes to land a stud quarterback to anchor their team, but the best strategy for achieving that goal is always up for debate. Something that isn’t up for debate is whether Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, and Justin Fields belong in the upper tier of our 2023 fantasy QB rankings. All figure to be drafted within the first five rounds and finish as top-10 QBs this season. However, it’s inevitable that signal-callers outside of the "must-start" tier will become viable starters during the regular season, so let’s break down the studs, sleepers, and potential breakouts who need to be on your radar.

MORE: Get NFL RedZone with Sling (50% off first month)

Last year, Mahomes was our No. 3 quarterback in preseason rankings behind Justin Herbert and Josh Allen. The two-time MVP proved to the football world he can still lead a high-octane offense without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 5,250 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He led all QBs in fantasy points and narrowly finished second to Jalen Hurts in fantasy points per game.

Mahomes will almost certainly be the first QB off the board (likely in the second or third round), but Hurts won’t be far behind. Hurts was ranked seventh in our 2022 rankings, which turned out to be too low. The 24-year-old dual-threat exceeded everybody’s expectations and became an MVP candidate. He threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions while adding 760 rushing yards and a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns. There’s no reason to expect him to significantly slow down this season.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet

Along with Hurts, fantasy owners will aim high in their respective fantasy drafts to take third-year quarterback Justin Fields. The former Ohio State star had a meteoric rise last season in the Windy City and became a weekly must-start fantasy option. Fields scored 20.5 fantasy points per game last year (fifth), and owners will be looking to see how he builds off his 2022 campaign with D.J. Moore now in town. Similarly, Trevor Lawrence, who played well under the tutelage of head coach Doug Pederson last year, could also break into the top three thanks to natural progression and the addition of stud WR Calvin Ridley.

2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:
RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP

While all the attention will be on the veteran quarterbacks, we’ll also see how the QBs from the 2022 NFL Draft fare in their second campaigns. Kenny Pickett is looking to take another leap in his development after an average rookie season in Pittsburgh. Last season, Pickett completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,404 yards, 10 total touchdowns (seven passing, three rushing), and nine interceptions. The former University of Pittsburgh standout was merely a QB2 and fantasy streamer last season, but with a full offseason to prep as a starter, Pickett could work his way into the top 15 thanks to a quietly solid supporting cast (George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Allen Robinson II, Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris).

2023 PPR RANKINGS:
RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP

Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder and Washington’s Sam Howell also figure to improve in Year 2, but we don’t see either as viable draft-day options in single-QB leagues. Other inexperienced QBs, like San Francisco’s Brock Purdy and Green Bay’s Jordan Love, figure to have higher floors and ceilings. That’s especially true for rookie Anthony Richardson, who could be “this year’s Justin Fields” in Indy.

2023 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team

Quarterback can often be a “boring” position on draft day, as we largely know who’s going to reliably produce and who isn’t. Sure, there’s some volatility with boom-or-bust guys like Deshaun Watson, Tua Tagovailoa, and even Russell Wilson, but many will opt for them over stable pocket passers like Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, and Jared Goff. However, with all the big-name movement (including among key pass-catchers like Darren Waller and DeAndre Hopkins) and intriguing youngsters (Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Richardson), fantasy owners will have to focus a little more on fantasy’s highest-scoring position.

2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Overall

We’ll be updating our QB rankings throughout the preseason, so check back for further analysis and updates.

2023 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings 2023: Best QBs, top sleepers

These rankings are based on four-point passing TD scoring