Quarterbacks In 2025: Fantasy Football Predictions
In this new series of articles at Fantasy In Frames this season, I will cover each position from a fantasy perspective to give you my thoughts on players you should be mindful of for 2025.
Welcome to my Fantasy Football Predictions Series! Let’s get things going by talking about Quarterbacks. *For my Running Back Prediction article, click here.*
I am a late-round quarterback kinda person myself, and that trait may prove toxic in overthinking yourself and waiting too long only to come up with a subpar option on your roster. On the other hand, especially in 1QB redraft leagues, last season late-QB got us league winners like Jayden Daniels, good ol’ Baker Mayfield, and the unlikely heroes, Bo Nix and the late-late but great-great Sam “Reclamation Point” Darnold. There were other quarterback options in the mid to late rounds that kinda bombed and dragged your team to the bottom of the league, such as Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins, as well as those with perennial top-5 potential but ultimately were proven to be too high a pick for their actual mid finish – Kyler Murray. For those star-studded early picks, Mahomes, Richardson, and above all, as in “picked above all others,” CJ Stroud left fantasy players with a particularly foul aftertaste. This year, I’m done overinking, and I will pick some MVP candidates and pick them early.
FOUR FRANCHISE GUYS
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens, QB#1 per Fantasypros
I prefer Lamar Jackson above all other options for this position. He should’ve won the MVP race, but this injustice aside, he upgraded his play from the previous season, and I believe he can be even better this season. He is the epitome of a dual-threat Konami Code quarterback, and he rushed for almost a thousand yards (and that’s with Derrick Henry beside him in the backfield!), but the REAL threat is how much the Baltimore passing game upgraded. He almost doubled his TDs, going from 24 to 41, and that was in game-positive scenarios, where the Ravens were not chasing the lead, so that trend should continue. Also, with no more instability regarding his contract, we can see another dominant season with Mr. Jackson pushing for MVP anew.
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills, QB#2 per Fantasypros
Well, duh. He just got his contract extended even though he had four more years to go. Everything seems to have clicked in the Bills’ offense in ‘24, with James Cook becoming a viable run game threat. Besides all that, Allen kept his red zone role and rushing TD numbers in the double figures. Their offense boasted an unusual balance, having scored an almost equal amount of TDs on rushing and passing actions, with the slightest of edges in favor of the passing game. Allen, the conductor of this orchestra, reaps the most fantasy benefits. He also had the least interceptions in his whole career. With more experience to Kincaid, a new contract for Shakir, and a wild Ray Davis play here and there, expect the trend to continue. Do pay attention to the draft, as there might be some intriguing sleepers on the wide receiver position that can blossom if they end up catching passes from Mr. Allen.
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals, QB#3 per Fantasypros
Remember the look on Joe Burrow’s face when his name was called for the comeback player of the year award? He was there the whole season. Where in the world did he come back from? Maybe we just missed so much about Joe. Who attempted and completed the most passes last season? Joe did. Who showed the most dominant play of all the QBs last season? Joe did. Why are we not talking about that more? We are. The Bengals had a spectacularly subpar defense in 2024. and it’s hard to see them filling all the existing holes while simultaneously saying goodbye to Trey Hendricksen. The lacking defense will keep their game scripts in catch-up mode, with Joe hurling it for more than 5K yards in 2025, to the detriment of Bengals fans but to the great joy of fantasy aficionados. Mike Gesicki will continue to develop his chemistry with “Tiger Joe” in the endzone. Chase Brown broke out entirely as a threat from the backfield, even flashing some catching ability. If the unstable link proves to be Tee Higgins, Chase will gladly lap up more targets, so, maybe unexpectedly, I promote Mr. Burrow into my top 4 fantasy options for 2025.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington professional football franchise team, QB#5 per Fantasypros
I spent so much time on the fence regarding Jayden Daniels that I feel like a hockey player. We saw the sophomore downfall of our most recent “second-pick-that-should’ve-been-the-first” CJ Stroud, but what pushed me over the fence to the always dangerous ice of fantasy prediction was the acquisition of Laremy Tunsil and, dare I say it, the return of Zach Ertz in free agency this offseason. Bolstering the OL and retaining the services of a key piece of Kingsbury’s offensive scheme (Ertz was de facto second receiver behind McLaurin last season) thrusts me into believing that the trajectory for Daniels will go upward, following a stellar record-breaking rookie season. If he ups his game by 20%, we are looking at a Lamar-like MVP number of over 4000 passing and 1000 rushing yards with around 30 passing TD and almost double digit rushing TD’s and even with that being too wild of a prognosis, most sites put Daniels in the top 5 and so should you.
FOUR TO FIDDLE ABOUT WITH
We must never Forget About Dre, but put Patrick Mahomes on hold. He had his worst statistical season at a time when we expected him to have the best set of weapons around him in a while. His supporting cast (that he props up) will be worse than the previous year, and we must face the truth of the Chiefs being a team that won titles with defense. Their offensive line is in constant flux, and with only Ole Man Kelce on the perimeter and no run game to speak of, the offense is bleak in Paris of the Plains. Adding a humiliating shellacking in Super Bowl LIX all amounts to quite a hangover.
The guy who did the shellacking and is in for the real hangover, Jalen Hurts, is also on my wait-for-it list. His passing attempts dropped significantly with the arrival of Saquon Barkley, and if the damned Packers come through with their attempt to forbid the Brotherly Show move, we are in a world of pain for Mr. Hurts drafters.
Don’t expect a repeat of Sam Darnold’s great form, and I’m not saying Klint Kubiak will not do wonders for him, but pay close attention to the moves Scheider makes for the Seahawks’ OL additions.
Justin Herbert had a slap in his face with a very public meltdown, botching a very tightly coached team’s chances of a deep playoff run. He will have peak weeks depending on the opponent, but Herbert is firmly in the QB2 discourse for me.
FOUR TO FIDGET AROUND WITH
Oh, Baker Mayfield, how the injuries and an affinity to shoot yourself in the foot changed this past season. The gang are all still together, Bucky Irving established himself as one of the best run game options and the defensive side is in a great position to acquire great players on the edge and corner in the upcoming draft. I hope that Grizzard furthers what Liam Cohen started last season, but I expect some regression, as well as all the usual suspects being a year older. With a gambler’s hand, I pick thee, Baker.
I see Caleb Williams being drafted quite a bit later than he deserves, given the improvements “Da Bears” accomplished in free agency on the offensive line. Caleb is your pick if you want to gamble on negative recency bias.
Also, hello, Drake Maye – he will finally have an actual supporting cast around him. The presence of Vrabel guarantees stability, culture, and vision. We expect a quantum leap in Maye’s fantasy production and a proliferation of Seinfeld memes.
Bo Nix should come at a high price, but the all-around stability of the Broncos’ defense, which quietly just got stronger, and the projected embellishment at the RB and TE positions, for which the 2025 draft is a dream draft, all make Nix a top-ten quarterback.