When To Draft A Fantasy QB

Deciding when to draft a fantasy quarterback often depends on your league’s scoring settings and draft strategy.

Scoring Format: If your league uses standard scoring where QBs get 4 points for a passing touchdown, you might wait longer to draft a quarterback. There’s usually less disparity between top and middle-tier QBs. However, if your league uses a scoring system that heavily rewards QBs (like 6 points per passing touchdown), it might be worth grabbing a top-tier QB earlier.

Draft Strategy: You can find solid value in many drafts by waiting on a quarterback and focusing on other positions early. Top-tier QBs are valuable, but there’s often a deep pool of QBs who can provide strong performance throughout the season. Remember your backup spot!

League Size: In a 10-team league, you might be able to wait longer for a QB as more options will be available. In a 12-team league or larger, the pool of reliable QBs gets thinner, so you might need to be more strategic.

Value of Other Positions: Early rounds are crucial for securing top-tier running backs and wide receivers, who tend to provide more consistent and higher scoring potential compared to mid-tier quarterbacks.

Quarterback Tiers: Pay attention to the tiers of quarterbacks. If a top-tier QB falls to you at a value pick, it might be worth considering, even if you planned to wait. Latest research shows that GM's that wait to take a QB later, make the playoffs at or above a 60% rate.

In summary, if you’re playing in a standard scoring league and there’s depth at quarterback, waiting to draft a QB can be a good strategy. If your league has a scoring system that favors QBs or if you have a strong preference for one, you might want to grab your QB early, but not too early. Last year, players like Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, and Baker Mayfield finished mostly in the top 10 spots across fantasy leagues. They were either drafted late or not at all.

My advice...wait to draft a QB, even with the temptation of a top-tier QB there for the taking. Be patient and build the base of your team.