Dynasty fantasy football rankings involve recency effect to a degree, but it’s a matter of appraising value within a player’s career arc. When is the best time to have that player on your roster, and when are they better trade targets? Who can you buy low and sell high? When it comes to Superflex leagues, the QB has all the more importance — let’s dive into my 2021 dynasty quarterback rankings and ascertain the most valuable assets.
2021 Dynasty Quarterback Rankings | 6-10
10) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Even at his age, Rodgers gets the nod here over Ryan Tannehill and Baker Mayfield. In his second season in Matt LaFleur’s quarterback-friendly system, Rodgers got back to amazing play and threw 48 touchdowns — 8 more than Wilson and Tom Brady.
Related | QB Power Rankings 2020: Rodgers’ reign continues into Conference Championship
Rodgers, now 37 years old, no longer makes many plays with his legs, but he did score 3 TDs as a runner this year. And what if Green Bay adds another wide receiver to this offense via free agency or even with their first-round pick? Could Rodgers’ passing numbers actually increase in 2021?
9) Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Wilson is one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks and started the 2020 season on fire. At 32 years old, Wilson isn’t quite as spry as he once was, but he still ran for over 500 yards this year and is glad to tuck it and go when that is what a defense gives him. Wilson didn’t finish the season nearly as strong as he started it, but in the end, he still threw for 40 touchdowns.
However, we should be concerned that Pete Carroll is done letting Wilson cook.
8) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow absolutely looked the part during his rookie season, and with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd in place, he has a nice pair of young receivers. Plus, Cincinnati absolutely should improve their offensive line. If Joe Mixon can stay healthy, Burrow will have a capable outlet receiver out of the backfield.
Burrow threw the ball at an insane pace as a rookie and that should decrease, but he could also quickly establish himself as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks before long. In his 10 games, Burrow ran the ball 37 times and scored 3 rushing touchdowns, which is huge for fantasy.
7) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
We are taking a leap of faith here concerning Prescott’s gruesome leg injury. There is risk involved with his recovery, and who is to say if he will remain an upper-tier runner when he returns to the field. We also don’t know for sure where Prescott will be playing next year, which does make his dynasty QB ranking more volatile.
Related | Dynasty Running Back Rankings: Top assets heading into 2021
If we can speculate that Prescott will be back in Dallas — which certainly isn’t guaranteed — we should remember that the Cowboys’ offense in 2019 averaged more yards per play with Prescott leading them than any offense in football. And that was without CeeDee Lamb.
6) Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert’s rookie season was a massive success. He is incredibly gifted and showed great poise. Plus, he has a good group of weapons right now. Herbert wasn’t the Chargers’ opening day starter, but only three quarterbacks attempted more passes this year. Herbert is a quality runner as well and did find the end zone five times with the ball in his hands.
At just 22 years old, his future is extremely bright for fantasy and in real life. Herbert is the youngest quarterback on this list.
2021 Dynasty Quarterback Rankings | 1-5
5) Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Only Lamar Jackson rushed for more yards than Murray this year, and the third player on that list, Cam Newton, was 227 yards behind Murray. Only Newton had more rushing touchdowns in 2020 than Murray. Some questions are arising about how Kliff Kingsbury’s system is translating to the NFL. Still, we should expect Murray to keep improving as a passer, and the Cardinals certainly could add another top receiving option to the equation this offseason.
Murray will have just turned 24 years old when the 2021 season begins.
4) Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Of course, there is a lot of speculation if Watson will even be back with the Texans next year. Still, his current environment certainly contributed to Watson’s throwing for more yardage than any other quarterback this year. Although, Will Fuller also could not return to Houston next year.
Related | Who are the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL in 2021?
Yet, only four starting quarterbacks ran for more yards in 2020 than Watson. Watson’s running should remain a constant no matter where he is playing. If Watson actually does change teams, it could help his 2021 QB dynasty ranking. But that isn’t a given.
3) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson has gone back-to-back years with over 1,000 rushing yards. Just think about that for a minute. Yet, Jackson’s passing efficiency dropped from 2019 to 2020. The reality is that Jackson was probably producing touchdowns and big plays through the air at an unsustainable pace during his MVP campaign.
Also, the Ravens absolutely must add a reliable wide receiver — preferably a veteran — that can win vs. man coverage and give Jackson someone to count on.
2) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
No player at any position took a bigger leap forward over the last year.
He has great size, strength, speed, and all the physical qualities you want in a stud quarterback. And now Allen has accuracy and touch as a passer. He is now incredibly difficult to defend.
Allen is an excellent and powerful runner. He rushed for over 400 yards this year, but more importantly for fantasy, he often acted as Buffalo’s short-yardage runner and finished the season with 8 rushing touchdowns. That gave Allen 45 total touchdowns produced this season. Enough said.
1) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes is on pace to become one of the best players ever to play quarterback. That isn’t an exaggeration. He is a remarkable football player. He also is in the ideal system and with the ideal coaching staff for consistently elite fantasy production. Mahomes is the undisputed top QB for dynasty rankings.
In his three years as a starting quarterback, Mahomes has thrown 114 touchdowns even though he missed three of those games. Mahomes also chipped in with over 300 rushing yards this year, something that should be the norm for him. He stands alone atop this list and might not have even hit his peak.
Want more fantasy football analysis and news?
Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@PFN365) to stay up to date with all things around the NFL and the 2020 fantasy football season beyond dynasty QB rankings. Also, continue to visit Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis while also visiting our fantasy football section for more coverage and up-to-date rankings.