The NFL preseason will not make a quarterback — Kenny Pickett was the star of the show in 2023 and was traded to Philadelphia the following offseason. However, it provides an excellent chance to view a young QB’s pro debut or an old signal caller in some new threads.
For fantasy football managers, though, it provides the chance to monitor team situations and figure out who could be relevant in 2024 or the future. Here are the top quarterbacks to keep an eye on this preseason.
Who Are the Top Fantasy Quarterbacks To Watch This Preseason?
Carolina Panthers: QB Bryce Young
Given his performance as a rookie, it would be a surprise if Bryce Young didn’t see meaningful action in the preseason. There are a couple of other players of interest on this team, particularly rookie WR Xavier Legette and rookie RB Jonathon Brooks. However, this team is going to fail or succeed based on how much of a step forward Young takes.
We all watched Young play last year. It wasn’t pretty. What we’re looking for in the preseason are noticeable signs of progress. Is he making better decisions? Are his throws accurate? Does he look comfortable in the pocket? If Young does look a lot better, that should give fantasy managers a lot more confidence to draft Panthers skill position players.
Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams
It remains to be seen if veterans like DJ Moore or Keenan Allen see any preseason action. But one guy who definitely will play is the Bears’ starting QB, as he’s never played in the NFL before.
The Bears have a lot of fantasy weapons. In addition to Moore and Allen, they have Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift, and Cole Kmet. If there is any hope for all of them to be impactful fantasy assets, Caleb Williams has to be as good as advertised.
Of course, a quality preseason showing doesn’t automatically mean Williams will pan out. But we’d much rather see him play well than play poorly. Williams is undoubtedly the one to watch on the Bears this preseason.
Cleveland Browns: QB Deshaun Watson
This was a tough one because the Browns actually have a lot of question marks from a fantasy perspective regarding players beyond WR Amari Cooper and TE David Njoku. There could be as many as four additional fantasy-relevant players … or zero. But the guy that will determine all of this is the quarterback.
Deshaun Watson played just six games in 2022 and looked quite rusty after sitting out the 2021 season and being suspended for the first 11 games of 2022. In 2023, Watson again played only six games due to a shoulder injury.
We’re looking for two things if Watson plays in the preseason. First and foremost, does he look healthy? His arm strength and accuracy will be most telling.
Second, does he look good? When Watson has been on the field the past two seasons, he hasn’t come close to resembling the elite QB1 we remember from his Houston days.
Performing well in the preseason certainly won’t guarantee Watson does well in the regular season. However, performing poorly against backups doesn’t exactly bode well for his prospects. Keep a close eye on how Watson looks.
Denver Broncos: QB Bo Nix
The Broncos are putting a lot of faith in their rookie quarterback, a guy many analysts feel was overdrafted. The fantasy outlooks of Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams, and the rest of the Broncos offense heavily ride on how well Bo Nix is able to perform as a rookie.
Nix will definitely get on the field in the preseason. He may see extensive playing time. Fantasy managers considering the Broncos’ offensive weapons will want to pay close attention to how Nix performs.
Minnesota Vikings: QBs Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy
For the Vikings, we want to see both of these guys. Justin Jefferson’s price in fantasy drafts went from consensus overall WR1 to the second half of the first round due entirely to the team downgrading at QB from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold/J.J. McCarthy.
Preseason is obviously not necessarily indicative of how quarterbacks will perform in real games. Look no further than how incredible Kenny Pickett looked last August as an example. But we certainly want to see Darnold and McCarthy playing well as opposed to the alternative. If they look good, that could help ease concerns fantasy managers may have when deciding whether to push the button on Jefferson.
Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Russell Wilson
We know who the fantasy-relevant guys on the Steelers are. What we don’t know is how valuable they will be. This team brings a lot of uncertainty between the departure of Diontae Johnson, the arrival of new OC Arthur Smith, and the overhaul of the QB room with all three guys from last year no longer on the team.
Russell Wilson is going to start Week 1, but I believe he won’t last more than half the season as the starter. How Wilson looks in the preseason could help us predict if or when Justin Fields might take over.
Tennessee Titans: QB Will Levis
Under former head coach Mike Vrabel, the Titans did not play starters in the preseason. New head coach Bill Callahan comes from Cincinnati, where they never played starters in the preseason either. It’s entirely possible we don’t see anyone of relevance take the field.
Given that Will Levis is only in his second season and his first as the unquestioned starter, it seems more likely than not that he sees some action. Levis’ progress as a passer is paramount to the fantasy values of every Titan.
For a team that wasn’t particularly good last year, the Titans sure have a bunch of fantasy-relevant options. Levis appearing to have taken a huge step forward would be a strong indicator all Titans are being undervalued in fantasy drafts.