Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen lead 2024 fantasy football quarterback rankings

MIAMI, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen headline my Top 20 fantasy football quarterback rankings for the 2024 NFL campaign.

Patrick Mahomes , Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa are among my other Top 5 options at the position. Jordan Love, Lamar Jackson , C.J. Stroud, Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers are inside my Top 10.

You should consider average draft position, injury history, expected and past production and strength of schedule when contemplating who to pick as your team's passer.

I split my top targets into five tiers: Hall of Fame, All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Just Napping (early to mid-round targets) and Deep Sleepers (mid- to late-round sleepers). The full Top 20 rankings are below.

Hall of Fame

1. Jalen Hurts, 2. Josh Allen, 3. Patrick Mahomes

Hurts leads my fantasy football quarterback rankings because of his strong resume, somewhat favorable schedule and ability to provide points through multiple avenues. The Philadelphia Eagles have five games this season against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks last season.

Hurts totaled 61 passing scores and 38 rushing touchdowns over the last three seasons. He averaged 20.3 passing scores and 12.7 rushing touchdowns over that span.

The Eagles' offensive line is a bit shuffled after the departure of center Jason Kelce, but I still expect this to be a dominant ground attack, especially with the addition of running back Saquon Barkley . Hurts also is a great target because his average draft position is later than Allen and Mahomes.

Allen lost top target Stefon Diggs , but still should have plenty of value. I expect the Buffalo Bills gunslinger to be a bit more of a playmaker on the ground this season.

Like the Eagles, the Bills have five games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks last season. They will start their 2024 season with three such matchups.

Allen is the first quarterback selected in many fantasy drafts, which means he comes with a high price. I would only snag him if he drops into the third or fourth round, but he can help your team get off to a smoldering start. Look for close to 4,400 passing yards, 30 passing scores and 15 rushing touchdowns from the Bills quarterback.

All-Pro

4. Joe Burrow, 5. Tua Tagovailoa, 6. Jordan Love, 7. Lamar Jackson

This group is my most intriguing, as all of these passers have the potential to match or surpass the fantasy totals of the Allen-Hurts-Mahomes cast.

Burrow has fantastic talent, a terrific group of pass catchers and previous history of production, but does come with some injury concern and faces a tough schedule. The Cincinnati Bengals have nine games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks last season. They have just three favorable fantasy quarterback matchups.

Burrow's averaged draft position is in the seventh or eighth round, which isn't a terrible value, but you might want to eye other options with better season-long matchups. The Bengals once again made additions to their offensive line over the off-season, which should help their offense be more consistent.

If Burrow plays 17 games, he should eclipse 35 passing scores and 4,500 passing yards. He should be an elite play most weeks.

Love is among my favorite sleepers this season. The Green Bay Packers quarterback threw for 4,159 yards and 32 passing scores, while running for four touchdowns, in 2023 -- his first season as a full-time starter.

He is now more experienced and has a very appetizing schedule, with a league-high seven games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks in 2023. Five of those games are against teams that ranked inside the Top 5 for the most points allowed to the position, with three such matchups within the first six weeks of the season.

His schedule includes just one game -- the fewest in the league -- against a team that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest points allowed to quarterbacks.

Target Love after the sixth or seventh round. I would take him over C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and several other quarterbacks with higher average draft positions. Look for more than 35 passing scores and 4,500 yards from the second-year quarterback.

Pro Bowl

8. C.J. Stroud, 9. Kyler Murray, 10. Aaron Rodgers

This is a group you can target if you miss out on the first few tiers of quarterbacks. Stroud, a Top 10 quarterback last season, should provide similar -- if not better -- value in 2024. The Houston Texans made several additions to their playmaking cast, including Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon. The Texans should have one of the best pass-catching units in the league.

Stroud led the NFL with 273.9 passing yards per game last season, but didn't lead the league in passing yards because he missed two starts. He was one of the most efficient passers in the league, throwing for 23 scores and just five interceptions.

I expect Stroud's turnovers to increase this year, but I also project higher touchdown totals through the air and on the ground. Look for closer to 30 scores from the second-year quarterback. He is my No. 8 option at the position.

Murray is another late target if you choose to wait on a quarterback or miss out on the initial waves during your draft. Three of Murray's first four games will come against teams that ranked inside the Top 5 for the most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks last season. He has five matchups against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 in that category.

Murray has some injury concern, as he hasn't played more than 14 games since 2020, but his upside is hard to ignore. Look for Murray to eclipse 20 passing scores, 3,500 passing yards, 500 rushing yards and eight rushing scores if he plays a full season. He could be the top quarterback in fantasy football in some weeks. Those who draft Murray should also add a capable backup to their rosters.

Just Napping

12. Jared Goff , 14. Anthony Richardson

Goff and Richardson have incredibly different potential. Goff is more of a safe play who should again excel under Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson . Last season, Goff was a Top 10 fantasy football option. He finished second in passing yards and threw 30 touchdown passes.

This year, the Lions' first three games come against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks in 2023. The Lions have one game this season against a team that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest points allowed to the position.

Goff should again be a terrific value due to his double-digit round average draft position. He is again being overlooked, which should put him on your radar if you are the type of team owner who likes to wait to select a quarterback.

Richardson is one of the most trendy fantasy football quarterbacks this off-season. The Indianapolis Colts playmaker has the potential to be the highest-scoring fantasy quarterback in any given week, but was out multiple times last season because of injuries.

In four games last season, Richardson totaled 577 pass yards, three passing scores, 136 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. The Colts have an average schedule, when it comes to generous and difficult fantasy football matchups, but only have one especially tough meeting within the first nine weeks.

Those who draft Richardson also should pick up an alternate quarterback play. I would rotate those options based on weekly matchups.

Deep Sleepers

18. Caleb Williams, 19. Jayden Daniels

Williams and Daniels, the respective No. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, should provide fantasy value at points this season, but those games are hard to predict at this point. Those who roster these rookies should also pick up capable alternatives.

Williams has the better cast, with wide receivers D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett as a pass-catching group. His ability to make plays while on the move has drawn many comparisons to Mahomes, but it's too early to tell if he will ever reach that level of performance.

I like Williams as a bench addition until he proves he can be a consistent fantasy football factor. He is my No. 18 option.

Daniels was arguably the most electric player in college football last season, when he won the Heisman Trophy at LSU. The dual-threat quarterback could eventually provide elite-level value as a passer and runner, but he could struggle early on in his NFL career.

His talent makes him worth a bench spot in most fantasy leagues. He is my No. 19 quarterback.

Top 20 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings for 2024

1. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles, Bye Week 5

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, Bye Week 12

3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Bye Week 6

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, Bye Week 12

5. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins, Bye Week 6

6. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers, Bye Week 10

7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Bye Week 14

8. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans, Bye Week 14

9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals , Bye Week 11

10. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets, Bye Week 12

11. Matthew Stafford , Los Angeles Rams, Bye Week 6

12. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions, Bye Week 5

13. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys, Bye Week 7

14. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts, Bye Week 14

15. Trevor Lawrence , Jacksonville Jaguars, Bye Week 12

16. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers, Bye Week 9

17. Kirk Cousins , Atlanta Falcons, Bye Week 12

18. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears, Bye Week 7

19. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders, Bye Week 14

20. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers, Bye Week 5