{"id":189463,"date":"2025-07-07T23:19:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T23:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/189463\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T23:19:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T23:19:45","slug":"fantasy-football-draft-or-pass-2025-nfl-starting-quarterbacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/189463\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy football draft or pass: 2025 NFL starting quarterbacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fantasy Football rules. The time is ripe for those with teams to start doing homework and research about how to build their squads. One of the key positions — the most key — in any form of football is quarterback. While your signal-caller may not lead you to a Super Bowl, he could be responsible for picking up enough points during the season to earn you a fantasy championship. What quarterbacks are worthy of being drafted in 2025 and which ones should drafters refrain from choosing?<\/p>\n

Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray\"Murray<\/p>\n

Murray may never lead the Cardinals to a Super Bowl victory. However, the Heisman winner from Oklahoma does plenty with his arm and legs to keep a fantasy football team in contention. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Murray may never lead the Cardinals to a Super Bowl victory. However, the Heisman winner from Oklahoma does plenty with his arm and legs to keep a fantasy football team in contention. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

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Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr.\"Simply<\/p>\n

Simply not ready to risk the QB position on a second-year quarterback who has three games of experience. Penix may prove to be the solution in Atlanta but he has to show that he will put up big numbers before making believers. He also isn’t going to deliver big numbers running. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Simply not ready to risk the QB position on a second-year quarterback who has three games of experience. Penix may prove to be the solution in Atlanta but he has to show that he will put up big numbers before making believers. He also isn’t going to deliver big numbers running. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson\"An<\/p>\n

An absolute no-brainer. Decision: Draft and draft early<\/p>\n

An absolute no-brainer. Decision: Draft and draft early<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen\"See<\/p>\n

See Jackson, Lamar. Decision: Draft and draft early<\/p>\n

See Jackson, Lamar. Decision: Draft and draft early<\/p>\n

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young\"Bryce<\/p>\n

Bryce Young showed improvement in his second season after a disastrous rookie campaign. The Panthers figure to continue to improve. However, Young isn’t worth choosing as a fantasy quarterback. Wouldn’t pick him as a backup, either. He has a lot of room to go before being a fantasy flash. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Bryce Young showed improvement in his second season after a disastrous rookie campaign. The Panthers figure to continue to improve. However, Young isn’t worth choosing as a fantasy quarterback. Wouldn’t pick him as a backup, either. He has a lot of room to go before being a fantasy flash. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

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Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams\"As<\/p>\n

As bad as the Bears were last season, Williams still threw for better than 3,500 yards and rushed for almost 500 more. He threw 20 touchdown passes and did not find the end zone with his legs. Look for vast improvement under Ben Johnson in his second season and Williams could be a sleeper pick. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

As bad as the Bears were last season, Williams still threw for better than 3,500 yards and rushed for almost 500 more. He threw 20 touchdown passes and did not find the end zone with his legs. Look for vast improvement under Ben Johnson in his second season and Williams could be a sleeper pick. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow\"All<\/p>\n

All Joe Burrow has to do is stay healthy. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

All Joe Burrow has to do is stay healthy. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Cleveland Browns: Joe Flacco?\"It<\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter which of the four quarterbacks start or play in 2025 for the Browns. Don’t think about selecting any of them. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter which of the four quarterbacks start or play in 2025 for the Browns. Don’t think about selecting any of them. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

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Dallas Cowboys\"People<\/p>\n

People love to debate anything and everything about the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott falls under this domain. One would be counting on Prescott to remain upright and Dallas to improve dramatically for him to be selected in a fantasy draft. No knock on the Mississippi State star but consistency has not been a strong point. Time to move on to another quarterback in fantasy. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

People love to debate anything and everything about the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott falls under this domain. One would be counting on Prescott to remain upright and Dallas to improve dramatically for him to be selected in a fantasy draft. No knock on the Mississippi State star but consistency has not been a strong point. Time to move on to another quarterback in fantasy. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Denver Broncos: Bo Nix\"If<\/p>\n

If you are a person who doesn’t place emphasis on the quarterback position and focuses on other sports as a priority, Bo Nix could be a player worth taking in the middle to late rounds. Who are we to argue with Sean Payton? Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

If you are a person who doesn’t place emphasis on the quarterback position and focuses on other sports as a priority, Bo Nix could be a player worth taking in the middle to late rounds. Who are we to argue with Sean Payton’s choices with the Broncos? Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

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Detroit Lions: Jared Goff\"The<\/p>\n

The lone reason to worry about drafting Jared Goff would be because Ben Johnson is now head coach of the Chicago Bears. That shouldn’t be enough to scare anyone off. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

The lone reason to worry about drafting Jared Goff would be because Ben Johnson is now head coach of the Chicago Bears. That shouldn’t be enough to scare anyone off. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love\"Jordan<\/p>\n

Jordan Love and the Packers are a winning combination. The quarterback continues to grow and get better. He played in 15 games last year and threw 11 picks, the same amount he threw in a whole season in 2023. That would be a pause for concern. And will he remain healthy? Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Jordan Love and the Packers are a winning combination. The quarterback continues to grow and get better. He played in 15 games last year and threw 11 picks, the same amount he threw in a whole season in 2023. That would be a pause for concern. And will he remain healthy? Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud\"Wide<\/p>\n

Wide receivers were injured frequently last season in Houston. That could explain the drop in passing yardage and increase in interceptions from five as a rookie to 12 in 2024 for C.J. Stroud. The Texans took a couple Iowa State receivers in the draft. That won’t build confidence as they adjust to the NFL. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Wide receivers were injured frequently last season in Houston. That could explain the drop in passing yardage and increase in interceptions from five as a rookie to 12 in 2024 for C.J. Stroud. The Texans took a couple Iowa State receivers in the draft. That won’t build confidence as they adjust to the NFL. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson\"Detroit<\/p>\n

Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell pressures Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.<\/p>\n

When your choices are a fragile Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones, there is no option but to … Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence\"The<\/p>\n

The Jags and Trevor Lawrence have consistently disappointed the last two seasons. This is the time for Lawrence to prove he is a franchise quarterback or else. Hard to imagine he can’t thrive in the weak AFC South but with the exception of one season he hasn’t. Maybe a mid- to late-round pick if at all. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

The Jags and Trevor Lawrence have consistently disappointed the last two seasons. This is the time for Lawrence to prove he is a franchise quarterback or else. Hard to imagine he can’t thrive in the weak AFC South but with the exception of one season he hasn’t. Maybe a mid- to late-round pick if at all. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes\"Patrick<\/p>\n

Patrick Mahomes’ passing yardage stats and touchdown throws have gone backward over the last three seasons. He remains elite but that doesn’t make him an early fantasy selection anymore. Depending on when Mahomes is available definitely consider him a pick. Just don’t do it early. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Patrick Mahomes’ passing yardage stats and touchdown throws have gone backward over the last three seasons. He remains elite but that doesn’t make him an early fantasy selection anymore. Depending on when Mahomes is available definitely consider him a pick. Just don’t do it early. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

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Las Vegas Raiders: Geno Smith\"Geno<\/p>\n

Geno Smith reunites with Pete Carroll. The veteran coach will need to find some magic in the veteran quarterback who has thrown 35 interceptions over the last three seasons. Let the selector beware. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Geno Smith reunites with Pete Carroll. The veteran coach will need to find some magic in the veteran quarterback who has thrown 35 interceptions over the last three seasons. Let the selector beware. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert\"Justin<\/p>\n

Justin Herbert is tough as they come. He can turn anyone into a great target. Will the Chargers eventually catch the Chiefs? Maybe. Will Herbert be a strong fantasy pick? Definitely. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Justin Herbert is tough as they come. He can turn anyone into a great target. Will the Chargers eventually catch the Chiefs? Maybe. Will Herbert be a strong fantasy pick? Definitely. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford\"Los<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford prepares to take the snap against the Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n

Going to say that time will not be a friend of Matthew Stafford and the Rams. It is nice to have Puka Nacua and Davante Adams but Stafford is 37 and not throwing a ton of touchdown passes in a season anymore. Will be interesting to see if Sean McVay made the right call sticking with the veteran. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

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Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa\"No<\/p>\n

No thanks. No guarantee Tagovailoa will stay healthy. Dolphins offense was stagnant for most of last year whether he played. Decision: Hard Pass<\/p>\n

No thanks. No guarantee Tagovailoa will stay healthy. Dolphins offense was stagnant for most of last year whether he played. Decision: Hard Pass<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings: JJ McCarthy\"JJ<\/p>\n

JJ McCarthy has not thrown an NFL pass. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

JJ McCarthy has not thrown an NFL pass. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

New England Patriots: Drake Maye\"At<\/p>\n

At some point. Drake Maye figures to become a star quarterback. He may not get there in 2025. However, don’t dismiss him as a fantasy option. Late-round steal is what Maye might be.<\/p>\n

At some point. Drake Maye figures to become a star quarterback. He may not get there in 2025. However, don’t dismiss him as a fantasy option. Late-round steal is what Maye might be. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough\"Tyler<\/p>\n

Tyler Shough? Who Dat? Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Tyler Shough? Who Dat? Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

New York Giants: Russell Wilson\"No<\/p>\n

No thanks. Decision: Pass, hard pass.<\/p>\n

No thanks. Decision: Pass, hard pass<\/p>\n

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New York Jets: Justin Fields\"Justin<\/p>\n

Justin Fields would have to go back to 2022 rushing stats with the Chicago Bears to be worth any consideration. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Justin Fields would have to go back to 2022 rushing stats with the Chicago Bears to be worth any consideration. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts\"Jalen<\/p>\n

Jalen Hurts should be a top five quarterback pick. He can throw and he can run and he won a Super Bowl. A leader. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Jalen Hurts should be a top five quarterback pick. He can throw and he can run and he won a Super Bowl. A leader. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Rodgers\"Decision:<\/p>\n

Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

This one is easy: Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy\"This<\/p>\n

This season has to be better than last for the 49ers. Don’t be afraid to jump in with a pick on Brock Purdy in the middle of your draft. Even as a backup QB to have in case of injury or a bye, he could have some big games. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

This season has to be better than last for the 49ers. Don’t be afraid to jump in with a pick on Brock Purdy in the middle of your draft. Even as a backup QB to have in case of injury or a bye, he could have some big games. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

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Seattle Seahawks: Sam Darnold\"Sam<\/p>\n

Sam Darnold had a monster year in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings. Can’t see him coming anywhere close to the numbers he put up for the Purple. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Sam Darnold had a monster year in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings. Can’t see him coming anywhere close to the numbers he put up for the Purple. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield\"Baker<\/p>\n

Baker Mayfield has found a home in Tampa. If one can live with interceptions — he threw 16 last year — to go with a lot of yards and touchdown passes, grab him in the middle of your draft. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Baker Mayfield has found a home in Tampa. If one can live with interceptions — he threw 16 last year — to go with a lot of yards and touchdown passes, grab him in the middle of your draft. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward\"Tennessee<\/p>\n

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward throws during mandatory Titans minicamp.<\/p>\n

Not this year for Cam Ward. Let’s hope the Titans are wise enough to start him over Will Levis. Decision: Pass<\/p>\n

Washington Commanders\"Grab<\/p>\n

Grab Jayden Daniels early and don’t be afraid of a sophomore slump. The former LSU star is a electric and should be a fantasy demon. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

Grab Jayden Daniels early and don’t be afraid of a sophomore slump. The former LSU star is a electric and should be a fantasy demon. Decision: Draft<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on The List Wire: NFL quarterback breakdowns ahead of fantasy football drafts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football rules. The time is ripe for those with teams to start doing homework and research about…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1586,1504,390,254,1842,117,1035,925,2644,1476,53,1028,1036,127,260,391,256,54,1370,257,2772,5430,5869,258,113,19,833,41120,7,1507,345,253,392,125,492,1029,734,4262,1577,562,1724,872,493,1159,110,4827,895,393,262,58,32,251,259,249,55,56,255,6,15,499,109,57,1088,572,1878,252,261,209,250,394,314,3452,283,111,1246],"class_list":{"0":"post-189463","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-draft","8":"tag-aaron-rodgers","9":"tag-anthony-richardson","10":"tag-arizona-cardinals","11":"tag-atlanta-falcons","12":"tag-baker-mayfield","13":"tag-baltimore-ravens","14":"tag-ben-johnson","15":"tag-bo-nix","16":"tag-brock-purdy","17":"tag-bryce-young","18":"tag-buffalo-bills","19":"tag-c-j-stroud","20":"tag-caleb-williams","21":"tag-cam-ward","22":"tag-carolina-panthers","23":"tag-chicago-bears","24":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","25":"tag-cleveland-browns","26":"tag-dak-prescott","27":"tag-dallas-cowboys","28":"tag-daniel-jones","29":"tag-davante-adams","30":"tag-decision","31":"tag-denver-broncos","32":"tag-detroit-lions","33":"tag-draft","34":"tag-drake-maye","35":"tag-fantasy-football-team","36":"tag-football","37":"tag-geno-smith","38":"tag-green-bay-packers","39":"tag-houston-texans","40":"tag-indianapolis-colts","41":"tag-jacksonville-jaguars","42":"tag-jalen-hurts","43":"tag-jared-goff","44":"tag-jayden-daniels","45":"tag-jj-mccarthy","46":"tag-joe-burrow","47":"tag-joe-flacco","48":"tag-jordan-love","49":"tag-josh-allen","50":"tag-justin-fields","51":"tag-justin-herbert","52":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","53":"tag-kyler-murray","54":"tag-lamar-jackson","55":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","56":"tag-los-angeles-chargers","57":"tag-los-angeles-rams","58":"tag-matthew-stafford","59":"tag-miami-dolphins","60":"tag-minnesota-vikings","61":"tag-new-england-patriots","62":"tag-new-orleans-saints","63":"tag-new-york-giants","64":"tag-new-york-jets","65":"tag-nfl","66":"tag-nfl-draft","67":"tag-patrick-mahomes","68":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","69":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","70":"tag-puka-nacua","71":"tag-russell-wilson","72":"tag-sam-darnold","73":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","74":"tag-seattle-seahawks","75":"tag-tampa","76":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","77":"tag-tennessee-titans","78":"tag-trevor-lawrence","79":"tag-tua-tagovailoa","80":"tag-tyler-shough","81":"tag-washington-commanders","82":"tag-will-levis"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}