The days of waiting until the end of your fantasy football draft to get a quarterback are over. What used to be agreed-upon as the worst thing you could do when drafting is now a smart investment in many formats.
When spending such a high draft pick on a quarterback, it is crucial that you get that decision right.
Going over the top QBs in FantasyPros’ fantasy football average draft position (ADP), only four truly belong in the conversation.
Sure, 2024 rookie standout Jayden Daniels and defending Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts should be mentioned here, but in the past few years, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have dominated the position.
Will that change in 2025, or will those two continue to reign? Read to see which quarterback should be the first picked at his fantasy football draft position.
After you read about this top QB tier, click to see our 2025 QB draft rankings.
Who is the best option at QB for fantasy football in 2025?
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (FantasyPros ADP: QB1)
You could not have drafted a more dominant fantasy QB than Lamar Jackson in 2024. Jackson finished as the overall QB1 in fantasy with a whopping 14 QB10 or better performances.
You know what you are getting when it comes to the rushing ability of Lamar Jackson. However, 2024 was his best passing season of his career, and it was not remotely close.
Turnover-worthy throw percentage vs coverage last season @FantasyPtsData pic.twitter.com/65CKkFvUUk
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) July 16, 2025
He passed for a career high in passing yards and passing touchdowns with a career low in interceptions as the full-time starter. Jackson’s quarterback rating was the best it’s ever been, and he was number one in yards per attempt.
Was this season an outlier? It doesn’t seem likely that Jackson will replicate his 41 passing touchdowns, as he did not come close to that mark in the previous three seasons. With that being said, he’s still a guy you’d be thrilled to have in your lineup.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (FantasyPros ADP: QB2)
As it relates to Josh Allen in fantasy football, there is a reason you spend such a high pick on him in drafts. In most leagues, he’s getting picked towards the back half of the second round. In some home leagues, however, it’s not surprising seeing him go even earlier.
Allen finished second last season in fantasy points per game only behind Lamar Jackson. But the reason you draft Allen is because of how consistently dominant he is. Allen has not finished below QB3 since 2020 in points per game.
Allen is as reliable a selection as you can make and is worth the draft capital required.
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Jayden Daniels. Washington Commanders (FantasyPros ADP: QB3)
Managers always try to predict the sophomore slump from QBs, but usually it causes them to miss out on great players. Many have this on their minds when it comes to Jayden Daniels.
Coming into Year 2, Daniels will undoubtably have an improved offensive line with the additions of Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly.
A key to Washington’s success this season could be on the Offensive Line, more specifically at LT with the Laremy Tunsil trade and drafting Josh Conerly at RT! They are with the Commanders to keep Jayden Daniels upright!@CBS6 @Commanders @KingTunsil78 @joshuaconerlyjr… pic.twitter.com/JMcje2Fnyo
— Sean Robertson (@CBS6SportsSean) July 24, 2025
The question with this as it pertains to fantasy is will this hurt his rushing upside?
Daniels led the NFL in scramble rate at 12%. This is not designed runs: This is mostly needing to escape the pocket due to pressure. Improved offensive line play could see this number come down.
The Commanders are also having some contract issues with top wideout Terry McLaurin, who has requested a trade, though it’s most likely just a negotiation tool.
They brought in Deebo Samuel, who is still an explosive playmaker for Daniels to trust, but he’s not the same caliber as McLaurin.
While the most likely outcome is McLaurin signing a new deal, it’s certainly something to monitor for Daniels outlook in 2025.
WARNING: Avoid these fantasy draft busts
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (FantasyPros ADP: QB4)
Death, taxes, and Jalen Hurts rushing touchdowns: If there was one stat you had to use to convince someone Hurts is as reliable as they come in fantasy, it would be the fact that he has had four straight seasons of double-digit rushing touchdowns.
Thank you, Tush Push.
Last season, Hurts finished with 14 rushing touchdowns despite the historic outing from running back Saquon Barkley. However, last season we saw a significant dip in the passing game. As a full-time starter, last season was the worst passing year for Hurts in his career.
Everything points to a similar output from under center in 2025.
Barkley is back, the offensive line is dominant, and somehow the defense might even be better. Philadelphia is going to run the ball and win games comfortably; that is not a recipe for large passing performances.
However, what could work for Hurts is the probable regression in long touchdown runs from Barkley. This could result in more red-zone trips for this offense and Hurts. This is significant because Hurts led the NFL in 2024 in red-zone rush attempts.
Hurts is still a great option and has one of the safest floors, but the upside can be a bit lacking for him.
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The decision: Who is the best fantasy QB in 2025?
If you are thinking about grabbing a QB early, the only right choice is Josh Allen. This is not to say none of the other guys on this list can’t finish as the overall QB1, but just look at the numbers and situation.
Allen’s overall QB finishes the last five years are as follows: QB1 in 2020, QB1 in 2021, QB2 in 2022, QB1 in 2023, QB2 in 2024.
Make sure you get it right when you use a high draft pick on a position like QB. Allen is the entire Bills offense; he does not have a Barkley or Derrick Henry on his team.
Daniels has so much upside, arguably even more than Allen. But he is not as proven as Allen when it comes to fantasy production.
All four of these options will be great for fantasy in 2025, but drafting the guy who has done it five years in a row and will see a similar situation is a no-brainer.
