The quarterback now dominates all phases of professional football. They get the biggest contracts, they get the MVP awards, they're the top draft picks, and they get most of the credit and blame for their team's success and failure. A team with a great quarterback always has hope. A team without one is hopeless.
In fact, the only thing standing in the way of quarterbacks controlling everything is us. Fantasy football is the last area where the QB isn't the most-important position in the lineup.
If you want to know where the Commanders would be without Jayden Daniels, look at their record last year. They'd probably be around 4-13, and fighting the Giants for the NFC East cellar. Now Washington played in the conference championship game, a place Dak Prescott still hasn't been. The Super Bowl participants both have a difference-maker at quarterback (some might argue that Jalen Hurts doesn't belong in that category, but his 18 rushing touchdowns disagree). Justin Herbert hasn't even won a playoff game yet, but his potential is a big reason why Jim Harbaugh chose the Chargers for his NFL return. It's all about the quarterbacks now.
But in our game, we revere Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry more than their counterparts behind center. Not to say the position isn't important, but you can win a fantasy title with just a decent quarterback if you have enough talent at the other positions. There's nothing better than having a cheat code at running back, wide receiver (or flex) to unleash against your opponent. No matter which quarterback holds up the Lombardi Trophy in a couple weeks, they aren't getting drafted before Ja'Marr Chase in a traditional league. Nobody will draft Matt Stafford before Puka Nacua or Kyren Williams. We don’t treat quarterbacks the way everyone else does, and I think that’s a good thing.
As you know, the reason for the disparity between our game and the real one is scarcity. You're only starting a dozen quarterbacks in a traditional league, while you have to find four times as many running backs and receivers, not counting flex positions. Are there enough quarterbacks for every team in your league to have a pretty good one? Sure. But there aren't 32 quarterbacks that can help a real team win games. Only half that many NFL teams had winning records in 2024, so it's clearly a tough position for them to fill. We simply don't need quarterbacks the way they do.
Now, if you want to mix things up a little, try a two-QB league. When you have to start two each week, you start to feel like a real team manager, lamenting over the lack of talent you have and getting frustrated when your mediocre starters can't even live up to those standards. It's like working for the Browns, I guess. I actually play in one of those leagues, but we made that change because it's a smaller league so starting two prevents everyone from having a star and coasting at the position. I like the challenge, and it definitely shifts the emphasis a bit, but I wouldn't want to do it in a larger league. I don’t want the quarterback position to be the focus of every fantasy team.
Honestly, isn't it nice to have a part of the game that doesn't focus on quarterbacks exclusively? Baker Mayfield is the reason his team went to the playoffs. Same with Bo Nix, and C.J. Stroud, and just about every club in the postseason. It's a team game, but the team needs a quarterback to succeed. So everything revolves around that position. But if you survey fantasy champions, many of them didn’t have a top fantasy quarterback. They had a consistent producer or a stable of good options. But they didn’t need Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen to win it all. And unlike the teams playing in New Orleans, they didn’t need Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts, either.
So while their contracts inch past $60 million a year, let’s appreciate that fantasy football stands apart from the real game, the awards, the incessant analysis, the GOAT debates, the penalty controversies and everything else that makes one position stand apart in a team game. I think we’re doing it right, so here’s to fantasy football!
Did your league champion have a mediocre quarterback? Would you prefer more emphasis on the position in your league? How early do you typically draft your starter? Share your thoughts below.