My Dynasty Off-Season: Rookie Dynasty Quarterback Rankings

Ken Kelly Posted On February 12, 2024

Well, that was fun. Another year is in the books and hopefully you hoisted a dynasty league championship. While the games are great and results are obviously important, this is actually my favorite time of year. Yes, I actually enjoy the off-season more than actual fantasy football. I love breaking down the NFL Draft, evaluating rookies, re-establishing the veteran dynasty fantasy landscape and giving you all as much information as I can in order to be prepared for the beginning of the upcoming year.

This year, I’m going to be posting a regular series – My Dynasty Off-Season (yes, I changed it because I think this is better and because I tend to change my mind a lot). This series is intended for me to pull back the curtain a bit and share what I’m doing in terms of team building, roster evaluation, player assessments, trade possibilities, value changes or anything else I’m thinking of. My hope is this series helps guide you through your off-season and helps you be in position to win again next year.

In this installment, let’s take a look at my initial quarterback rankings for the 2024 version of our rookie drafts.

1.) Caleb Williams, USC

I have him at the top of my list but it’s closer than most may expect. He was solid last year at USC with 3,633 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions, adding another 136 yards and a whopping 11 touchdowns on the ground. However, this was down from his dominant 4,537/42/5 year in 2023 (where he also added ten rushing scores). His talent is undeniable and he clearly looks like an elite-level prospect. However, I’m not convinced he’s a transcendent-level game-changer in the mold of Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson and that’s the going price. If he’s even up to the level of CJ Stroud, he’s going to be fine. However, I’m just not there in saying he’s going to even be that because that’s easier said than done. My biggest concern is actually the potential landing spot in Chicago. The Bears are rebuilding and this is a franchise that traditionally fails to produce elite-level play at quarterback and much of that honestly has to do with the weather they deal with each season. I think he’s a potential upgrade over Justin Fields but I won’t be selling the farm to get him in a Superflex draft or otherwise. The Commanders are potentially looking at moving up and that would honestly make me higher on him as a prospect but I can’t get there at the moment if he’s headed to Chicago. He’s still at the top of my list but I’m not overpaying on perceived potential because that’s going to be baked into his off-season price.

2.) Jayden Daniels, LSU

I’m typically someone who chases the next big thing and Daniels is it, even more than Williams. Much like Anthony Richardson last year, Daniels has a ridiculously high ceiling and a crazy low floor. The numbers are crazy – Daniels threw for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions, adding 1,134 rushing yards and ten more scores on the ground last year. Oh yeah, and that was in the SEC. However, there are still questions about him as a prospect. Some still believe he’s a better runner than thrower and was also blessed with weapons like Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr who clearly made his life a whole lot easier. We’ve also seen players from the SEC who put up insane numbers and see limited success in the NFL. While he’s not anything like Tim Tebow, it’s still not a given for him to be a star. Still, I’ve seen enough to be really excited about him. If he ends up with the Commanders, I like the fit. If Sam Howell could put up big numbers with the weapons in Washington, Daniels could undoubtedly do the same. He’s a massive boom-or-bust prospect but I like the roll of the dice here and for a cheaper price than Williams. He could be a total disaster or end up being a true difference-maker in dynasty leagues. No guts, no glory.

3.) Drake Maye, UNC

While Daniels may have the highest ceiling in the class, Maye seemingly has the highest floor. The question with him is simple – how much of a difference maker can he really be in terms of fantasy value. Much like Williams, his 2022 season was better statistically. Maye’s first full season as a starter yielded 4,321 passing yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions while this last season produced just a 3,608/24/9 line. The stats don’t necessarily tell the story with Maye, though. He can make any throw on the football field and many scouts simply deem him as the safest quarterback prospect we’ve seen in some time. If he ends up in Washington, I’m a lot more excited than if he was to go to New England. While the post-Bill Belichick era should look a lot different in terms of fantasy production from all positions, the Pats just don’t have a lot of talent to surround a new quarterback with. I’m in a “wait and see” mode with Maye but I’m much more apt to move a draft pick and get a quarterback I think may have a higher ceiling than I am taking him in the top of a Superflex rookie draft.

4.) Michael Penix, UW

As a lifelong Washington Huskies fan and season ticket holder, I can tell you I’ve seen a lot of Michael Penix, Jr. On one hand, he has some impressive skills, most notably his ability to flick his wrist and seemingly throw a ball across an entire football field. He has great anticipation, can easily read defenses and should have the ability to fit into just about any offense. However, there are serious (and legitimate) concerns about his health. After all, he missed time with two different torn ACLs and is seemingly nicked up all the time. Still, this is a player who threw for almost 10,000 yards and 67 touchdowns over the past two seasons and that just can’t be ignored. There are rampant rumors that Seattle could be interested in him at #16 overall now that they’ve secured the services of former UW Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb to run their offense and that would boost his stock in my mind. For me, Penix is in the “boom or bust” category but also needs to land on a team with an established offensive line that can protect him. I love the talent but he’s not close to my top three right now based on the health risk involved. People will try to say that’s overblown but history shows us it’s not.

5.) JJ McCarthy, MICH

Much like Maye, McCarthy seems like a high floor, low ceiling type of prospect to me. His 44:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio at Michigan over the past two years is crazy impressive and while he doesn’t offer elite-level upside as a runner, he would be a player who should be able to start on an NFL team sooner than most. I like the potential of Maye better than McCarthy but situation is going to be important. McCarthy isn’t considered to be a top ten prospect but he could be someone who goes to a much better situation long-term as a prospect taken in the back half of round one to a good team. If he was to end up on a team like the Rams, Steelers, Bucs, Saints or Seahawks, I’d be very interested in his long-term potential.

6.) Bo Nix, ORE

If you’re looking for solid passing numbers at a Power Five School as the winning metric, you can stop here. Nix moved from Auburn to Oregon two years ago and put up some insane numbers in Eugene. His 74 touchdowns and ten interceptions came as he threw for nearly 8,000 yards the past two seasons. This year was especially crazy as he posted 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions, making some NFL scouts stop and re-evaluate him. Though he still needs to refine his footwork and do a better job of throwing receivers open, Nix should be NFL-ready and a solid addition to an NFL team. Much like McCarthy, he could be a great addition to a contending-level team and while we may have to wait a bit to see him play, it could be well worth the investment.

I hope you enjoy my ramblings. Again, this is going to be my off-season space to share what my plans entail all off-season long. Hope it helps!

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK