Monday Mocks: 2024 Backup Quarterbacks

Ryan McDowell Posted On April 8, 2024

Welcome to Monday Mocks, where I’ll bring you…you guessed it, a new mock draft every Monday during the off-season. In my opinion, drafting is the best part of fantasy football, so I do as much of that as I can. This series will be filled with all types of mocks. We’ll draft startups, rookies, devys, and more.

We are mixing things up a little this week. There are plenty more rookie mock drafts to come before the NFL Draft later this month, but today I wanted to focus on superflex dynasty leagues, specifically the quarterback position. Obviously, a high-level starting quarterback is one of the most valuable assets in any superflex dynasty league, but backup quarterbacks have never been more valuable.

Changes around the NFL, including more regular season games and a seemingly shorter leash for high draft picks, have resulted in more and more players seeing snaps and starts under center. Last year, 66 quarterbacks started at least one game in the league.

If your superflex dynasty leagues are anything like mine, nearly every QB2 around the league is on a roster. That’s why, with a hat tip to our own Eric Dickens, I chose to mock the backups around the league. Consider this a guide as to which backups most deserve a roster spot in your superflex dynasty league.

Most drafts are pretty easy. We heavily consider talent, mix in a little situation, and go from there. With backup quarterbacks, both of those take a backseat to opportunity. You want to roster backup signal callers who are most likely to see the field, which will result in them gaining value. Opportunity could come as a result of a below-average starting quarterback or maybe just one with an injury history. Spotting young, potential future starters is also very important, though we don’t currently have many of those around the league.

For the purposes of this article, we won’t include any rookies, though I am assuming that Caleb Williams starts for the Bears and the Commanders find a new starter as well. For the moment, Jarrett Stidham is penciled in as the Broncos starter, so you won’t find him in this draft. Here we go!

ROUND ONE:

1.01 Justin Fields, QB PIT

Obviously, Fields has taken a lot of heat in the past few weeks and his dynasty value has plummeted as a result of the limited trade market and ultimately landing in Pittsburgh. This is the easiest call of this unique mock draft though. Fields is by far the most valuable NFL backup quarterback. Just two years ago, he finished as the QB11 for the year and even last season was a top-twelve scorer in 46% of his games. We know Fields has talent and behind veteran Russell Wilson, he should also have opportunity. Wilson struggled in his time with the Broncos and is on shaky ground as the Steelers’ new starter.

1.02 Sam Howell, QB SEA

After a surprisingly effective rookie season in 2022, Howell entered last season as the Commanders’ starter. While he was very solid from a fantasy standpoint, churning out ten QB1 games in the first 13 weeks, Howell took a step back as the season wore on and it became clear he was not a long-term option in DC. With a new coaching staff and a projected new quarterback with the second overall pick, Howell was shipped to Seattle, where he’ll backup Geno Smith. Seattle ultimately chose to stick with Smith though there were rumors they could move on following a disappointing 2023 campaign. At best, Smith will be the starter for one more season in Seattle but it won’t be a surprise if Howell sees the field at the first sign of offensive struggles.

1.03 Joe Flacco, QB IND

What a comeback for the veteran Flacco! As soon as Aaron Rodgers went down early in the first game of the season, fans were clamoring for the Jets to sign Flacco. Instead, they stubbornly stuck with Zach Wilson. Meanwhile, the Browns scooped up Flacco after they lost multiple quarterbacks, including Deshaun Watson, and he went on an impressive run. Cleveland went 4-1 in Flacco’s five games and the quarterback produced at least 17 fantasy points in all five contests, finishing with three QB1 games. Now, he’ll backup Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. As high as the upside is with the second-year quarterback, the floor is even lower simply due to a scary injury history. If Richardson is on your roster, Flacco is a must-add for this Colts offense that made Gardner Minshew a fantasy starter.

1.04 Trey Lance, QB DAL

It has obviously been a nightmare start to a career for Lance. After sitting most of his rookie season in 2021, Lance was set to be the starter the following season. A nasty ankle injury ended that season and Brock Purdy entered the lineup, never looking back. Lance was dealt to the Cowboys last season and never saw the field. The former third-overall pick showing up this high in the draft is a result of his upside, despite the limited playing time he’s seen over the past three years, as well as Dak Prescott’s standing with the Cowboys. The team recently reworked Prescott’s deal and he is currently set to be a free agent following the upcoming season. Lance stepping in as the starter for the 2025 season feels like a long shot but he is one of the few current backups with actual starter potential.

1.05 Jake Browning, QB CIN

When starter Joe Burrow went down for the year, Browning stepped up and played surprisingly well. With almost no NFL experience, Browning produced four QB1 games in the season’s final six weeks, scoring 20 or more fantasy points in each of those. Unfortunately, injuries have become a real concern for Burrow, which is what makes Browning a viable superflex asset.

1.06 Aidan O’Connell, QB LV

The Raiders offseason has been a little confusing. After dumping veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, the team was left with O’Connell, who started much of his rookie season. The Raiders signed the veteran Minshew and have been routinely projected to select a rookie quarterback as well. Evidently, Minshew is the current projected starter but head coach Antonio Pierce also recently suggested O’Connell deserves a chance at the starting job. We should expect to see multiple quarterbacks drawing starts for the Raiders this season and O’Connell will definitely be in that mix.

aidan o’connell | gary a. vasquez-usa today sports

1.07 Jameis Winston, QB CLE

After years as a starting quarterback in the league, Winston might now be the poster boy for backup quarterbacks with perceived fantasy upside. Winston hasn’t had a consistent starting job since his QB5 season in 2019, bouncing around from team to team since then. Signing with the Browns this offseason, Winston will back up the embattled Deshaun Watson. As much heat as Watson has taken for his on-field performance since returning to the league, he still finished as a QB1 in half of his games last season.

1.08 Drew Lock, QB NYG

After the Giants signed Lock away from Seattle, there were many mixed signals. One report suggested Lock had been told he’d compete for the Giants’ starting job. That was refuted by a Giants’ beat writer, who ensured that the job still belonged to Daniel Jones. Finally, head coach Brian Daboll hinted that Jones might not be ready to start the season. It certainly seems that the Giants’ long-term starter is not yet on the roster and we’ll see some combination of the two veterans throughout the 2024 season. Lock has produced one QB1 game in the past three seasons.

1.09 Jimmy Garoppolo, QB LAR

With 66 unique starting quarterbacks during the 2023 season, we saw some really bad play at the position. Few, if any, were worse than Garoppolo. The Raiders pegged the veteran to be their post-Derek Carr starter and he lasted six games. In two of these contests, he produced less than one fantasy point. A turnover machine, Garoppolo was also recently suspended for the first two games of the upcoming season. Surprisingly, the Rams signed Jimmy G to back up veteran star Matthew Stafford. Stafford’s age and injury concerns are the only thing pushing Garoppolo this high on the list.

1.10 Tyrod Taylor, QB NYJ

Taylor is certainly making the rounds. At least this year, he didn’t have to move. Last season, Taylor served as the Giants’ backup and now he shifts to the Jets. Taylor is an adequate veteran backup, producing one QB1 game last season for the Giants. With the Jets, he’ll play behind Aaron Rodgers. Most reports have been positive for Rodgers, but it is uncertain how the veteran will bounce back from such a serious injury at his age.

1.11 Kenny Pickett, QB PHI

Well, he’s still young, at least. The Steelers gave up on former first-round pick Pickett, sending him to cross-state to Philadelphia. The Eagles obviously have Jalen Hurts entrenched so Pickett will use this landing spot as a chance to rehab his value, similar to what we saw with Mitch Trubisky in past years. Trubisky was able to regain a starting role but that didn’t last long because he was simply so bad. I expect that to be the case with Pickett as well.

1.12 Andy Dalton, QB CAR

Much like Winston, Dalton has made the rounds as a backup once his starting days were clearly over. He’s been an adequate fill-in wherever he’s been. With Carolina, there was a thought he’d serve as the “bridge” quarterback until Bryce Young was ready but the rookie earned the starting job from day one. Young endured a rough first season and now is dealing with a coaching change. Many teams have displayed a short leash for young quarterbacks so another hopeless season could open the door for a quarterback change in Carolina. Still, Dalton getting a chance without a Young injury is almost certainly not happening.

ROUND TWO:

2.01 Hendon Hooker, QB DET
2.02 Mac Jones, QB JAX
2.03 Marcus Mariota, QB WAS
2.04 Joshua Dobbs, QB SF
2.05 Mason Rudolph, QB TEN
2.06 Davis Mills, QB HOU
2.07 Tyson Bagent, QB CHI
2.08 Taylor Heinicke, QB ATL
2.09 Desmond Ridder, QB ARI
2.10 Kyle Trask, QB TB
2.11 Mike White, QB MIA
2.12 Easton Stick, QB LAC

We’ll be back next week with another mock draft!

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.