With the 2024 NFL Draft behind us, the time for dynasty rookie drafts is upon us. This year, five quarterbacks were taken within the first 10 picks, making it the first time in the modern draft era that five quarterbacks have gone in the top 10 picks. With 11 quarterbacks drafted this year, it may be hard to decipher who are the top options for fantasy. Here, we breakdown the top six quarterbacks for you to draft with our 2024 dynasty fantasy football rookie QB rankings.
Dynasty Rookie QB Rankings
1) Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
There was a reason why Caleb Williams was the obvious first overall pick and it was due to his star level talent. He has fantastic improvisation skills and great arm talent. He can be a pocket passer when needed, but can also make plenty of plays with his legs. He now goes to a Chicago Bears organization that has recently beefed up on the offensive side with the additions of receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze.
The only question mark for Williams is whether or not the coaching staff will let him down like all the quarterbacks before him. There’s a reason the Bears have never had a quarterback pass for 30 touchdowns in a season before and it’s not due to bad luck. With Justin Fields at the helm, the Bears refused to play to his strengths and forced him to be a pocket passer where he struggled. When they finally catered the offense to his strengths he shined.
With Williams being a better passer and overall talent than Fields, it shouldn’t matter how the Bears use him as his game can easily translate to multiple offensive schemes. He has the talent surrounding him and should be able to not only hit the ground running, but serve as the Bears’ quarterback of the future. While it’s fair to have some hesitancy due to the history of Bears quarterbacks, Williams is still clearly the top quarterback amongst this year’s rookies.
2) J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
J.J. McCarthy may have been the fifth quarterback taken, and he may not be as skilled as those taken before him, but he does have the advantage of landing in the best situation. McCarthy was a winner in college and has shown plenty of ability to move the ball efficiently and put the team on his back and make big time throws when needed.
Now, McCarthy steps into an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones. On top of that, he plays indoors and will be coached by one of the greatest minds in the game currently in head coach Kevin O’Connell. Last year, O’Connell worked a bit of magic with journeyman QB Joshua Dobbs who came in from the Arizona Cardinals in the middle of the season. While the Dobbs experiment didn’t end as either side would’ve hoped, it did show that O’Connell can make bad quarterbacks look decent.
Now O’Connell gets McCarthy who has shown to be a smart quarterback. He also has the ability to take big hits, fit throws into tight coverage, and can make plays with his legs if needed. With the best coach and surrounding cast of any quarterback in this draft, it’s clear that McCarthy is a top option in dynasty rookie drafts this year.
3) Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
With the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders got their quarterback of the future in Heisman winning quarterback Jayden Daniels. While he doesn’t have the talent around him as Williams or McCarthy, he does have some in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson.
Even without the best talent around him, Daniels is a problem on his own. He can extend plays like no other and is dangerous any time he’s let out of the pocket. He’s shown the ability to make throws over the middle with anticipation and has improved on his accuracy each year in college. He should have no problem fitting in with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury who was able to tailor a solid offense with Kyler Murray at quarterback.
The only question about Daniels is his health and decision making when out of the pocket. While he does have a solid frame at 6’4, he often puts himself in positions where he’s taking big hits. At this level, continuing that kind of play will get him hurt fast and could hinder some of his development. Nevertheless, Daniels is a solid option who should be a good quarterback in the league for years to come if he can learn how to protect himself in the open field.
4) Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
If McCarthy landed with the best coach possible for his development, Nix landed with the second-best. In Denver, Nix gets to learn under Sean Payton and has some decent talent surrounding him. Not only does Nix have Javonte Williams in the backfield, but he also has Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin and Tim Patrick at receiver. While it remains to be seen if that receiving room can stay healthy, he at least has the talent there on paper.
The biggest positive about Nix was the accuracy he exhibited last season at Oregon. He broke the single-season record with a 77.4% completion percentage and combined for over 50 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. While the quality of competition can be questioned, those are still video game numbers. Nix has solid arm talent and has the ability to extend plays with his feet and go through progressions. While he may not start Week 1, he only has Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson ahead of him in the depth chart. Nix should see plenty of work in his rookie year and has all the talent of a quarterback with staying power in Denver.
5) Drake Maye (New England Patriots)
The talent of Drake Maye is undeniable. He has solid arm talent, can thread the needle to his receivers and he can scramble as well. He’s incredibly tough and can make solid throws off-balance as well. He has all the tools needed to work in the NFL and has a chance to sit and learn behind Jacoby Brissett if needed.
From a talent perspective, there is no reason Maye can’t flourish. Unfortunately, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a rookie quarterback surrounded by such a lack of talent. At receiver, he has DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne as his top options and has Hunter Henry at tight end. The Patriots’ offense will have trouble moving the ball if their receivers can’t get open. Sitting in a division with the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills, things could get ugly quick. Maye is a solid talent, but it looks like it’ll be at least a year, possibly two, before he gets any kind of help offensively. For that reason, it’s hard to trust him in rookie dynasty drafts.
6) Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons)
Everybody that knew anything about football was shocked when the Atlanta Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four year, $180 million deal just over a month before the draft and then decided to draft a quarterback even with $100 million guaranteed to Cousins. The move is mind-numbingly stupid at its’ core and even owner Arthur Blank seemed shocked at what his GM just did.
While Penix Jr. is one of the most talented quarterbacks in this draft, and he will certainly get his shot, he can’t be ranked any higher than any of the other five quarterbacks taken in the first round. While his path to a starting role is clearer than that of any other quarterback in the later rounds, there is too much unknown to draft him with any confidence.
