These 2016 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings will be updated often throughout the spring and summer, so make sure you check back from time to time. Also, be sure to check out my other 2016 Fantasy Football articles, which will include sleepers, busts, tons of 2016 Fantasy Football mock drafts and other material. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterbacks (Sept. 7):
Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-35
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Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins. Bye: 9.
Kirk Cousins had a dream 2015 season. He was inconsistent in the first two months, but following his “You like that!?” moment, he improved tremendously, posting four-touchdown performances thrice beginning in Week 10. Granted, Cousins played a very easy schedule, but he still plays in the NFC East, the last time I checked. First-round rookie Josh Doctson will also help in the red zone for now.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 4,100 passing yards. 29 passing TDs. 13 INTs. 50 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 259.
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Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs. Bye: 5.
Alex Smith is as mediocre as they come in real life, but his rushing ability makes him a low-end QB2 option in terms of fantasy.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 3,400 passing yards. 20 passing TDs. 8 INTs. 450 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 257.
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Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens. Bye: 8.
I mentioned that Ben Roethlisberger had the season from hell earlier. Well, Joe Flacco would’ve killed for Roethlisberger’s year, as he lost even more players around him. Ozzie Newsome added Mike Wallace and Ben Watson in free agency, both of whom should help. First-round rookie Ronnie Stanley figures to improve the blocking, so that’s another reason to expect Flacco to rebound a bit.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 3,950 passing yards. 26 passing TDs. 12 INTs. 60 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 256.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Jets. Bye: 11.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had a dream 2015 campaign throwing to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Things went so well for him all year, so it’s hard to believe that he’ll have similar fortunes next season, especially if he doesn’t settle for the contract he deserves.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 3,500 passing yards. 27 passing TDs. 16 INTs. 230 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 251.
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Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. Bye: 4.
Carson Wentz will start Week 1, if healthy. He’s not a bad option in 2-QB leagues because of his rushing ability. He’s not worth adding in regular formats.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 1,300 passing yards. 6 passing TDs. 3 INTs. 80 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 248.
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Robert Griffin, QB, Browns. Bye: 13.
AUG. 19 UPDATE: I can’t believe I’m typing this, but Robert Griffin was excellent in his second preseason game. He legitimately looks like a new man, and his stats – 6-of-8, 96 yards, two touchdowns; three carries, 36 rush yards – correctly detail how well he played. Griffin opened with a 50-yard bomb to Terrelle Pryor, who beat Desmond Trufant in coverage. On the next drive, Griffin was able to impressively spin away from a sack and throw the ball away, which is something he didn’t do often in Washington. Griffin’s best throw, meanwhile, was probably a 29-yard touch pass that he dropped right into the bucket to Gary Barnidge for a touchdown. Griffin appears as though he has taken to Hue Jackson’s offense, and he seems different mentally, as he’s very decisive on his throws.
Robert Griffin will start for the Browns until he gets hurt or fumbles too many times. He’s not a horrible fantasy option because of his running ability, but don’t count on him being on the field for very long.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 2,950 passing yards. 17 passing TDs. 14 INTs. 400 rushing yards. 4 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 242.
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Jay Cutler, QB, Bears. Bye: 9.
Jay Cutler was absolutely horrible in 2014, but he rebounded this past season under Adam Gase, showing a better attitude until the very end. Gase is gone, however, so Cutler could revert back to #yolo mode. That said, I like what the Bears have done this offseason, and Kevin White returning should help.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 3,600 passing yards. 25 passing TDs. 16 INTs. 170 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 235.
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Blaine Gabbert, QB, 49ers. Bye: 8.
My crack-pot prediction was right – Chip Kelly is crazy enough to believe that Blaine Gabbert can be his starting quarterback. Much like Steve Spurrier about a decade ago, Kelly is unfamiliar with NFL concepts and doesn’t realize that his type of system guys aren’t worthy enough to be starters in this league.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 3,500 passing yards. 20 passing TDs. 15 INTs. 280 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 230.
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Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys. Bye: 7.
With Tony Romo out, is Dak Prescott draftable? I think looking at Russell Wilson’s rookie campaign is a good barometer. Not that Prescott will necessarily play as well as Wilson, but it’s a good indicator of how productive a mobile rookie quarterback can be. In Wilson’s first eight games, he threw for more than 240 yards just once. He had just 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and he averaged about 20 rushing yards per contest. Prescott will have a better offensive line and No. 1 receiver, so there’s more immediate potential, but he still doesn’t seem like a great late-round option, though I can definitely understand the upside appeal.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 2,200 passing yards. 12 passing TDs. 8 INTs. 260 rushing yards. 3 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 214.
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Sam Bradford, QB, Vikings. Bye: 6. 
Some were fooled by Sam Bradford last year, thinking that he would be a top-level fantasy quarterback because of Chip Kelly. As we’ve learned, Kelly doesn’t know what he’s doing, and Bradford is still injury-prone. Bradford, who ended his ridiculous holdout, is just a QB2, and an unreliable one at that. He won’t be asked to do much in Minnesota.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 3,400 passing yards. 17 passing TDs. 10 INTs. 30 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 197.
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Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys. Bye: 7.
SEPT. 5 UPDATE: The Cowboys have kept Tony Romo on the active roster. This obviously means they expect Romo to return prior to Week 9. Then again, Jerry Jones has been delusional about Romo’s health before, so I wouldn’t make this a reason to stash Romo on the bench.
AUG. 30 UPDATE: Tony Romo will resume training in three weeks. He’s still undraftable, but I wanted to note this positive news. If Romo continues to have positive reports about his recovery, he’ll be worth picking up as a flier around Week 5 or 6.
AUG. 27 UPDATE: Tony Romo has a broken bone in his back and is likely to miss at least half the season. It goes without saying that Romo is now undraftable.
AUG. 26 UPDATE: After Tony Romo missed all of 2015, the last thing the Cowboys wanted to see was an injury to their long-time quarterback in the preseason. But that’s exactly what happened at Seattle. On his second drop-back, Romo was tackled awkwardly from behind while scrambling away from pressure. He went down and grabbed his back, appearing to be in great pain. Romo left the game permanently. The Cowboys’ broadcast said Romo’s back was tight, but the camera caught him grimacing throughout the entire first half. Romo might be fine in terms of his Week 1 status, but if his back is truly bothering him, then he won’t be as effective as he could be. If there’s a silver lining though, it’s that Romo’s ADP could drop substantially.
Tony Romo was out for most of 2015. He’s going to have surgery to prevent injuries to his collar bone going forward, so that’s something that could make him a buy-low target. Keep in mind, however, that Romo turns 36 this offseason. It could still be difficult for him to play all 16 games.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 2,100 passing yards. 15 passing TDs. 7 INTs. 20 rushing yards. 1 rushing TD.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 168.
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Case Keenum, QB, Rams. Bye: 8.
Case Keenum won the starting job, but it’s unlikely that he’ll remain the No. 1 quarterback the entire year.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 1,200 passing yards. 5 passing TDs. 8 INTs. 0 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 52.
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Paxton Lynch, QB, Broncos. Bye: 11.
Paxton Lynch is raw, so it’ll take him some time to become the starter. He may not see action this year.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 2,000 passing yards. 10 passing TDs. 9 INTs. 160 rushing yards. 2 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 150.
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Jared Goff, QB, Rams. Bye: 8.
I like Carson Wentz more of a prospect than Jared Goff, but the fact remains that Goff is likely to start Week 1. Still, he’s not a very good option, as he’ll have to adjust to a pro-style scheme, all while working with a lackluster supporting cast.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 1,200 passing yards. 5 passing TDs. 8 INTs. 0 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 52.
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Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Vikings. Bye: 6.
The Vikings have said that they’ll as Teddy Bridgewater to open things up more in his third season, and they appeared to be backing up their word when they spent a first-round pick on Laquon Treadwell. Even with that in mind, Minnesota’s offense is too conservative for Bridgewater to be any sort of viable fantasy option; he’s one of those players who will be better in real life than in fantasy.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 0 passing yards. 0 passing TDs. 0 INTs. 0 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): 0.
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Colin Kaepernick, QB, 49ers. Bye: 8.
The 49ers proved to be too incompetent to trade Communist Kaepernick in the offseason. He’ll likely be Blaine Gabbert’s backup, unless he travels to a country where he’s actually oppressed and then is executed or jailed for not standing up for the national anthem.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Stats: 0 passing yards. 0 passing TDs. 1 INT. 0 rushing yards. 0 rushing TDs.
Projected 2016 Fantasy Points (ESPN Scoring): -2.
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterbacks (Sept. 7):
Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-35
More 2016 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/15 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/15 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/13 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/13 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/27 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 9/1 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/31 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Real Draft - 8/29 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/25 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 2-QB - 8/25 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/24 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/18 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/13 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/11 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/4 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/4 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/2 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/28 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 7/21 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 Draft - 5/13 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings - 8/26 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Articles:
2016 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Training Camp - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/4 (Walt)
2016 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 9/2 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 9/2 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Preseason Quarterback Targets - 9/2 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Targets - 8/31 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/31 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Auction Advice - 8/24 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/18 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Daily Fantasy Preseason Week 2 Streaming Options - 8/18 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Draft Queue: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - 8/17 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Draft Queue: Quarterbacks and Running Backs - 8/16 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Training Camp Notes - 8/10 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers to Avoid - 8/6 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Running Backs to Avoid - 8/5 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Notes - 7/26 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Late-Round Wide Receiver Targets - 7/21 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Late-Round Running Back Targets - 7/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football ADP Values - 7/14 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: C.J. Anderson Profile - 7/7 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Favorite MFL Players - 6/29 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: 2016 NFL Draft Fallout: Chip Kelly - 6/23 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Marvin Jones Profile - 6/22 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Devin Funchess Profile - 6/15 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football 2-QB Draft - 6/9 (Chet)
Fantasy Football Beginner's Guide - 6/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: Running Back Drafting and ADP - 6/3 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Quarterback Drafting and ADP - 6/1 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Eli Manning Profile - 5/25 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Jordan Matthews Profile - 5/24 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty Draft Wrap-up - 5/18 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: 2016 NFL Draft Fallout - 5/11 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 Quarterback Values - 4/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 Wide Receiver Values - 4/28 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Tight End Strength of Schedule - 4/25 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver Strength of Schedule - 4/21 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Running Back Strength of Schedule - 4/20 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Quarterback Strength of Schedule - 4/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 - 2/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Philip Rivers - 2/16 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Quarterback ADP vs. Reality - 2/12 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Fallout: Marshawn Lynch Retires - 2/11 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Fallout: Calvin Johnson Retires - 2/9 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Dynasty - 1/21 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Tight Ends - 1/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Wide Receivers - 1/14 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Running Backs - 1/13 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Quarterbacks - 1/12 (Chet)
NFL Picks - Dec. 15
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
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Potential sleeper
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Rank higher in PPR (points per reception) leagues
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