NCAA Football Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - 2023 Outlook

By Kreighton Rahn
Updated date: November 3, 2023

2023 College Football DFS Top-30 Quarterback Rankings After Week 9

Reigning Heisman Winner Caleb Williams is Still a Viable Fantasy Option Despite Struggles from His Defense

Caleb Williams already has some hardware and was in the running for back-to-back Heismans before his defense let him down. Williams is a maestro with the ball—orchestrating one of the most potent offenses in college football, but his team just isn't elite this year … at no fault of his own.

With a year-to-date stat line that reads like the wish list of every CFB DFS player—2,646 passing yards (the most in college football), 25 touchdowns, and a mere 4 interceptions, Williams has shown precision and poise beyond his years.

On the ground, he's just as lethal (maybe even more so), rushing for 130 yards and 9 touchdowns. That yardage might not seem super high, but consider the extreme amount of sacks he takes behind USC's beleaguered offensive line.

His efforts contribute to a FanDuel fantasy points per Game (FD PTS/G) of 29.4, placing him 4th among all college football QBs.

In this, his junior campaign at USC, Williams has taken the Trojans game film and turned it into his personal highlight reel. The team's current record of 7-2 isn't bad, but they've lost 2 of their last 3 and have eked out one-score victories in their latest wins against some ho-hum opponents. Williams' impact is undeniable. He's the sole force driving this team to a 2nd-place standing in the Pac-12 conference in its final season before dissolution.

The defense is horrendously horrible for the Trojans, but the offensive firepower of this team has been nothing short of spectacular. They're currently ranked 3rd in passing yards within their conference, trailing only Washington and Colorado, while ranking top-5 in the nation.

Caleb Williams remains one of the best fantasy options in college football DFS despite a team that isn't nearly as good as they were last year. Having a shoddy defense behind you actually helps quarterbacks put up more fantasy stats as games become shootouts.

This Fantastic Pac-12 Quarterback is Sliding Below the Radar

With so many quality passing attacks out West and games that begin at 10 p.m. eastern, it's difficult to be knowledgeable about every single Pac-12 quarterback. Knowing the conference is about to dissolve into nothingness doesn't exactly prompt people to learn its intricacies.

Quietly slipping under the radar, Cameron Ward of Washington State has become a secret weapon for astute DFS fantasy owners. His passing yardage on the season is already up to 2,532—a testament to his unheralded arm talent. There are only a couple of guys in college football with more.

Ward has found the end zone 16 times through the air while keeping his mistakes minimal with only 3 interceptions. His ability to maneuver on the field is evident with 166 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, contributing to a notable FD PTS/G of 25.8.

Ward, a transfer from Incarnate Word, has quickly become the cornerstone for the Washington State Cougars and their high-flying offense. Ward is navigating the team's 4-4 record (1-4 in Pac-12 play) well, consistently putting up elite offensive numbers despite the team's struggles in the conference. When delving into the team's offensive stats, it's clear that Ward is the driving force behind their 5th-overall rank in passing yards in the FBS.

Sophomore Sensation Drake Maye Might Have the Best Arm on the East Coast

While most were looking West at either Caleb Williams or Michael Penix as a potential Heisman winner, Drake Maye has been lighting up defenses all year long in beautiful Chapel Hill, NC.

Maye appeared center stage in the college football spotlight last year with a freshman year state line of 4,321 passing yards and a 38-7 TD-INT ratio. He's on pace to match those numbers here in 2023, as he currently boasts a line of 2,559 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.

Maye is delivering performances that have you thinking he's a senior. His rushing stats tell a tale of versatility, racking up 259 yards and 6 touchdowns with his legs. These numbers are so strong and earn him a FD PTS/G of 27.3, which ranks 5th among college quarterbacks.

Maye's impact in these first 2 seasons starting for the UNC Tar Heels has been immediate and irrefutable. The team's current standing at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in ACC play reflects his dual-threat capabilities. They sit at 6th in the ACC but are still within striking distance of a conference crown.

The offensive might of the Tar Heels has been bolstered significantly by Maye's arm. This basketball school is suddenly one of the greatest offenses in college football, ranking 1st in passing yards in the ACC and 8th in the nation (319.9 yards per game).

NCAA DFS Top-30 Quarterback Rankings

PLAYER	SCHOOL	FD PTS/G	PASS YDS	TD-INT	RUSH YDS	RUSH TD
Jayden Daniels	LSU	34.9	2574	25-3	520	5
Kaidon Salter	LIBERTY	30	1662	19-3	614	7
Dillon Gabriel	OKLA	29.7	2302	19-4	294	8
Caleb Williams	USC	29.4	2646	25-4	130	9
Drake Maye	UNC	27.3	2559	16-5	259	6
Byrum Brown	USF	27.2	1865	45266	573	8
Haynes King	GT	26.6	2122	21-10	462	3
Thomas Castellanos	BC	26.5	1549	45237	673	9
Jordan Travis	FSU	26.1	2109	18-2	205	6
Cameron Ward	WSU	25.8	2536	16-3	166	5
Jaxson Dart	OLE MISS	25.7	2080	14-4	326	7
Bo Nix	OREGON	25.6	2337	21-1	113	3
Shedeur Sanders	COLO	25.1	2637	22-3	-43	3
Michael Penix Jr.	WASH	25.1	2945	24-6	-9	0
Diego Pavia	NMST	24.8	1896	17-5	594	5
Jaylen Raynor	ARK ST	24.5	1454	13-4	271	3
Garrett Greene	WVU	24.3	1340	45140	404	8
Chandler Rogers	N TEXAS	23.9	2173	19-1	124	3
Chandler Morris	TCU	23.6	1513	45265	249	3
Austin Reed	WKU	23.5	2280	20-5	91	3
Brady Cook	MIZZOU	23.5	2259	15-3	134	5
Joey Aguilar	APP ST	23.4	2173	20-6	199	2
Taulia Tagovailoa	MARY	23.3	2200	19-6	84	4
Jordan McCloud	JAMES MAD	23.3	2036	18-6	210	4
Darren Grainger	GEO ST	23.3	1789	45264	448	5
Will Howard	KSU	22.7	1628	14-7	313	6
Quinn Ewers	TEXAS	22.6	1915	13-3	53	5
Donovan Smith	HOU	22.4	2066	16-5	188	4
Preston Stone	SMU	21.9	2138	19-5	118	2
DJ Uiagalelei	OREGON ST	21.9	1791	17-4	134	5
Michael Pratt	TULANE	21.8	1384	14-3	231	4

The Importance of Drafting Good College Football DFS Quarterbacks

You cannot afford to mess up when drafting your CFB DFS quarterback. This player will account for the largest share of your lineup's points and will be the highest-scoring player you draft to your fantasy team.

The gunslinger paces the team. Drafting a dud and receiving next to nothing out of the QB is the kiss of death to your bankroll—no matter if you're playing cash games or large-field GPP tournaments.

Expert Tips for Drafting College Football DFS Quarterbacks

The art of choosing the right quarterback in CFB DFS is a nuanced undertaking that requires a mix of strategy, insight, and a "feel" that can be developed over time.

The best CFB quarterbacks to draft are ones who are anticipated to throw for the entirety of the game. This includes quarterbacks in games expected to be tightly-contested shootouts or quarterbacks on teams that are expected to lose by a touchdown or two.

A prime example is Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who, despite being on the losing side in most of his recent games, is racking up 300+ passing yards and 3 touchdowns per contest. His recent performance in a high-scoring loss to Stanford proves that Sanders stands as a viable CFB DFS quarterback option regardless of how well the Buffaloes are performing on the scoreboard.

The Vegas Oddsmakers Are Your Friend

Checking the Vegas totals before games is an excellent way to get a feel for whether a game will be fast or slow-paced. The Vegas totals have historically been a reliable indicator, with a strong correlation to the actual total scores on Saturdays. This insight could be the edge needed when selecting a CFB DFS quarterback with a higher probability of being involved in a high-scoring affair, thus amassing more fantasy points. Be aware that the lines right before kickoff will be sharper than those released by the books earlier in the week.

Beware of drafting quarterbacks in games expected to be decided by 30 or 40 points. It's very common to see lopsided matchups early in the college football season or late in the SEC schedule, for example. It could be tempting to take the quarterback from the underdog in one of these games because you know he’ll have to throw all game, but the offensive lines of these teams are typically too overwhelmed to do anything.

It is also a terrible idea to draft the favored quarterback in a spot like this because he'll hardly be throwing. Take, for instance, LSU's Jayden Daniels last week in a 62-0 shutout of Army. He only passed the ball 15 times.

Identifying favorable matchups for quarterbacks is the key to drafting good ones—moreso, even, than the skill of the quarterback himself. Delving into statistics like defensive rankings, pass defense efficiencies, big-play percentages, and historical performance against similar defenses can unveil lucrative CFB DFS quarterback findings. For instance, a mediocre quarterback facing a defense ranked in the bottom-10 in pass defense efficiency with a propensity to allow big plays is statistically more likely to have a better fantasy outing than a strong quarterback versus a stout, SEC defense with 5-star pass rushers and corners that run 4.2s.

The pace of the game is also a crucial factor that impacts a CFB DFS quarterback's fantasy performance. This is even more true this season with the new clock rules in college football that keep the game clock ticking after first downs outside of 2 minutes.

Fast-paced games with a high number of possessions almost always translate to better fantasy outings for quarterbacks. A simple study on game pace and its impact on quarterback fantasy performance reveals an exceedingly positive correlation, emphasizing the importance of this factor when selecting your CFB DFS quarterback.