One of the benefits of the quarterback position in Dynasty Fantasy football is their longevity. If you're able to land a great signal caller early in his career you could have a decade-plus of reliable production. Or if you draft a Drew Brees, you may get close to two decades. The problem arises if you don't have one of those guys, then you're left shooting for the stars with guys who have very little floor, or settling for mediocrity. Two of the guys who could be shooting for the stars will be battling it out to replace Brees in New Orleans.
If either Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston had a long-term contract to be the starter for the Saints, they'd be a borderline top 12 Dynasty quarterback. Winston was a top-five option the last time he had a chance to start, and Hill was a top-10 option in limited action as a starter in 2020. The problem, for now, is that neither has a guaranteed starting role in 2021 and neither has any guarantee at all beyond this year.
As you'll see below I currently have Hill slightly ahead of Winston. Winston is three years younger, but Hill's rushing production and relationship with Sean Payton are enough to make up for that. Also, if Hill wins, there's a job there's a chance he's taking 100% of the snaps, something you can't say for Winston.
Both of the Saints quarterbacks are worth a bench spot, even in a one-quarterback league, but they aren't the only bench options with volatile futures.
Cam Newton was not an attractive option last year, but that can happen when your best pass catcher has never caught a touchdown pass in his career. The Patriots restocked around Newton with Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Nelson Agholor. It's not enough to call his weapons "good", but it's a considerable upgrade from 2020. Like Hill, Newton does enough with his legs that he needs to be only average as a passer. Still, there's very little floor for Newton, it wouldn't be that surprising if he was battling a rookie in training camp. He's also at the age where last year's drop-off could have been the start of a decline that doesn't reverse.
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While Daniel Jones has never reached Newton's heights, he does provide a spark with his legs, and the Giants are hoping Kenny Golladay has the same kind of impact in New York that Stefon Diggs had in Buffalo. What Josh Allen did last year is enough to keep me from writing off a leap from Jones in Year 3, but like Newton the floor is almost zero. If Jones doesn't improve drastically this year, it's likely the Giants are looking for a new quarterback.
And volatility isn't just reserved for guys outside of the top 12. Deshaun Watson, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts all face uncertain futures for their own reasons. Even Joe Burrow still has something to prove, which all goes to the point that waiting on quarterback in Dynasty isn't quite the cinch that it is in re-draft. It's part of the reason I have Patrick Mahomes as a first round Dynasty pick.
Here are my updated Dynasty quarterback rankings:
