In the final instalment of my pre-season player injury preview, today we will discuss the 7 safest quarterbacks with high upside. You cannot win your league on draft night, but drafting enough players who suffer significant injuries sure can lose it for you! Each of the players listed below has a path to high fantasy productivity while possessing few risk factors for injury.
Be sure to check out the Fantasy Injury Team Draft Injury Guide, available now!
Josh Allen: ADP QB2/OV21
Age: 29 Position: QB Height: 6’5 Weight: 237 Exp: 7
Injury Risk Rating
After missing time in college with injuries to his throwing shoulder, Allen has been largely durable through his NFL career. Sure, there are a few knicks to his throwing elbow, but none that profile to be long-term issues. An argument could be made that the UCL injury from 2022 could pose a threat in the future, but this was not an issue in the past two years, making it unlikely to be a recurring issue.
Allen’s age and injury history do not pose tremendous risk factors for injury. His rushing volume and propensity to seek contact, and the Bills’ reliance on him to handle the ball 40+ times a game, do increase his exposure, but overall, his injury risk is mild at worst.
Click here to view Josh Allen’s full injury profile.
Jayden Daniels: ADP QB3/OV28
Age: 24 Position: QB Height: 6’4 Weight: 210 Exp: 1
Injury Risk Rating
Daniels has a near-perfect injury track record. Every recorded injury since college was minor, missing no more than one game, and none of these injuries profile to affect him in the future. This is as clean a list as a fantasy manager can hope for. Combine a clean track record with a 24-year-old biology, and Daniels’ body itself does not show any inherent injury risk factors. He does run a lot, which will expose him to hits, therefore putting him in the “low” versus “very low” category, but fantasy managers should not let this scare them from considering drafting the second-year standout.
Click here to view Jayden Daniels’ full injury profile.
Patrick Mahoems: ADP QB6/OV53
Age: 29 Position: QB Height: 6’2 Weight: 225 Exp: 8
Injury Risk Rating
Mahomes has hardly missed any time in his career, and even when he is injured, his rocket of an arm allows him to be productive despite any physical limitations. The three high ankle sprains would pose concern for subsequent injury if he were a Lamar Jackson-esque runner, but he’s not. Age will soon be working against Mahomes, but again, as a predominantly pocket passer, he’s not exposed to the hits that rushing quarterbacks are. As long as his line can protect him (which is a question in itself), he does not possess many risk factors to be concerned about.
Click here to view Patrick Mahomes full injury profile.
Baker Mayfield: ADP QB7/OV57
Age: 30 Position: QB Height: 6’1 Weight: 215 Exp: 7
Injury Risk Rating
Age is no longer working for Baker and is now considered a risk factor. His injury history is not significant for any injuries that pose a serious threat to re-injury or mechanical compensations that would contribute to future injury. As a true pocket passer, Baker does not often expose himself to hits; his playing style, combined with a relatively clean injury history, helps his chances of staying on the field.
Click here to view Baker Mayfield’s full injury profile.
Drake Maye: QB16/OV117
Age: 23 Position: QB Height: 6’4 Weight: 225 Exp: 1
Injury Risk Rating
Maye will be just 23 when the season starts, meaning age is working in his favor and not a risk factor for injury. While he has dealt with some mild injuries, he has never missed a game. The concussion is the only injury that presents as a risk factor for future injury, as prior concussions reduce the threshold of impact needed for a second concussion. Maye’s ability to do damage with his legs can also expose him to a higher volume of hits. Still, fantasy managers should not be worried about the second-year quarterback’s injury risk.
Click here to view Drake Maye’s full injury profile.
Jordan Love: ADP QB17 / OV118
Age: 26 Position: QB Height: 6’4 Weight: 219 Exp: 5
Injury Risk Rating
Love’s youth and playing style as a pocket passer help reduce his risk for injury. Before the 2024 season, his injury history was very clean, thanks to sitting behind Aaron Rodgers. We all remember the scary knee injury in Brazil that, fortunately, was only an MCL injury. A few weeks later, Love injured the groin on the same leg as the MCL injury, which can be related as the groin muscles tend to “overprotect” when an MCL injury occurs, and even as the injury is healing, this muscle guarding can persist and lead to injury. The MCL and groin injury will be cleared up by 2025, but we now have a small but growing list of left leg injuries on Love’s resume. We know that prior injury is one of the biggest risk factors for future injury. Still, not enough risk to scare fantasy managers from drafting Love.
Click here to view Jordan Love’s full injury profile.
CJ Stroud: ADP QB18/OV119
Age: 23 Position: QB Height: 6’3 Weight: 218 Exp: 2
Injury Risk Rating
Stroud has a largely unremarkable injury history and will be only 23 years old at the start of the season. His college AC joint injury has not been a long-standing issue, as they usually aren’t. A concussion will increase the risk for another concussion and is his only outstanding risk factor for injury. Stroud’s health is not a concern for fantasy managers heading into 2025.