College Football Draft Kit: Quarterback

The 2019 season is fast approaching, so we're rolling out our position-by-position previews to get you acclimated with the game's top players and help you dominate your drafts. First up is quarterback, where D'Eriq King headlines a loaded position group. Behind King is an eclectic mix of established studs like Tua Tagovailoa and Nathan Rourke, joined by some ascending young talents like Ohio State's Justin Fields and Nebraska's Adrian Martinez. 

For a look at the rest of our draft kit, which includes projections, custom rankings, auction values and more, click here. 

Editor's Note: The following article also appears in Rotowire's annual Fantasy Football Magazine, coming to newsstands in July of 2019.

1.D'Eriq King /  Houston / Senior 

On a per-game basis, no quarterback was more prolific than King in 2018. Not Kyler Murray, not Dwayne Haskins, not Tua Tagovailoa. King is the total package. A converted receiver, King uses his athleticism as a devastating rusher, as evidenced by his 674 yards and 14 scores on the ground. But he's also polished as a passer (36:6 TD:INT) and his passing could reach a new level with Dana Holgorsen installing his spread offense. King has all the physical tools, along with the system and supporting cast, to repeat as college fantasy's top asset.

2.  Nathan Rourke /  Ohio / Senior

Rourke proved last year that his breakout 2017 was no fluke, accounting for 38 total touchdowns for the second season in a row while upping his passing efficiency by nearly five percentage points and boosting his touchdown pass percentage by three percentage points. Ohio may rely more on Rourke's rushing this season too as it looks to replace A.J. Ouellette and Maleek Irons. Rourke also has strong ball security, having thrown eight or less picks in each of his two seasons. The senior enters the year as one of the most stable sources of both rushing and passing production.

3. Adrian Martinez /  Nebraska / Sophomore

Martinez's blend of accuracy and athleticism makes him a perfect fit for Scott Frost's high-powered system that emphasizes quick passing and also works at its best when the quarterback poses a rushing threat. He got off to a rocky start in 2018 but once he settled in, Martinez averaged 30.1 fantasy points over his final six games, accounting for 16 total touchdowns in that span. There's reason to believe he can parlay his strong finish into a full year of elite production as he further masters the offense and strengthens his rapport with his skill position players.

4. Justin Fields/ Ohio State / Sophomore 

Investing a high draft pick on a player with 39 career passes playing in a new system requires a leap of faith, but when it comes to a player of Fields' talent, the payoff could lead to league championships. The No.2 overall player in the class of 2018 is a natural passer with a live arm to go with the frame and athleticism to be devastating as a runner. It'll be difficult to replicate Dwayne Haskins' passing production, but Fields is the superior athlete who will be able to post major rushing production to go with strong passing numbers.

5. Jalen Hurts /   Oklahoma / Senior

The ex-Alabama quarterback gets to finish his college career in one of the game's most quarterback-friendly systems under coach Lincoln Riley. Hurts showed improvement as a passer in 2018, albeit in a smaller sample, completing 72.9 percent of his attempts with an 8:2 TD:INT ratio. He's also an excellent athlete who can extend plays and pick up yards with his legs when needed. Joining Oklahoma's loaded offense with a bevy of future NFL receivers could unlock another level of production from Hurts, who now enters the year among the elite fantasy signal callers in the nation.

6. Sam Ehlinger / Texas / Junior 

Ehlinger's performance down the stretch in 2018 gave a glimpse of what Texas' offense looks like when it's clicking on all cylinders. The then-sophomore completed 66.7 percent of his passes with an 8.2 YPA to go with five rushing scores in his last two games against Oklahoma and Georgia. He is Texas' best goal line option, which solidifies his rushing touchdown projection. Ehlinger also has a talented supporting cast headlined by senior Collin Johnson, who is coming off a 985-yard season. Ehlinger will be the driving force behind what is projected to be an up-tempo, high-scoring offense.

7. Darriel Mack / Central Florida / Sophomore

There will be a tightly contested battle for the starting job between Mack and Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush, but Mack is our early bet to win it. Starting for Central Florida means starting for one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, and Mack showed he can thrive in this system after taking over for McKenzie Milton, including a six-touchdown performance in the AAC Championship. This will be one of the most important quarterback battles in the fantasy landscape as whomever wins the gig will instantly become a top-tier option at the position.

8. Gage Gubrud / Washington State / R-Senior

Another  year, another graduate transfer entering the fold for Mike Leach. In this case, Gubrud is coming from the FCS ranks at Eastern Washington but he comes with plenty of fanfare . In his first year as a starter in 2016, he set an FCS single-season record with 5,160 passing yards. He now enters a system that has produced a top-four passing attack in passing yards per game each of the last five seasons, including the top passing game in 2018. Once he officially wins the job, Gubrud will instantly become a legitimate QB1 in all formats.

9. Bryce Perkins / Virginia / Senior

Perkins burst onto the scene in his first season in Charlottesville, racking up the 16th-highest points per game average among quarterbacks. Aside from Kyler Murray, Perkins was the only FBS quarterback to run for at least 800 yards and throw for at least 2,400 yards in the regular season. He could have a greater responsibility as a rusher this season with running back Jordan Ellis gone and no returning running back with more than 32 career carries. Perkins is one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation and will be playing one of the easiest schedules in the ACC.

10. Tua Tagovailoa / Alabama / Junior

The only thing stopping Tagovailoa from being the top fantasy quarterback is his own team context. Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide are often so far ahead that they don't need him to play 60 minutes. Tagovailoa had five fourth-quarter appearances with just 17 attempts in those situations. His efficiency makes him a viable fantasy option nonetheless. His 11.2 YPA was third among all quarterbacks dating back to 2009 and he threw a touchdown on 12 percent of his passes.With arguably the best receiving corps in the nation around him, Tagovailoa will be able to put on a strong encore in 2019.

11. Cole McDonald / Hawaii / Junior

McDonald's splits between the first and second halves of 2018 are stark; through the first six games, he was third in fantasy points per game (39.3) on the strength of 24 touchdowns and 2,100 yards in six games. An injury kept him out against Wyoming and he wasn't the same thereafter, averaging just 25.8 FPPG and throwing just 11 scores. The difference in splits make it fair to wonder whether his decline was injury-related or whether his hot start was attributable to a weak schedule. McDonald is a polarizing entity with legitimate arguments for and against him as a top-20 quarterback.

12. Alan Bowman / Texas Tech / Sophomore

Injuries derailed what could've been a special freshman season from Bowman, who beat out two veterans for the starting job and threw for 1,557 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first four games. He'll be starting this year, although this won't be the classic Texas Tech Air Raid with Kliff Kingsbury gone. It's still a quarterback-friendly system, however, as Matt Wells comes to Lubbock after orchestrating a Utah State offense that was 2nd in points per game and 17th in passing yards per game. Even in a new look offense, Bowman is primed for success in 2019.

13. Trevor Lawrence / Clemson / Sophomore

The superlatives will never cease with Lawrence, and a quick glance at the numbers makes it easy to see why. The long-anticipated top recruit from 2018 led Clemson to a National Championship victory over a Crimson Tide squad that seemed invincible before then, whooping them 44-16 on the game's biggest stage. With 30 touchdowns to just four interceptions on his first 397 career attempts, Lawrence looks truly unstoppable with an elite group of skill position players around him. A 40-touchdown regular season can't be ruled out, and he can even do a little damage on the ground, too (177 yards and a touchdown on 60 attempts).

14. Mason Fine / North Texas / Senior

Fine is coming off his second-straight season with at least 3,500 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. He's losing his offensive coordinator and his second-leading receiver, but North Texas added a respected offensive mind in ex-Eastern Washington offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder. Fine also two of his top three receivers coming back, including 1,000-yard receiver Rico Bussey.  It's worth noting that Fine cut down his mistakes as a junior, too, trimming his interception count from 15 to five while improving his completion percentage and YPA. Fine's experience and team context make him one of the safer quarterbacks in the fantasy landscape.

15. Tommy DeVito / Syracuse / R-Sophomore

When it comes to scouting scheme for fantasy options, starting with Dino Babers' quarterback is always a good idea. Taking over for four-year starter Eric Dungey, the former blue-chip recruit is in his third year in a system that has finished in the top two in plays per game in consecutive years. He isn't the runner Dungey was, but DeVito is going to be a volume passer who challenges for the FBS lead in attempts and yards in an offense more in line with what Babers ran his last season at Bowling Green.

16. Kellen Mond / Texas A&M / Junior

Mond thrived in his first season under Jimbo Fisher, increasing his YPA from 6.1 to 7.5 while racking up 31 total touchdowns. He loses top target Jace Sternberger and running back Trayveon Williams but all four of his top wide receivers are back. The biggest concern regarding Mond has to do with a brutal schedule that features trips to Clemson, Georgia and LSU, which may make him more of a strong streaming option rather than a weekly staple.

17. Desmond Ridder /  Cincinnati / R-Sophomore

Ridder was a breakout star in 2018, accounting for 25 total touchdowns and 3,028 total yards in his first season as a starter. He returns to the helm of one of the more up-tempo offenses in the nation (76.2 plays per game) that leans heavily on the run. Ridder and running back Michael Warren II combine to make one of the nation's most dangerous rushing tandems, and Warren's presence helps loosen rushing lanes for Ridder. His biggest challenge will be finding a new top target after losing Kahlil Lewis, who had a 26 percent target share in 2018.

18. Khalil Tate / Arizona / Senior

It's possible that no quarterback has ever seen a more jarring year-to-year contrast than Tate did from 2017 to 2018. In 2017 he appeared something like the next Lamar Jackson, throwing well but more notably running for 1,411 yards (9.2 YPC) and 12 touchdowns. In 2018, however, he was basically a pocket passer, running for just 224 yards in 11 games. An ankle injury may be partially to blame, but it generally seems like the Kevin Sumlin scheme precludes the 2017 outcome for Tate. With that said, Tate threw for 26 touchdowns last year and will almost certainly double or triple his 2018 rushing numbers if healthy.

19. J.T. Daniels /  USC / Sophomore

Daniels had his ups and downs in 2018, but for a true freshman to win a Week 1 starting distinction at USC and then finish as well as he did in the final two weeks gives Daniels a mostly promising profile heading into 2019. He endured a subtly tough schedule to close out the year completing 57-of-85 passes for 686 yards and, three touchdowns, and two interceptions against UCLA and Notre Dame in the final two weeks, giving reason to hope for bigger 2019 passing totals. Daniels poses no rushing utility (minus-149 yards) but has a standout trio of receivers to throw to.

20. Steven Montez / Colorado / R-Senior

Montez has been basically the same player for each of his three seasons at Colorado, showing unusually well for a freshman in 2016 but mostly stagnating since then. He's a solid player all the same, and it wouldn't be shocking if he found another gear in his senior season. That would be particularly true if star wideout Laviska Shenault can stay healthy all year. Montez's 2018 totals undersell his rushing upside – a swarm of sacks left him with minus-39 yards in a two-game stretch, obscuring the fact that he exceeded 50 rushing yards three times.

21. Brady White / Memphis / R-Junior

White returns for his senior season and second season starting in the Mike Norvell offense following a decent showing in 2018, when he finished with 3,296 yards, 26 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 14 games. White struggled against better defenses and would ideally post that kind of production in 12 games rather than 14, but he might see more volume as the Memphis tries to replace the production of backfield standouts Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard. White's fantasy upside is otherwise capped by the fact that he's not a running threat (minus-43 yards in 2018).

22. Jordan Love / Utah State / R-Junior

Love had a breakout 2018, completing 64.0 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns while adding seven rushing scores. Maintaining that level of success will be difficult this year, however. His top three receivers and his top tight end, who all combined for 56 percent of the team's targets, are gone. So are his coach and offensive coordinator, who are at Texas Tech. Love is is plenty talented and still has a decent supporting cast, but the offseason attrition might be too much for him to replicate his magical 2018, let alone improve on it.

23. Justin Herbert /  Oregon / Senior

Long anticipated as a potential first overall pick the NFL draft, Herbert nonetheless returned to for his senior season in what should be a strong Oregon offense. His numbers regressed in 2018, with his completion percentage proving problematic at just 59.4, perhaps due to the Pac-12's strong collective showing on defense. The schedule doesn't appear any easier for 2019, unfortunately, and the loss of lead wideout Dillon Mitchell is a concern, but Herbert managed to throw for 29 touchdowns last year despite the various difficulties. Durability is a slight concern after he absorbed a shoulder injury in the regular season finale, and a concussion before that

24. Holton Ahlers / East Carolina / Sophomore

Ahlers is the "You Don't Want To See How The Sausage Gets Made" fantasy asset. During his stretch as the starter last season, he averaged the fifth-most fantasy points. That was despite posting a 50.6 completion rate and a 6.9 YPA. Rushing ability helped, but the major factor was volume as he averaged 46.2 passes per game. A red flag comes in the form of a new coaching staff that ran 68.4 plays per game last season. For a player as reliant on volume as Ahlers, an extreme play count reduction could expose his flaws and crater his value.