Why Running Quarterbacks Still Dominate Fantasy Football in 2025
The debate is over. Despite a league-wide decline in quarterback rushing attempts, dual-threat signal-callers continue to separate themselves as the most valuable fantasy assets in 2025. Through Week 11, the data tells an irrefutable story: if you want to win your fantasy league, you need a quarterback who can move.
Josh Allen leads all quarterbacks with 251.34 fantasy points and an eye-popping 25.13 points per game. The secret to his dominance? Ten rushing touchdowns on 351 rushing yards. Allen has turned the red zone into his personal playground, and fantasy managers are reaping the rewards. According to Sharp Football Analysis, "Allen led the league in fantasy points scored in the red zone (168.7). He has led the league in red zone fantasy points three times over the last few years."
The Numbers Don't Lie: Rushing QBs Dominate the Top 10
Through Week 11 of the 2025 season, six of the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks are classified as "rushing QBs" (200+ rushing yards). The production gap is staggering:
| Quarterback | Team | Games | Rush Yds | Rush TD | Fantasy PPG | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | BUF | 10 | 351 | 10 | 25.13 | Rushing QB |
| Drake Maye | NE | 11 | 285 | 2 | 20.47 | Rushing QB |
| Patrick Mahomes | KC | 10 | 288 | 4 | 21.78 | Rushing QB |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | 11 | 345 | 1 | 18.74 | Rushing QB |
| Matthew Stafford | LAR | 10 | -9 | 0 | 20.54 | |
| Jayden Daniels | WAS | 10 | 377 | 4 | 19.40 | Rushing QB |
Rushing quarterbacks in 2025 average 20.11 fantasy points per game compared to just 15.34 for traditional pocket passers. That's a 4.77-point advantage every single week. Over a 17-game season, that gap translates to 81 fantasy points, easily the difference between a championship and missing the playoffs.
QB Rushing Is Down, But the Edge Remains
Here's where it gets interesting. League-wide quarterback rushing is actually declining in 2025. Through 164 games (Week 11), quarterbacks have accumulated 6,026 rushing yards compared to 11,379 for the entire 2024 season. At the current pace, 2025 will finish with approximately 10,477 total QB rushing yards, a decline of nearly 1,000 yards from 2024.
| Season | Total QB Rush Yds | Total Rush TDs | Rush Yds/Game | Rush Att/Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10,659 | 108 | 37.53 | 8.33 |
| 2023 | 10,127 | 114 | 35.53 | 8.12 |
| 2024 | 11,379 | 114 | 39.93 | 8.27 |
| 2025* | 10,477* | 115* | 36.74 | 8.01 |
| *Projected full season |
Despite this decline, the fantasy advantage for rushing quarterbacks persists because they're extracting maximum value from fewer opportunities. As ESPN's Eric Moody noted, "Dual-threat quarterbacks who can put up points through the air and on the ground are much more common, and the position is deeper than ever."
The Correlation: High Rush Games = Fantasy Dominance
The 2025 data reveals a powerful correlation between quarterback rushing yards and fantasy ceiling. In games where quarterbacks rushed for 40+ yards, they averaged 21.92 fantasy points. In low-rush games (under 40 yards), the average dropped to just 15.53 points.
| Game Type | Num Games | Avg Fantasy Pts | Avg Rush Yds | 25+ Pt Games | % Games 25+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Rush (40+ yds) | 48 | 21.92 | 53.83 | 16 | 33.3% |
| Low Rush (<40 yds) | 288 | 15.53 | 11.74 | 38 | 13.2% |
Quarterbacks who rush for 40+ yards are 2.5 times more likely to score 25+ fantasy points. The rushing element doesn't just raise the floor; it elevates the ceiling. Even when quarterbacks throw for slightly fewer yards in high-rush games (205 vs. 223 passing yards), the rushing production more than compensates, adding an average of 6.39 fantasy points.
Red Zone Rushing: The Ultimate Cheat Code
Josh Allen's 10 rushing touchdowns represent 60 fantasy points, accounting for nearly 24% of his total fantasy production. That's six points per game from rushing touchdowns alone. For context, Matthew Stafford ranks as the QB5 with 20.54 points per game despite -9 rushing yards and zero rushing touchdowns. Stafford proves pocket passers can still compete, but his ceiling is inherently capped without the rushing upside.
Patrick Mahomes, traditionally viewed as a pocket passer, has rushed for 288 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. Those four rushing touchdowns translate to 24 fantasy points, the difference between his 21.78 PPG (QB3) and being a mid-tier QB1.
According to analysis from Fantasy Points, "Whether we categorize a rush attempt as a scramble or a designed play, the most important takeaway is that rushing is unbelievably important for quarterback fantasy production."
The Rising Stars: 2025's Dual-Threat Breakouts
The 2025 season has showcased several quarterbacks maximizing their rushing ability:
| Quarterback | Games | Rush Yds | Rush Att | Rush TD | Fantasy PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Fields | 9 | 383 | 71 | 4 | 15.41 |
| Josh Allen | 10 | 351 | 65 | 10 | 25.13 |
| Jayden Daniels | 10 | 377 | 67 | 4 | 19.40 |
| Justin Herbert | 11 | 345 | 54 | 1 | 18.74 |
| Jaxson Dart | 8 | 320 | 56 | 7 | 20.59 |
Jaxson Dart's emergence as a fantasy threat (20.59 PPG) is fueled by his seven rushing touchdowns in just eight games. Dart's rushing touchdown rate (one every 1.3 games) rivals Allen's elite production. As noted in Big Blue View, Dart has 55 designed runs through his first eight games, indicating the Giants are embracing the modern NFL philosophy of using the quarterback as a weapon.
Drake Maye, the Patriots' rookie sensation, ranks second overall in fantasy points (225.14) despite playing for a rebuilding team. His 285 rushing yards on 70 attempts demonstrate that rushing ability can elevate a quarterback's fantasy value even in a challenging offensive environment.
Why Rushing Creates Both Floor and Ceiling
The strategic advantage of rushing quarterbacks extends beyond raw yardage. Rushing provides:
1. Weekly Floor Stability: A quarterback can have a mediocre passing day (200 yards, 1 TD) but salvage fantasy value with 50 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, turning a 15-point performance into a 22-point outing.
2. Ceiling Explosiveness: Games where quarterbacks rush for 60+ yards and a touchdown can push their fantasy totals into the 35-40 point range, week-winning performances that pocket passers rarely achieve without throwing for 400+ yards and 4+ touchdowns.
3. Game Script Resilience: When trailing, quarterbacks often scramble more. When leading, they run clock with designed runs. Rushing quarterbacks produce fantasy points regardless of game flow.
Betting Markets Reflect the Rushing Premium
The betting markets have caught on to the rushing quarterback advantage. Player prop markets consistently price in rushing upside for dual-threat quarterbacks. Fantasy managers looking to optimize their lineup decisions can leverage data-driven resources like Parlay Savant's Vegas Fantasy Football Rankings, which uses player betting lines to generate weekly rankings across all scoring formats, providing an edge by incorporating Vegas' sharp assessment of player performances.
The Consistency Factor: Standard Deviation Analysis
Beyond averages, rushing quarterbacks demonstrate more consistent week-to-week production. In 2025, rushing quarterbacks have shown lower standard deviation in fantasy scoring (typically 6-8 points) compared to pocket passers (8-11 points). Josh Allen's 9.52 standard deviation means his floor remains high even in down games.
Rushing QBs produce 30+ point games (ceiling games) at a higher rate. Allen has posted two 30+ point games in 10 appearances (20%), while Matthew Stafford has zero in the same span. This ceiling advantage is critical in playoff matchups where you need boom performances.
Multi-Year Trends: The Rushing Advantage Is Here to Stay
Looking at the past four seasons, rushing quarterbacks have consistently dominated fantasy football:
2024: Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen finished as QB1 and QB2, both eclipsing 475 fantasy points with significant rushing contributions.
2023: Jalen Hurts' rushing prowess (13 rush TDs) propelled him to an elite QB1 finish despite modest passing efficiency.
2022: Josh Allen's 762 rushing yards and 7 rush TDs established the modern template for fantasy QB dominance.
The trend is clear: since 2022, the top fantasy quarterback each season has rushed for at least 300 yards and scored multiple rushing touchdowns. The position has evolved, and stagnant pocket passers are being left behind.
The Verdict: Prioritize Legs in Your Draft
The 2025 fantasy season has definitively proven that rushing ability remains the single most important differentiator for quarterback fantasy value. Despite a league-wide decline in QB rushing attempts, the quarterbacks who do rush are maximizing efficiency and creating an insurmountable advantage.
Josh Allen's historic pace (potentially finishing with 15+ rushing touchdowns) sets the gold standard. But the tier of rushing quarterbacks—Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert—all provide week-winning upside that traditional pocket passers simply cannot match.
As Fantasy Points analyst Brett Whitefield stated, "Allen is the modern archetype for what everyone thinks they want in a QB. He is a legitimate dual threat with a cannon arm and the mobility to extend plays and score on the ground."
If you're building your fantasy roster for 2025 or preparing for 2026 drafts, the lesson is clear: prioritize quarterbacks with rushing upside. The 4.77 points-per-game advantage isn't just a statistical quirk; it's the blueprint for fantasy championships. In an era where running backs are increasingly interchangeable and wide receivers face target volatility, the rushing quarterback remains the most reliable path to fantasy dominance.
Whether through designed runs, scrambles, or red zone quarterback sneaks, the legs win leagues. Don't settle for a statue in the pocket when you can draft a game-breaker on the ground.