Josh Allen is as close to a sure thing as exists in the fantasy world, having finished as the top QB in four of the last six seasons and never falling below third at the position during that span. This stability makes him a must-have for fantasy teams, but his draft position is not as secure as his ranking suggests.
While other top quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Joe Burrow have dealt with injuries and underperformed at times recently, the late-round quarterback strategy is back in a big way this year. There are 13 quarterbacks you can feel confident selecting as your starter and around 20 passers who have a realistic chance to compete for fantasy QB1 status in 2026.
For managers who can't resist drafting a superstar quarterback in the early rounds, consider pairing two double-digit-round QBs together to give you more opportunities to hit on the right one. This strategy allows you to take a risk on a player with top-five upside without breaking the bank.
Dual-threat QBs have always been a shortcut to fantasy production. Nine of the top-12 QBs in fantasy points per game last year racked up over 350 rushing yards. Jayden Daniels, a dual-threat QB, is one to target this season, especially after a 2025 season where he battled injuries and only played the majority of snaps in six games.
Daniels is just one year removed from being the QB4 overall in fantasy points per game as a rookie, with six outings above 28 fantasy points, including four of his final five appearances that season. With a new offense that added Stefon Diggs and Chig Okonkwo to suit up alongside Terry McLaurin, Daniels has a non-zero chance of pushing to be the No. 1 fantasy quarterback this season.
Justin Herbert is another quarterback to consider. He has shown his fantasy ceiling before when he finished as the second-highest scoring QB in 2021. Herbert's production improved down the stretch last year, averaging the fourth-most fantasy points among quarterbacks over the first nine weeks (21.8 FPPG). With better injury luck and the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, a top-five fantasy finish is well within reach for Herbert and the Chargers' offense.
Trevor Lawrence is also a promising option. He was a top-six fantasy QB on a per game basis during his first season in Liam Coen's offense and finished as a top-five fantasy QB in four of his last five outings. Lawrence faces the fourth-easiest fantasy schedule among QBs in 2026 and has an even deeper group of pass-catchers to work with.
Brock Purdy has proven himself as a reliable fantasy starter with a surprising ceiling. He averaged top-12 fantasy stats for three straight campaigns, including the second-most at the position (22.7 FPPG) during an injury-shortened 2025 season. Purdy's performance down the stretch last year was impressive, averaging 28.3 points per game over the final five weeks of the fantasy calendar.
Draft Fades
Patrick Mahomes is an incredible quarterback, but his fantasy finish last year came after a couple down seasons. Mahomes fell to the low-end QB1 range in 2024 and 2023, but his bounce-back last year was thanks to career highs on the ground. With a history of inconsistency, Mahomes may not be the safest bet for fantasy teams.
Source: Yahoo Sports