The 2025 quarterback position kept us guessing in fantasy leagues all season long. Several big-name players faltered, as the likes of Lamar Jackson (QB20), Joe Burrow (QB34), Jayden Daniels (QB33), Kyler Murray (QB38), and Brock Purdy (QB24) all finished 20th or worse at the position despite having loftier average draft positions.
We also had five quarterbacks finish in the top 12 at the position despite being drafted at 124.8 or lower (Caleb Williams). Drake Maye (124.8), Matthew Stafford (222.2), Trevor Lawrence (148.3) and Justin Herbert (140.8) all turned into draft-day bargains. We also had some solid waiver-wire adds like Jacoby Brissett and Tyler Shough, who came out of nowhere to become potential league winners down the stretch.
Looking ahead to 2026, there are plenty of questions that need to be answered at the position. The NFL offseason has been far more active in recent years, so we’re in for a treat with future trades and player movement via free agency. (You will see an asterisk next to the quarterbacks who will be free agents, at some level, during the offseason).
Several players went down with injuries whose recoveries we’ll be monitoring, none more critical than Patrick Mahomes (knee), Bo Nix (ankle) and Daniel Jones (Achilles). And, of course, we’ll be watching the Scouting Combine and the 2026 NFL draft to find who could be helpful to fantasy options as rookies.
Here are my initial 2026 fantasy football quarterback rankings. I’ll be updating these throughout the offseason, so keep checking back!
2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
| RK | Player | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Allen | QB1 | BUF |
| 2 | Lamar Jackson | QB2 | BAL |
| 3 | Drake Maye | QB3 | NE |
| 4 | Jalen Hurts | QB4 | PHI |
| 5 | Joe Burrow | QB5 | CIN |
| 6 | Patrick Mahomes | QB6 | KC |
| 7 | Jayden Daniels | QB7 | WAS |
| 8 | Trevor Lawrence | QB8 | JAC |
| 9 | Caleb Williams | QB9 | CHI |
| 10 | Matthew Stafford | QB10 | LAR |
| 11 | Dak Prescott | QB11 | DAL |
| 12 | Bo Nix | QB12 | DEN |
| 13 | Jaxson Dart | QB13 | NYG |
| 14 | Justin Herbert | QB14 | LAC |
| 15 | Brock Purdy | QB15 | SF |
| 16 | Baker Mayfield | QB16 | TB |
| 17 | Jared Goff | QB17 | DET |
| 18 | Jordan Love | QB18 | GB |
| 19 | Kyler Murray | QB19 | ARI |
| 20 | Daniel Jones* | QB20 | IND |
| 21 | Tyler Shough | QB21 | NO |
| 22 | Bryce Young | QB22 | CAR |
| 23 | J.J. McCarthy | QB23 | MIN |
| 24 | Cam Ward | QB24 | TEN |
| 25 | C.J. Stroud | QB25 | HOU |
| 26 | Sam Darnold | QB26 | SEA |
| 27 | Tua Tagovailoa | QB27 | MIA |
| 28 | Michael Penix Jr. | QB28 | ATL |
| 29 | Aaron Rodgers* | QB29 | PIT |
| 30 | Shedeur Sanders | QB30 | CLE |
| 31 | Justin Fields | QB31 | NYJ |
| 32 | Geno Smith | QB32 | LV |
| 33 | Malik Willis* | QB33 | GB |
| 34 | Anthony Richardson | QB34 | IND |
| 35 | Kirk Cousins | QB35 | ATL |
| 36 | Joe Flacco* | QB36 | CIN |
| 37 | Dillon Gabriel | QB37 | CLE |
| 38 | Marcus Mariota* | QB38 | WAS |
| 39 | Tyrod Taylor* | QB39 | NYJ |
| 40 | Spencer Rattler | QB40 | NO |
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
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- Rams vs. Seahawks: Three Bold Predictions for NFC Championship Game
- Everything We Learned From Jeff Hafley’s First Comments As Dolphins Coach
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fab's Way-Too-Early 2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings.
