Every fantasy football season has a handful of quarterbacks who remind us how quickly things can change. Whether it was injuries, poor offensive line play, coaching changes or simply bad luck, last year’s disappointments often become this year’s draft-day values.
Talent doesn’t just disappear overnight, and buying low on the right quarterback can be a league-winning move. How we determine which quarterbacks those are is the challenge.
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Fantasy Football Bounce-Back Quarterbacks
Below are four quarterbacks who have all the pieces in place to bounce back in 2026 and outperform their average draft position (ADP).
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
Lamar Jackson is the most obvious of the bounce-back candidates at quarterback. In 2024, Jackson looked like he had turned a corner as a passer, posting a career high in yards and sporting a 41:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also added over 900 yards as a runner, making himself the fantasy QB1 in the process.
Last fall, however, Jackson scuffled and was plagued by injuries. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket, and his 10.6% sack rate was the worst of his career. Jackson’s rushing output per game dropped from 53.8 yards to 26.8, revealing just how hobbled Jackson was.
The Ravens have a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle, who comes over from the Bears after helping Caleb Williams break out. He will be a boost for Jackson. While his supporting cast is still mediocre, Jackson has never had a plethora of receiving talent to work with anyway.
Jackson is still in a tier below Josh Allen and probably Drake Maye, but if he is healthy, he should be a top-five fantasy quarterback in 2026.
Kyler Murray (QB – MIN)
Kyler Murray’s rise and fall in Arizona can be attributed to several factors, but talent isn’t one of them. Now he gets to play in Kevin O’Connell’s system, which has been very quarterback-friendly with a receiving corps that is the best he’s ever had.
If Murray can stay healthy (no sure thing), he stands to have the best season of his career. Also, playing on a one-year, no-tag contract should motivate Murray to try to secure a long-term extension.
Murray has averaged over 30 yards rushing per game in his career, so if O’Connell allows him to play to his strengths, a top-10 finish at the position is well within reach. Over his career, Murray has finished as no worse than QB12 in fantasy points per game, so at his ADP of 110, a bounce back would make him one of the best value picks of 2026.
Jayden Daniels (QB – WSH)
I am trying not to just list quarterbacks who were injured last season, but Jayden Daniels was a disappointment even before he got hurt. His passing numbers were down, and he only averaged 39.7 rushing yards per game prior to his injury. Almost 14 yards fewer per game, which, in most formats, is 1.4 fantasy points.
Daniels struggled with knee, hamstring and elbow injuries last season, and his durability is going to be in question until he can stay healthy for 17 games across multiple seasons. However, as long as he’s healthy, Daniels brings the kind of rushing upside that only a handful of quarterbacks can match.
Looking at their schedule, Washington should be in plenty of shootouts, meaning Daniels is going to be leaned on heavily. Like Lamar Jackson, he is a tier below Josh Allen, but his rushing upside gives him a chance to nip at Allen’s heels.
C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU)
Even at his QB24 ADP, the last two seasons would be enough to scare you away from C.J. Stroud in any format. However, I believe the talent hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s still one of the league’s most accurate passers, and Houston has rebuilt its offensive line, a welcome sight for Stroud.
If that unit is even league average, a return to 4,000 passing yards isn’t out of the question, although I will concede that 3,700 yards and a bump in touchdowns would be enough to satisfy me.
A healthy Nico Collins will also be a huge factor, as the connection between those two has consistently elevated Stroud’s efficiency and touchdown production since coming into the league. On top of that, Houston opens the season with several favorable matchups, making Stroud a strong bet to get off to a fast start and rebuild his fantasy value early in 2026.
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Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.