There are many paths to a fantasy football championship. Gamers who invest an early-round pick in a stud quarterback can assemble a championship squad if things break correctly. However, teams only start one quarterback in non-Superflex formats.
In contrast, they must start multiple running backs and wide receivers, putting a lot of pressure on elite-quarterback squads to hit on mid- and late-round picks at those positions, not to mention lower-quality depth.
Instead of investing in a stud quarterback or overpaying for a middle-tier quarterback who is unlikely to outperform a handful of quarterbacks picked after them drastically, gamers can deploy a quarterback-by-committee approach.
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Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Quarterback-By-Committee
Gamers who take a committee approach at quarterback must wait to maximize the strategy. They’re banking on playing matchups between two quarterbacks cobbling together similar results to a top-five or so quarterback without the fantasy football draft capital investment.
The cheaper investment at quarterback will allow gamers to load up on high-end talent at running back, wide receiver and perhaps even a stud tight end. Furthermore, with early-round talent at those positions, it’s much more palatable to use more than one roster spot on a quarterback.
Of course, a committee approach at quarterback requires the right type of fantasy football manager. First, the manager must be willing to do some homework on the matchups for their quarterbacks. Second, they have to have the memory of a relief pitcher, shrugging off the occasional benching of the wrong quarterback. It’s the nature of the beast.
Gamers who check both of those boxes are in luck, as the quarterback position is robust this year. The following quarterback suggestions are the QB14 or later in average draft position (ADP), and there’s a variety of skill sets to pick from.
Ideally, gamers will select one of the two high-floor pocket passers attached to high-scoring offenses with one of the more volatile, high-upside but low-floor options in the second section. That said, if the first two quarterbacks get pushed up the board too high, doubling up on the riskier signal-callers from the high-upside dart section is reasonable.
Readers can also check out our Quarterback By Committee Finder (QBBC) tool for customizable pairing options.
Reliable Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR) | ADP: 108.3 (QB15)
Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP after leading the NFL in passing yards (4,707, 276.9 per game) and passing touchdowns (46) last season. Even in an MVP campaign, Stafford was the QB3 in total fantasy points (358.4) and fantasy points per game (21.1).
Stafford ran pure, and last year represents a ceiling outcome since he doesn’t add value with his legs. Moreover, the Rams improved their defense in the offseason, trading for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson, which could lead to fewer shootouts in 2026.
Still, if a drafter doesn’t reach for Stafford based on last year’s performance and he’s available as the QB15 after the 100th pick, he’s a compelling part of a QBBC. The Rams remain a potent offense. According to First Down Studio, the Rams have the highest implied total (26.6 points per game) based on betting odds.
Stafford will also likely be a highly-ranked signal-caller in Week 1. The Rams are 3.5-point favorites at home against the 49ers, and the game’s total is 48.5 points, leaving Los Angeles with an implied total of 26 points. San Francisco has the offensive chops to push the Rams, and the game has shootout potential.
Jared Goff (QB – DET) | ADP: 116.7 (QB16)
Jared Goff was second in passing yards (4,564) and passing touchdowns (34) last season. Yet, he was tied for QB8 in total points (305.1) and QB13 in points per game (17.9) among quarterbacks with at least eight games played. Goff’s finish in points per game last year illustrates how high the bar is for a pocket passer to finish inside the top five.
Of course, Goff and Stafford aren’t drafted that highly. They’re not even drafted as starting fantasy quarterbacks in 12-team leagues, and that’s appropriate. Both quarterbacks will often crack the top 12 quarterbacks in a given week, and they’ll likely both finish in a large bucket of tightly clustered quarterbacks in the fringe top 12.
Goff is once again tied to an offense that’s projected to be among the NFL’s best. The Lions are tied with the Bills for the second-most implied points per game (26.1) in 2026. Also like Stafford, Goff’s betting info is favorable for Week 1. The Lions are 7-point favorites at home against the Saints, and the game’s total is 48.5 points. Detroit’s implied total is 27.75 points in Week 1.
Goff and the Lions could also see an uptick in play volume. According to RotoViz’s pace app, the Saints were tied for fourth in plays per 60 minutes (66) and played the fastest (24.6 seconds/snap) in 2025. New Orleans could push the tempo and nudge the Lions into running more plays as well.
Goff is a safe Week 1 starter, and he could also be in a shootout in Buffalo on Thursday Night Football in Week 2, enhancing the appeal of drafting him as the “safe” option in a QBBC with one of the following quarterbacks.
Riskier Ceiling-Chasing Quarterbacks
Bo Nix (QB – DEN) | ADP: 106.7 (QB14)
I initially listed Bo Nix at the top of the section above, but I bumped him to this category for two reasons. First, Nix had ankle surgery after fracturing his right ankle in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs. Second, Sean Payton has ceded play-calling duties to first-time offensive coordinator Davis Webb.
According to StatHead, in 36 career games, including the playoffs, Nix has averaged 23.8 rushing yards per game and scored nine rushing touchdowns. A dip in rushing production in his return from ankle surgery would hurt his fantasy outlook. Fortunately, Nix is saying the right things about his willingness to scramble and run.
Nix has also been a fantasy asset because of Payton’s play-calling tendencies. According to RotoViz’s pace app, the Broncos are tied for the fourth-highest situation-neutral pass rate (58%) since 2024. In addition, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite, Denver was fourth in pass rate over expectation (5.5% PROE) in 2025. Webb’s play-calling tendencies remain to be seen.
On an exciting note, the Broncos may be a more uptempo this year. Payton is also still the team’s head coach, and Webb has worked with him on the Broncos since 2023, so the offense will likely share some identity with the previous two years’ offenses. Payton also offers a safety net if Webb falters.
So far in his young career, Nix has been a fantasy football asset. He was the QB7 in total points (328.2) and the QB8 in points per game (19.3) among quarterbacks with eight games played in 2024 and the QB7 (315.8) and the QB11 (18.6) in 2025.
It wouldn’t have been unreasonable to include Nix in the section above, and he has a theoretically higher ceiling than Stafford and Goff because of his running ability. Nix can also take a step forward as a passer after the club acquired Jaylen Waddle in the offseason. Nix is a more exciting pick than his QB14 ADP suggests.
However, he isn’t the most appealing signal-caller in Week 1. The Broncos are 3-point underdogs in Kansas City on Monday Night Football in Week 1, and Denver’s implied total is only 19.75 points. Gamers who pick Nix as part of a QBBC will likely need a better option in Week 1.
Kyler Murray (QB – MIN) | ADP: 135.7 (QB17)
Kyler Murray is only one year removed from finishing as a starting quarterback in 12-team leagues. In 2024, Murray was the QB10 in total points (308.2) and the QB12 in points per game (18.1).
The diminutive quarterback’s top passing-game weapons in 2024 were Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. McBride is unquestionably a baller, but Justin Jefferson is a top-option upgrade, and Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and, to a much lesser extent, T.J. Hockenson aren’t slouches.
Kevin O’Connell could also be a plus for Murray’s outlook. From 2022-2024, the Vikings had the second-highest situation-neutral pass rate (61%). Will O’Connell return to his pass-happy tendencies after an outlier year with lousy quarterback play?
It’s worth rolling the dice on Murray at his low-risk price tag to see if he can recapture the form that resulted in a QB4 finish in points per game (22.1) in 2021 and a QB3 finish in points per game (24.4) in 2020, or, to a lesser extent, top-10 point-per-game finishes in 2022 and 2023.
Malik Willis (QB – MIA) | ADP: 139.3 (QB19)
Malik Willis is seven picks cheaper than when I highlighted him as a late-round sleeper in mid-June. Willis made massive strides with the Packers after struggling mightily in limited playing time with the Titans through two years (2022-2023).
Miami’s brain trust, namely new head coach Jeff Hafley and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, come from the Packers and saw Willis firsthand the previous two years. They obviously thought enough of him to bring Willis in as their starting quarterback.
Per SumerSports, Willis was first in expected points added (EPA) per play among quarterbacks with at least 50 plays in 2025, and he was also fourth in EPA per play using the same 50-play threshold in 2024.
If even a fraction of his monumental strides as a passer stick, Willis should hold down the fort as Miami’s starting quarterback all year during a rebuilding season, even with unproven at best, dreadful at worst, pass-catching talent.
According to Pro-Football-Reference, in six career starts, Willis has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game and 6.56 yards per attempt, with four rushing touchdowns. Willis would essentially be a lock to reach at least 500 rushing yards if he started even 15 games this season.
According to StatHead, excluding Taysom Hill‘s 2022 and Lamar Jackson‘s rookie season in 2018, the other 20 instances of a quarterback reaching 500 rushing yards in a season since 2016 produced at least 17.27 fantasy points per game. Justin Fields is among that sample twice, scoring 19.73 fantasy points per game in 2022 and 17.71 in 2023.
The former would have ranked as the QB7 in points per game among those with at least eight games played in 2025, and the latter would have ranked as the QB14. Even a lousy real-life quarterback can be a top-10 or fringe fantasy starter at quarterback if they run well enough.
Fields is also a cautionary tale if Willis plays poorly enough this year. Fields was benched during the 2025 season after the Jets signed him as a high-priced bridge/dart-throw quarterback.
Even if I’m charitable and handwave away Willis’ time in Tennessee, according to StatHead, among 65 quarterbacks with at least 80 pass attempts since 2024, Willis is 61st in sack rate (11%). If his sack-taking makes it impossible for the Dolphins to evaluate their young wide receivers, Willis could conceivably be benched.
Nevertheless, gamers who draft Willis around his QB19 ADP can keep him on the bench behind any of the four aforementioned quarterbacks to evaluate if he’s a viable fantasy option.
Baker Mayfield (QB – TB) | ADP: 140.7 (QB20)
Baker Mayfield should have been charged rent for his residency on Tampa Bay’s injury report last year. He dealt with a slew of injuries, and his on-field performance suffered.
It would be unwise to dismiss injuries for a player of his stature with his playing style as a total fluke and give him a hall pass. Nonetheless, in a healthier 2024 season, Mayfield was tied for the QB3 in total points (381.8) and tied for the QB3 in points per game (22.5) among those with at least eight games played.
According to the Fantasy Points Data Suite, among 39 quarterbacks with at least 250 dropbacks in the regular season and postseason in 2024, Mayfield was fourth in passing yards per game (260.3), fifth in yards per pass attempt (7.97), seventh in adjusted net yards per pass attempt (7.27), tied for fourth in adjusted completion percentage (80%) and tied for second in passing touchdowns (43). Mayfield was spinning it.
Furthermore, Mayfield was an asset as a runner. Among 41 quarterbacks with at least eight games played in 2024, Mayfield was 12th in rushing yards per game (22.3) and tied for 12th in rushing touchdowns (three). Mayfield is more than just a pocket passer.
The Buccaneers signal-caller is an ideal cheap caddy for Nix or Willis drafters, as Mayfield would be a desirable starter in Week 1. The Buccaneers are 3.5-point underdogs in Week 1, but they’re playing in Cincinnati, and the game’s total is 51.5 points. The game has shootout potential. Mayfield is also a nifty QB2 option with the other highlighted signal-callers.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.