Mike Fanelli | Sun, Aug 16th 2026, 7:35am EDT

Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Targets: Quarterbacks Overview (2026)

The quarterback position is the most important one in all of sports. However, it is arguably the least valuable position in fantasy football, unless you’re playing in a superflex league. That said, welcome to my quarterback positional overview. I will share my thoughts on the top 24 quarterbacks in my 2026 redraft rankings broken down into five tiers.

FantasyPros’ rankings are based on four-point-per-passing-touchdown scoring, and you can find my rankings for that format here. These rankings are based on six-point-per-passing-touchdown scoring leagues. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks Overview

Tier 1: Superstars

While there are five quarterbacks in this tier, Allen stands clearly ahead of the rest. The superstar has finished as a top-five quarterback in six consecutive seasons despite not having a go-to No. 1 wide receiver since the Bills traded away Stefon Diggs. Furthermore, Allen has scored 12 or more rushing touchdowns in three consecutive seasons despite James Cook hitting the double-digit mark in back-to-back years.

Last season, Maye was a popular breakout candidate, and he massively paid off. The former UNC star finished the year as the QB3, averaging 24.3 fantasy points per game. He finished as a top-12 quarterback in 62.5% of the contests during the fantasy year. Now, Maye gets two significant upgrades at the wide receiver position after the team acquired A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason.

Unfortunately, Jackson had arguably his worst season as a starter in 2025. He missed four games because of injury and played part of the year hurt. The superstar finished as the QB14 on a points-per-game basis among qualifying quarterbacks, averaging 19.8 fantasy points per contest. However, I expect a bounce-back season for Jackson, especially with Declan Doyle taking over as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator.

Burrow has a nasty habit of getting hurt during odd years and being outstanding in even ones. Last season, he missed nine games with a toe injury. However, the superstar was productive on the field, averaging 2.1 passing touchdowns and 21.1 fantasy points per game. Burrow has finished as a top-four quarterback each of the last two years he was healthy (2022 & 2024).

After winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2024, Daniels struggled to stay healthy last season, suffering three different injuries. He played in only seven games, leaving three early because of injury. Unfortunately, the Commanders recently lost left tackle Laremy Tunsil for most of the year. Yet, that might be a good thing for fantasy players, as Daniels will need to use his legs more now.

Tier 2: Mid-Range QB1s

When the Chargers hired Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator, it pushed every fantasy player on their roster up in ADP. Herbert was quietly productive last season despite everyone around him getting hurt. He was the QB10, averaging 1.6 passing touchdowns and 21.1 fantasy points per game. However, the former Oregon star averaged 2.2 passing touchdowns and 27.3 fantasy points per game when Joe Alt played at least 41% of the snaps.

Some will call me crazy for having Hurts outside the top-six quarterbacks, but remember, these rankings are based on six-point-per-passing-touchdown scoring. Last year, he was the QB9, averaging 21.8 fantasy points per game, a lower average than Jacoby Brissett had as the Arizona Cardinals’ starter (22.8). More importantly, A.J. Brown is in New England, and the Patriots are betting on a rookie Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks to fill his shoes.

Prescott led one of the more fantasy-friendly offenses in 2025. He finished last year as the QB5, averaging 22 fantasy points per game, finishing as a top-four quarterback in nearly a third of the games during the fantasy season. More importantly, Prescott averaged six red zone pass attempts per game last year, one of four quarterbacks to hit that mark, despite Javonte Williams having 11 rushing touchdowns.

Tier 3: Happy Starters

Fantasy players should be excited about Williams as he heads into his second year in Ben Johnson’s offense. Chicago has three talented young pass catchers, giving Williams plenty of upside options as a passer. He was more efficient than most realize last season, averaging 0.57 fantasy points per dropback, the same average as Dak Prescott. After falling just short of 4,000 passing yards last year, expect Williams to push for 4,300 in 2026.

Jacksonville’s offense could be a fantasy goldmine this season. Instead of trying to guess which of their four wide receivers is the best value on draft day, fantasy players should prioritize getting Lawrence. The former Clemson star was the QB4 last year, averaging 23.3 fantasy points per game. More importantly, Lawrence played better as the season progressed as he got more comfortable in Liam Coen’s offense.

Purdy is arguably the most underrated quarterback in fantasy football, especially in six-point scoring leagues. Unfortunately, he missed half of last year with a toe injury. However, the former Iowa State star finished as the QB4 among qualifying quarterbacks, averaging 2.2 passing touchdowns and 24.2 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, Purdy had an impressive 7% passing touchdown rate despite lacking an impact wide receiver.

The Giants’ offense will be one to watch this season. Dart only started part of one game with Malik Nabers in 2025. However, the superstar wide receiver is on track to play in Week 1. Yet, the former Ole Miss quarterback averaged 22.6 fantasy points per game as the starter. While his rushing production will take a hit with Cam Skattebo healthy, expect Dart to make up for it in the air.

Having Mahomes outside my top 12 quarterbacks feels wrong, but that just shows how deep the quarterback position is this year. Thankfully, the superstar is on pace to play in Week 1. He finished last year as the QB5 on a points-per-game basis, averaging 23.5 fantasy points per contest. Kenneth Walker III will significantly cut down on Mahomes’ rushing upside, which is the reason why he isn’t higher in my rankings.

No one will call Goff a fantasy football superstar. Yet, he has always been a solid QB1 since getting traded to Detroit. Last year, the veteran was the QB6, averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game despite the Lions having multiple play callers. Furthermore, Goff is the only quarterback to have at least 30 passing touchdowns in each of the past three seasons, including 34 last year, the second-highest total of his career.

After finishing last year as the QB1, many will call me disrespectful for having Stafford ranked as the QB15. However, the veteran wasn’t the most consistent player, finishing as a top-eight quarterback in only half of the games during the fantasy season. Furthermore, his 46 passing touchdowns were a career high, accounting for 62.4% of his fantasy production. I expect Stafford to have meaningful touchdown regression, which is why he is ranked outside my top-12 quarterbacks.

Tier 4: Deeper League Starters

Nix has quietly put together back-to-back top-eight finishes to start his NFL career. After averaging 21.6 fantasy points per game in 2024, he averaged 20.9 last year. However, the former Oregon star is coming off a fractured ankle injury, and the Broncos have the best defense in the league, limiting how much Nix will have to throw in negative game script. That said, the addition of Jaylen Waddle gives him meaningful fantasy upside.

Unfortunately, Mayfield played most of last season hurt, which impacted his fantasy production. Yet, the veteran still finished as the QB12, averaging 19.1 fantasy points per game, posting a top-12 finish in half of the contests during the fantasy year. Hopefully, he, his offensive line, and receiving corps can stay healthy this season, giving Mayfield a chance to return to his 2024 form (where the veteran averaged 26.3 fantasy points per game).

Few were surprised to learn that Murray had won the Vikings’ starting job before the first preseason game. However, the veteran quarterback is far from guaranteed to play all 17 games this year. He has missed 39.7% of the games over the past four seasons because of injury, including 12 in 2025. Yet, Murray can finish the year as a QB1 if he can stay on the field, thanks to the weapons at his disposal.

Tier 5: QB2s in Superflex Leagues

Shough was a league winner last year, ranking as the QB6 over the final six weeks, averaging 21.9 fantasy points per game. More importantly, the Saints made him a massive fantasy winner this offseason. They improved the offensive line by signing David Edwards. New Orleans also added Travis Etienne Jr., Jordyn Tyson, and Bryce Lance to go with Chris Olave, giving Shough several options in the passing game.

Unfortunately, Jones suffered a torn Achilles last year. However, he is on pace to play in Week 1 without any limitations. Last season, the veteran was the QB6 over the first eight weeks, averaging 1.6 passing touchdowns and 23.6 fantasy points per game. While fantasy players should bet on getting top-six production from Jones in 2026, he is an underrated QB2 option that you can get in the middle rounds of superflex drafts.

While he has started only six games in his four-year career, Willis could be a fantasy star because of his legs. The veteran was outstanding in his three starts during his time with the Green Bay Packers, averaging 204 passing yards, a touchdown, seven rushing attempts for 58 yards, one score, and 25.3 fantasy points per game. With the Dolphins’ lack of proven pass catchers, expect Willis to run plenty in 2026.

Everyone wants a little love in their life, so let’s talk about Jordan. The veteran had a breakout year in 2023, his first as the starter, averaging 22.5 fantasy points per game. However, he has averaged 18.7 and 18.9 fantasy points per game over the past two seasons, missing two games each year because of injury. Yet, some believe Love could return to the 2023 form if he can stay healthy.

No one expected Darnold to play well enough for the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl last season. However, he was solid but not elite for fantasy players, finishing the year as the QB13, averaging 16.8 fantasy points per game. More importantly, the veteran lost Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders. As long as he leans on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnold should be a solid QB2 for fantasy players in superflex leagues.

Many had high hopes for Stroud after he averaged 21.4 fantasy points per game as a rookie. Unfortunately, he has averaged 17.6 and 15.3 over the past two years, becoming an unappealing QB2 option for fantasy players. However, the Texans have rebuilt their offensive line this offseason, adding three new starters. While Stroud won’t be a high-end QB1 in 2026, the former Ohio State star could be a solid streaming option.

Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.

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