Fantasy football expert Pat Fitzmaurice shares his draft strategy and advice for how to approach the quarterback position. Fitz shares his tips for standard and superflex fantasy football formats. For all of his advice, check out his fantasy football quarterback draft primer.
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2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: How to Approach Quarterback
Fitz shares his advice on how to approach quarterbacks in standard and superflex drafts.
Why Spend Down at QB
Let’s start by dispelling the notion that we should spend up at quarterback in 1QB leagues because quarterbacks score more points than players at other positions.
It’s not the point total that matters. It’s the point totals of the top quarterbacks relative to those of second- and third-tier quarterbacks.
In 2025 fantasy drafts, the first quarterback was taken 23rd overall, according to FantasyPros ADP. The 12th quarterback drafted had an average draft position of 102nd overall. Last year’s QB1 in fantasy points per game (eight games minimum) averaged 22.0 FPPG. Last year’s QB12 in fantasy points per game averaged 18.0 FPPG – a 4.0-point gap.
Our ADP data from 2025 says the first running back chosen immediately after the QB1 was RB12 in draft position. The first running back chosen immediately after the QB12 was RB37 in draft position. Last year’s RB12 in fantasy points per game (0.5 PPR, eight games minimum) averaged 14.1 FPPG. Last year’s RB37 averaged 8.0 FPPG – a 6.1-point gap.
This isn’t to say that it’s always best to spend down at quarterback. There are years when the value gap between the upper-class QBs and the middle-class QBs is substantial.
But 2026 doesn’t appear to be one of those years.
Some of the upper-class QBs have lost a bit of luster. Lamar Jackson is coming off a substandard, injury-marred year. Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels both missed more than half of their teams’ games last season. Drake Maye took advantage of a weak 2025 schedule by feasting on bad opponents, then struggled against good defenses in the playoffs. Even consensus QB1 Josh Allen hit six-year lows in passing yardage and TD passes last year.
Quarterbacks who put up impressive fantasy numbers for all or part of the 2025 season – Trevor Lawrence, Jaxson Dart, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford – can be had in the late seventh round or beyond.
The Right Time to Spend Up
There is a caveat to the cost-conscious approach to the QB position: In leagues where nearly everyone spends down at the position, spending up might make sense.
This is a phenomenon often seen in leagues full of fantasy analysts. Most of them believe spending down at quarterback is the right thing to do. But that sometimes creates bargains.
Jayden Daniels might be a fourth-round pick in a lot of home leagues. In a league full of fantasy analysts, Daniels might last until the seventh round and could be a value because of the lower opportunity cost.
This is a generalization, but as someone who plays in leagues against all levels of competitors, I’ve found it to be true:
The sharper the competition, the later quarterbacks generally go in drafts, and the greater the benefit to being among the first to draft one.
Sometimes it makes sense to zag when everyone else is zigging.
The Importance of QB Rushing
Most fantasy managers understand how valuable it can be to have a quarterback who posts significant rushing stats.
Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts have been the elite QBs in recent years, largely because they’ve produced gaudy rushing numbers. Allen and Hurts have both scored double-digit rushing touchdowns in three of the last four years. Jackson is the all-time leader in QB rushing yardage and hasn’t turned 30 yet.
The importance of QB rushing value is magnified in years where passing numbers are down, and they were way down last year.
Passing yardage hit a 20-year low in 2025. Teams averaged 209.7 passing yards and 1.5 TD passes per game, according to Pro Football Reference. Those were the most anemic per-game passing numbers since 2006, when teams averaged 204.8 passing yards and 1.3 TD passes per game.
Passing numbers aren’t likely to increase this year, now that the NFL seems to be entering the Tight End Era.
The usage of 12 personnel, with two tight ends on the field, has risen for four consecutive years, reaching 22% last year.
The Rams, who have one of the best offenses in the league, used 13 personnel, with three tight ends on the field, on 30.5% of their offensive snaps last season.
This year’s NFL Draft was a TE-palooza, with 17 tight ends drafted in the first five rounds.
More tight ends on the field generally means more running and less throwing. Less throwing means rushing will account for a greater percentage of total QB production.
Now more than ever, it’s good to have a fantasy quarterback who runs effectively.
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Superflex Leagues
Quarterback draft strategy changes in superflex leagues, which allow you to start a second quarterback in one of your flex spots.
The reason to wait to draft a quarterback in a 1QB league is that the scoring gap between an upper-tier QB and a mid-tier QB might not be that big.
But in a superflex league, waiting on quarterback might mean your second-best quarterback is among the worst starters in the league – and it’s no fun to have a second quarterback whose starting job is in jeopardy.
The supply-and-demand dynamics are much different in superflex leagues than in 1QB leagues. There are 32 starting NFL quarterbacks in a week without byes. Ideally, you’ll have at least three NFL starters on your superflex roster. But in a 12-team superflex league, at least four teams won’t have a third quarterback who’s an NFL starter.
In a 1QB league, demand is light, and supply is ample. In a superflex league, demand is high, and supply is limited.
You’ll typically see 6-8 quarterbacks selected in the first round of a superflex startup draft. Once the draft is over, good quarterbacks will be expensive in the trade market.
The consequences of punting the quarterback position in a superflex league are daunting. It’s hard to win games when you’re starting CJ Stroud and Cam Ward, and your opponents are throwing Drake Maye/Matthew Stafford and Trevor Lawrence/Brock Purdy combos at you.
Ideally, you’ll draft an anchor quarterback in Round 1 or Round 2. Beyond the first two rounds, things get more complicated. The goal is to draft opportunistically at the quarterback position to maximize value, but also not get left out in the cold. It’s a difficult balancing act because quarterbacks are almost always overdrafted from Round 2 on in superflex leagues. You may be forced to abandon value-seeking principles when addressing the quarterback position.
Quarterbacks to Target
Fitz lays out quarterbacks to target in each part of the draft.
Top Early-Round QB Targets
Top Mid-Round QB Targets
Top Late-Round QB Targets
View the Best Fantasy Football Team Names
Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
Check out the consensus 2026 fantasy football draft rankings from our experts.
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