Kyler Murray

After seven topsy-turvy seasons with the Cardinals, Kyler Murray will make a fresh start with the Vikings in 2026. Murray may or may not be in a quarterback competition with JJ McCarthy for Minnesota's starting job, but it's widely expected that Murray will be taking the snaps when the Vikings face the Packers in Week 1. Murray played only five games last season before sustaining a foot sprain that eventually landed him on injured reserve. Murray's yearly finishes in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks with at least five starts: QB11, QB4, QB4, QB7, QB9, QB12, QB20. Murray steps into a good situation with Kevin O'Connell as his playcaller, and he'll have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings as his wide receivers. Murray has always added rushing value, having averaged at least 30 rushing per game in all seven of his NFL seasons. The perception might be that Murray is damaged goods, but he could be one of the better QB values in 2026 fantasy drafts.

Last year, we only got to see Kyler Murray for five games. In the previous six seasons, he had never finished lower than QB12 in fantasy points per game. Could he be a QB1 in 2026 with the Minnesota Vikings? Yep, it's possible. We'll see how the quarterback camp battle shakes out with Murray against J.J. McCarthy, but I'd be shocked if Murray isn't starting Week 1, with how his contract is structured and him choosing Minny over a bunch of other destinations. Last year, in his limited starting sample before being sidelined with a foot injury, Murray had the seventh-lowest yards per attempt, the fourth-lowest aDOT, and the fifth-lowest hero throw rate (per Fantasy Points Data). None of those numbers will make you feel warm and fuzzy, but the risk is essentially priced into Murray's ADP while his upside as a QB1 hasn't been. I have never been a Murray fan, but at this price point I'm willing to take the occasional late-round swing on him in 2026.