2026 Way-Too-Early Fantasy Football Outlook: Quarterbacks

The 2026 league year for the NFL begins on March 12, and we are already gearing up for a busy free agency period and NFL Draft Combine. But all of these events impact the 2026 fantasy football season, so planning for it now is important.

At quarterback, Josh Allen took home top honors last season as QB1, his fourth top-two finish over the last six seasons. An uptick in rushing touchdowns (15) helped push Allen into the top spot in 2025, as only Jonathan Taylor (18) and Derrick Henry (16) found the end zone more, but a career-high 40 sacks derailed a lot of drives on offense for the Bills.

Let’s jump into this position and see what our 2026 way-too-early outlook for the QB position predicts. Will Allen repeat as QB1, will a veteran option jump into the top spot, or will a youngster make a surprising climb up the list?

2026 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks

1. Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills

2025 Rank: QB1

There are no surprises to kick off the 2026 rankings, as Allen reclaims the top spot for 2026. While a change at head coach will likely impact the aggressiveness of the offense for this upcoming season, having former offensive coordinator Joe Brady take the reins means Allen does not have to relearn a new offense.

The holes in their wide receiver room have to be plugged this offseason, as Khalil Shakir, an un-trusted Keon Coleman, and a few washed-up veterans from free agency will not cut it for this Bills offense. That, combined with needing to fix the offensive line in either free agency or the NFL Draft (or both), will dictate how much of a step forward Allen can take in his ninth season.

Offseason foot surgery shouldn’t slow Allen down this season, as he will look to play a large role in the run game once again for Buffalo.

2. Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens

QB20

Going from John Harbaugh to Jesse Minter will be a big shift for the Baltimore Ravens, an unexpected-but-necessary transition for this roster. With Harbaugh and Greg Roman heading elsewhere, former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was brought on to lead BAL’s offense, a key hire that has a scheme that can help Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense turn it around in 2026.

Jackson was hindered by injuries last year, missing four games on his way to finishing as the QB20. Having finished as the overall QB1 in 2024, Jackson still has plenty left in the tank, and a rejuvenated offensive approach should do wonders for him. Plus, a healthy offseason for Jackson, hopefully combined with one that improves the pass catcher group for the Ravens, will absolutely help the former NFL MVP get back to top form.

3. Drake Maye | New England Patriots

QB2

2025 was quite the fun year for the New England Patriots, as a run to the Super Bowl was not on many bingo cards for Drake Maye’s second season. Maye was electric in Josh McDaniels’ offense, as the former Tar Heel navigated an average pass-catcher group to win the AFC.

Maye impressed in his sophomore campaign, throwing 31 touchdowns and only committing 11 turnovers on the year. The Patriots will need to do a far better job at protecting Maye, as 47 sacks were the fourth-most in the league. Looking to add an established pass catcher this offseason would do wonders for Maye and the Patriots, as they will be locked into another battle with Allen and the Bills for the AFC East crown.

4. Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers

QB10

Mike McDaniel is easily the best offensive coordinator that Justin Herbert has had so far in his NFL career, and that could do wonders for his fantasy football stock in 2026. Coming off a QB10 season that saw the passing game make some strides, Herbert will be looking for both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater to be healthy to protect him at the offensive tackle spots.

The trio of Keenan Allen (who is not retiring quite yet), Ladd McConkey, and Quentin Johnston will look to take on bigger roles in the LAC passing attack, while second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden will look to build off an impressive rookie campaign (49/664/3). While there will likely be an acclimation period for Herbert and McDaniel, there is fantastic potential for this unit heading into 2026.

5. Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals

QB29

Can this season finally be the year that Joe Burrow puts together a full season and gets the Cincinnati Bengals back to the AFC playoffs? Injuries have kept Burrow from playing full seasons across much of his six-year career, which has limited the high-flying potential of the Cincinnati Bengals offense.

Burrow, when healthy, has shown that he is one of the league’s best, having finished as the QB3 back in 2024, but high sack numbers and an inability to stay healthy have kept one of the league’s best fantasy football assets from reaching his full potential. Putting Burrow at QB5 in our 2026 rankings is hopefully a way to send some positivity his way, as Burrow needs to be able to shake the injury label.

6. Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears

QB6

Things are looking up for the Chicago Bears and their offense, as Caleb Williams accounted for 30 total touchdowns (27 passing) in 2025. Losing Doyle to the Ravens will hurt, but with Ben Johnson remaining as the play caller, things should remain as smooth as possible heading into 2026.

The rumblings of Chicago moving on from receiver DJ Moore will only continue to grow louder, as the offense turned more to rookies Luther Burden and Colston Loveland, as well as Rome Odunze, down the stretch. Look for the offense to continue to grow under Johnson as he prioritizes the youth of this unit, and look for Williams to expand upon his strong sophomore season, one that saw him set career marks in passing yards (3,942) and touchdowns (27), while cutting his turnovers down by over 25 percent.

7. Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars

QB4

The Liam Coen-Trevor Lawrence pairing was exactly what the Jacksonville Jaguars needed on offense last season, as this duo led JAX to its first AFC South title since 2022. The emergence of Parker Washington helped round out the passing attack for Jacksonville, stepping up with the season-ending injury suffered by rookie Travis Hunter.

If Brian Thomas Jr. can get back on track, he can form a dangerous trio of wideouts, pairing with Washington and Jakobi Meyers, with Hunter mixing in as he transitions to a full-time defensive back. Lawrence made massive strides in 2025, eclipsing 4,000 passing yards for the first time since 2023, throwing for the most TDs (29) in his career, and rushing for a career-best 359 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. If Coen can continue to put Lawrence in the best spots possible, which includes Lawrence utilizing his legs more, then he can remain a solid QB1 option in 2026.

8. Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams

QB3

Age-38 Matthew Stafford is fresh off an MVP season and looking for one final shot at his second Super Bowl title, and 2026 be his last chance before retirement. A 46-touchdown season for Stafford was the best of his storied career, as he enjoyed having Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as his main targets in the passing game.

With both Nacua (WR1) and Adams (WR9) finishing as WR1s last season, the possibilities are endless for the Rams’ offense in 2026, especially with the addition of Kliff Kingsbury to the coaching staff. Having his knowledge factoring into weekly game plans alongside Sean McVay will take this offense to another level, giving Stafford another shot at QB1 numbers in what will likely be his final season in the league.

9. Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders

QB34

Injuries cut Jayden Daniels’ 2025 season short, and having to return from a missed season with a new offensive coordinator and an aging offensive core is not the easiest. However, Daniels will be working with a familiar face at OC, as David Blough was the assistant QB coach with Washington prior to his promotion.

With likely a familiar offense being implemented for 2026, Daniels should be able to walk back into something that is familiar, yet tailored more to his strengths, as Blough’s experience both as an NFL QB and a QB coach should make things better. With Deebo Samuel hitting free agency, Zach Ertz recovering from a torn ACL, and Terry McLaurin getting older, a lot of responsibility will be put on the shoulders of Daniels.

10. Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles

QB8

The vibes were not good at all for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, and the rumors surrounding A.J. Brown’s future with the team absolutely impact Jalen Hurts’ fantasy football impact for 2026. It was a big step back in the running department for Hurts this past season, as he ran for 209 fewer yards and six fewer touchdowns, although that decline didn’t hold him back from finishing as a QB1.

The passing volume for Hurts (no season above 3,858 yards) needs to improve if Philly wants their offense to improve, as they have become a bit too run-reliant and predictable. With Kevin Patullo gone and Sean Mannion replacing him as the offensive coordinator, Hurts will need to understand the new scheme and adapt to its tendencies. Mannion, who was a former QB himself, came over from the Green Bay Packers, where he was their QB coach; the OC search this offseason dragged on for far longer than needed, as many top candidates turned down the PHI role, so it will be interesting to see how cut out for the job Mannion is.

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