5 Undervalued Fantasy Football Quarterbacks Based On 2026 ADP

There is more depth and talent at the quarterback position than ever before in the NFL. Therefore, there is no need for fantasy managers to reach for signal callers. High-point-producing gunslingers can be found late in the draft, but who are the most undervalued fantasy football quarterbacks based on average draft position this year?

5. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

A common sentiment in the NFL is that the league has more star power than ever before, especially at the quarterback position. Despite all of the talent, Matthew Stafford was the most recent player to be named MVP. Yes, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback is 38 years old, and yes, he doesn’t provide fantasy value as a runner.

Even so, he proved last year that he is still one of the best gunslingers in the league. The former first overall pick and the QB responsible for the fifth-ever 5,000-yard season had 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns last year, both of which led the league. He will again be throwing to the best receiver duo in the NFL this season, too.

Davante Adams and Puka Nacua will ensure the Rams’ passing attack remains elite, and a defense led by Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and, potentially, Aaron Donald, will get their offense the ball back often. Stafford is getting old, and regression can happen at any moment. Fantasy experts are anticipating that falloff too quickly this year, though, as Stafford is ranked as QB12 and has an average draft position of 119.5, according to FantasyPros.com. With the Rams seeking a championship, Stafford can take the momentum from his MVP run and have a great season in which he puts up huge numbers.

4. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Fresh off a Super Bowl MVP victory, Sam Darnold has proven he is legitimate. The former number three pick started his career as a bust, and it took until his seventh season and fourth team (Minnesota Vikings) to break out. With the Vikings, Darnold had 35 passing touchdowns, but many wondered if that season was a one-hit wonder.

Darnold again put up huge numbers (4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns) during his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, though. Fantasy managers looking for a high-risk, high-reward quarterback should look to select Darnold this year. While the USC product’s interception numbers are high, it can be worth it for the big plays he creates while throwing to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed.

The former of those receivers is arguably the best pass catcher in the league, and the latter is a dominant speed threat who excels deep down the field. The Seahawks may be forced to pass even more than they did in their Super Bowl 60 run, too, considering Kenneth Walker left for the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite being a now-proven commodity, Darnold is just QB24 and the 170th best player in fantasy overall. Fantasy managers that wait to take a quarterback will be blessed to get Darnold in the later rounds of their draft.

3. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield wears his heart on his sleeve and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He will certainly give it his everything this season, considering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were unwilling to give him a contract extension. It is highly unlikely that Mayfield looks at his fantasy football ADP (145), but if he were to, that would likely motivate the former number one pick, too.

Mayfield is QB19 this year, but he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since joining the Buccaneers. Just two years ago, the former Heisman winner had 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, which equated to 381.8 fantasy points, the third most in the entire league.

An angry Mayfield is a scary thing, and fantasy football managers should get that while the QB is playing for his next contract. Mayfield is being drafted as a backup but has superstar potential.

2. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Bo Nix has too often been overshadowed during his career. He was just the sixth quarterback taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams was the prized product of that class, Jayden Daniels was the QB who won Rookie of the Year, and now a lot of attention has gone to Drake Maye.

Nix has been arguably the most consistent and productive passer amongst his draft class peers through two seasons, though. His 7,706 yards and 54 passing touchdowns during that span are not just the best marks amongst QBs with two years of experience, but they are marks that rank fifth and seventh in the entire league.

Nix is a poised quarterback who is effective throwing to all three levels of the football field. He is a willing runner, and his Denver Broncos gave him a new shiny toy to throw to in Jaylen Waddle, too. Nix is being underrated as QB15 and the overall 117 best player in fantasy football. It could very well be a winning fantasy strategy this year to pass on quarterbacks until every team has one, stock up on running backs and receivers in the meantime, and then wait to draft Nix until late in the draft. Nix was QB8 just last season.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes became a fantasy football darling early into his career. He threw for 50 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, not only establishing himself as the new face of the league in the process, but someone who was going to make fantasy managers really happy for years to come because of his willingness to huck the pigskin deep down the field.

Two MVPs and three Super Bowl titles have followed Mahomes since his cataclysmic debut. However, Mahomes’ numbers have dropped in recent seasons, and some claim that he has become more of a game-manager than a gunslinger. That doesn’t justify Mahomes’ status as QB14 and his ADP of 110, though, nor does the fact that he is coming off a severe knee injury.

Mahomes is too talented to be viewed as a fantasy football backup in 12-team leagues. He has the potential to surpass 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in any given season, and nobody would be surprised if he took home another MVP award. Travis Kelce isn’t as dominant as he once was, and Mahomes doesn’t have Tyreek Hill to throw to deep down the field, but at the end of the day, Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes. He still has a case as the best quarterback in the NFL, and he looks like a fantasy football draft steal this year.

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