Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season saw more than a few quarterbacks play out of their minds in fantasy football. Josh Allen was once again electric for the Buffalo Bills, while Patrick Mahomes showed that he's back to playing the best football of his career after tearing his ACL. There were a lot of standout performances as well from other quarterbacks around the league. Now, we look forward to Week 3 and see which Fantasy Football quarterbacks will perform the best for their owners.
Week 3 Top Fantasy Football Picks â 2026
Josh Allen, BUF (vs. LAC)
Allen continues to be a dominant force for the Bills this season. A week after dropping 334 passing yards and five total touchdowns in the season opener, the Bills star once again remained the best-performing quarterback in Week 2. He threw for 248 yards and added four total touchdowns (two passing and two rushing touchdowns) in a win over the Detroit Lions.
Again, Allen has himself a favorable matchup in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. LA has given up the 12th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, and they just allowed a geriatric Kirk Cousins to throw for 252 yards and three touchdowns.
Patrick Mahomes, KC (@ MIA)
Yeah, he might be back. Patrick Mahomes had a rather quiet return in Week 1, but he made his presence felt in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. The former MVP torched Indy with 382 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. If there were any concerns fantasy football managers had about Mahomes' production this year, this performance proved them wrong.
Mahomes will have yet another positive matchup in Week 3 against a Dolphins defense that just looks completely broken at this point. They've given up an average of 22 fantasy points to quarterbacks in the first two weeks, and Mahomes might just up that average next week.
Lamar Jackson, BAL (@ DAL)
It was a rather uninspiring day for Jackson on the field, as the Baltimore Ravens lost to the New Orleans Saints in a shocker. Jackson had 235 passing yards on the day and a touchdown, and he also added 34 rushing yards to his total. However, his one interception brutally affected his fantasy output against what should have been an easy opponent in New Orleans.
Still, there's nothing to indicate that Jackson should be booted off the top three of fantasy football quarterbacks this year. A positive matchup against a notoriously bad defense like the Cowboys should get the Ravens quarterback back on track for Week 3.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Sleepers â 2026
Jordan Love, GB (vs. ATL)
Jordan Love is a polarizing pick in fantasy football for multiple reasons. While he's a good quarterback who gets the job done for the most part, he isn't going to hard-carry your team like other picks. Love scored just 13.8 points in Week 2, which made him QB20 for that week. However, facing off against a Falcons defense that allowed 24.1 points to Bryce Young should do wonders for Love's stock in Week 3.
Bryce Young, CAR (@ CLE)
Are we actually seeing the ascension of Bryce Young to the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks? The first two weeks certainly showed that. The Panthers quarterback has been playing at a high level over the last two weeks, averaging 32.4 points this year (second behind Allen). While that level of performance might not be sustainable, a matchup against the Browns (allowing 19.5 FPTS through two weeks) will likely keep Young's momentum going in Week 3.
Article Continues BelowCJ Stroud, HOU (@ IND)
A potential sleeper pick due to the matchup, the one thing that went right for CJ Stroud in Week 2 was the lack of turnovers. Against a Bengals defense that forced four takeaways in Week 1 (three of which came against the quarterback), the Texans quarterback protected the ball pretty well. Stroud should have better opportunities against a porous Colts defense.
Injury and late-week notes
Injuries are once again a factor for Week 3, with a few notable names to be monitored.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is suddenly a question mark for Week 3 after suffering a knee injury during Monday Night Football. While Joe Schoen spoke positively of the star's health after suffering the hit, New York could still elect to keep their young quarterback safe for at least a week. Jameis Winston is Dart's backup, and they're set to face a struggling Titans defense in Week 3.
Sam Darnold is another name to be monitored. After suffering a hip injury early in their first game of the season, the Seahawks quarterback could return as early as this week. However, with Seattle's 2-0 record and Drew Lock still playing well, Seattle's slow approach with their Super Bowl-winning signal-caller makes a ton of sense as well.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings â 2026
25. Geno Smith, NYJ (@ DET)
24. Aaron Rodgers, PIT (vs. CIN)
23. Deshaun Watson, CLE (vs. CAR)
22. Daniel Jones, IND (vs. HOU)
21. Baker Mayfield, TB (vs. MIN)
20. Malik Willis, MIA (vs. KC)
19. CJ Stroud, HOU (@ IND)
18. Justin Herbert, LAC (@ BUF)
17. Kyler Murray, MIN (@ TB)
16. Jared Goff, DET (vs. NYJ)
15. Tyler Shough, NO (vs. LV)
14. Matthew Stafford, LAR (@ DEN)
13. Bryce Young, CAR (@ CLE)
12. Jaxson Dart, NYG (vs. TEN)
11. Jordan Love, GB (vs. ATL)
10. Bo Nix, DEN (vs. LAR)
9. Trevor Lawrence, JAX (vs. NE)
8. Joe Burrow, CIN (@ PIT)
7. Drake Maye, NE (@ JAX)
6. Dak Prescott, DAL (vs. BAL)
5. Jalen Hurts, PHI (@ CHI)
4. Brock Purdy, SF (vs. ARI)
3. Patrick Mahomes, KC (@ MIA)
2. Lamar Jackson, BAL (@ DAL)
1. Josh Allen, BUF (vs. LAC)
Bottom line
The upper echelon of quarterbacks in fantasy football remains largely unchanged. Allen and Jackson are the big-hitters whose dual-threat capabilities make them a serious threat to boom every week. Mahomes is performing really well in his return from injury, and he's always good for an eye-popping performance. Outside of them, though, fantasy football managers are better off keeping an eye on matchups and which quarterbacks are facing a soft defense.