2026 Fantasy Football Rankings: A Way-Too-Early Look At The QB Position

The 2026 fantasy football season is still months away, but before you know it, we're going to be drafting our home-league teams, and it'll all of a sudden be mid-August.

About a week ago, I ran through my way-too-early WR rankings for 2026. Next up? The QB position.

Let's dive into my 2026 fantasy football rankings, focusing specifically on my early run of the top-15 quarterbacks.

Fantasy Football Rankings: The Top 15 Quarterbacks for 2026

1. Josh Allen | BUF

I think I can keep this brief for everyone when talking about Josh Allen—he is going to be the undisputed QB1 heading into next season, even though Sean McDermott is out of the picture. New head coach Joe Brady was the former offensive coordinator, and his familiarity with Allen really eases any tension that the offense was going to have massive turnover or changes.

In Week 11 of the 2023 season, Brady took over as interim offensive coordinator, and since then, the Bills have ranked first in expected points added per play (0.14) and second in points per game (29.1), per ESPN. Will that actually get them past the AFC Championship game? Eh, we'll see! But Allen is a dual-threat alien that you cannot have anywhere else besides QB1. He's finished as the highest scoring fantasy quarterback in four of the last six seasons.

2. Lamar Jackson | BAL

All eyes are going to be on the Baltimore Ravens in 2026 because, like nine other teams this season, they parted ways with their head coach, Jim Harbaugh, after 18 seasons. So what does that really mean for us in fantasy football? Jesse Minter is the new head coach, and we are still waiting on news about a new offensive coordinator. Last season was not Jackson's best (as many can remember); the Ravens scored fewer than 30 points in each of Jackson's last 10 starts.

He missed three games due to a hamstring injury, and by the end of the fantasy season, he only averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game from Week 9 to Week 17. Overall, Jackson finished as the QB20 and the QB16 in points per game. This is a bet on talent—not that long ago, Jackson was the MVP, and I'm betting that he can get back to that.

3. Joe Burrow | CIN

I know he's burned you, and the injuries don't help much, but we're going back to Joe Burrow in 2026! The Bengals retained head coach Zac Taylor and as much as the team will try to improve the defense, we should expect the Bengals to be playing from behind early and often again. But I've got great news for you, Burrow was able to finish the season last year after his turf toe injury. When he came back in Week 13, he averaged 20.6 points per game, which led him to finish as the QB8 over the final six games.

4. Drake Maye | NE

The turnaround for the Patriots under Mike Vrabel was phenomenal, and Drake Maye was along for a great ride last season. He's up for NFL MVP and while Matthew Stafford might take it at the end of the day, it doesn't deny how great Maye was in fantasy last season. Now, he won't be as cheap anymore, but that's the price we pay for the dual-threat quarterbacks. He led the NFL in completion percentage (72%), QBR (77.1) and yards per attempt (8.9), according to ESPN. And even better for us in fantasy, he also finished with 450 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

He accomplished a lot through the air without the likes of true alpha wide receiver talent. I'm hoping to not be priced out of Maye in drafts this season, but we all know you're going to have to pay a pretty penny for him (and rightfully so).

5. Jayden Daniels | WAS

The Commanders parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and David Blough was promoted from assistant QBs coach. But just like mentioned in the quarterbacks above, what Jayden Daniels can bring through the air and on the ground makes him a great fantasy quarterback. Daniels, unfortunately, suffered multiple injuries last season, including a dislocated elbow. Since we didn't get much from Daniels last season, there's not much to break down, but as Dwain McFarland pointed out, he still posted an elite scramble rate (18%) and had a 9% rush share in games played.

6. Jalen Hurts | PHI

The Eagles offense last season was hot garbage, there's no other way to say it. And it happened EVERYWHERE! Scoring dropped from 27.2 (ranked seventh) in 2024 to 22.3 (19th) points per game in 2025. When we look at offensive efficiency, that also dropped from fourth-best in the league to 19th. And we all shudder when we think about what Saquon Barkley and the ground game looked like—the rushing attack plummeted from 179 yards per game (second) to 116.9 (18th). This will be Hurts' fifth offensive coordinator, but it feels like it can only go up from here, right?

7. Jaxson Dart | NYG

What can John Harbaugh get out of Jaxson Dart? That's going to be the big question this season. We've already seen the flashes, hence why he's my QB7 in the rankings right now. In 2025, Dart finished playing 14 games and locked down 2,272 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 487 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Dart completed a league-low 34% of his passes under pressure this past season, but Harbaugh is a coach who has experience building a team with a dual-threat quarterback. Now, let's just get Malik Nabers back for Week 1, and we will be cooking with gas.

8. Dak Prescott | DAL

Dak Prescott always feels like an afterthought in some drafts, but he put up solid numbers like last season. Prescott doesn't carry the rushing upside like before; he's a pocket passer that's always looking downfield, and that led him to throwing for more than 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, and finished as the QB6 in total scoring. I do hope the Cowboys keep George Pickens—he was an elite receiver even when CeeDee Lamb was on the field. This defense probably won't make a full turnaround, so we should expect a lot again from Prescott.

9. Justin Herbert | LAC

Now this is where things get interesting. A bet on Justin Herbert at this range is a bet on not only his talent, but the idea that Mike McDaniel can bring a new philosophy to the Chargers. I loved this hire by Los Angeles—McDaniel is a creative presence the team needed after Greg Roman's departure. McDaniel built successful offenses with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa over in Miami, and Herbert is a huge step up. The focus will be on not asking Herbert to do too much. McDaniel is creative, and his skillset is bound to find untapped potential in this offense, which makes the possibilities for Herbert seem endless.

10. Trevor Lawrence | JAX

A few new names in the top 10 this season, how exciting is that?! Trevor Lawrence started the season looking like the Lawrence of old; however, once he got comfortable with Liam Coen, it seemed like the perfect marriage. In fantasy, it was nice to see Lawrence use his legs more on both designed carries and scrambles. We can attribute his QB4 finish in total points (338.18) to his nine rushing touchdowns. I hope the good times keep rolling for the Jaguars, who added a receiving threat at the deadline and gave Lawrence a lot that he needed to succeed.

11. Brock Purdy | SF

Injuries cost Brock Purdy eight games last season, but he was still able to produce for his fantasy managers. Even though he didn't play a full season, it's the third straight year where Purdy has averaged top-12 numbers at his position. Health is a huge factor for this 49ers team, but that's something we can't predict. According to our amazing Chris Allen, San Francisco’s offense featured 250 snaps where a wide receiver earned a target. The league average is 300.7—only two 49ers receivers ran more than 300 routes. Let's see what they do at the receiver position this offseason, but this feels like it could be a top offense next season.

12. Jordan Love | GB

Jordan Love will more than likely be the quarterback I wait for in drafts to take. It doesn't look like we're going to get a Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye type later-round quarterback that we're pounding the table for, but Love might be the closest guy for me. The idea hinges upon the team getting a little more away from the ground game and focusing on Love's arm. He only attempted 439 passes in 2025, the seventh-fewest in the NFL. The Packers are still going to run the ball and rotate a deep, flat receiving corps, but Love could be the quarterback that drastically outperforms his ADP in 2026 if they give him more.

13. Caleb Williams | CHI

Am I nervous about being disappointed in the Bears next season? Yup! But that's the fun of fantasy football. Remember when we said that Caleb Williams has everything he needs to succeed? That still stands. Ben Johnson proved to be a perfect head coach for Chicago, and it feels like Williams can take another step forward next season. He's a dual-threat quarterback who finished 2025 as the QB7 in PPG (19.1). With a solid, young group of receivers and continuity on the offensive line, Williams carries significant upside.

14. Matthew Stafford | LAR

I mean, Matthew Stafford looks like he's going to win NFL MVP, and if he decides to play in 2026, how can I not have him in the top 15? Stafford led the NFL with 46 touchdown passes, had 20.6 PPG and 350.38 total points (QB3). He's got Sean McVay's scheme, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and an overall solid team (besides special teams). I don't think he can produce the same numbers, but he's shown us that he's aging gracefully, and that's something to pay attention to.

15. Bo Nix | DEN

I will not be going out of my way to draft Bo Nix next season. The good news is that Nix is expected to be back in 4-6 weeks after he injured his ankle at the end of their Divisional Round playoff win. The bad news is that I just can't believe in this offense for fantasy (yet). It's early, and these rankings are going to change a lot in the coming months. The Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, and it felt like the offense was somewhat uninspiring last year. The Broncos were 14th in the regular season in scoring (23.6 points per game), 10th in offensive EPA and 12th in QBR. They never really pulled away and blew out teams, with their biggest wins coming against the Cowboys and Bengals (I mean, come on). Nix is good, but there are other players I want on my squads for 2026.

Players Mentioned in this Article

JoshAllenQ
QBBUF
PPG
17.29
LamarJackson
QBBAL
PPG
13.63
JoeBurrow
QBCIN
PPG
11.93
DrakeMaye
QBNE
PPG
16.14
Proj
17.04