Top-5 QBs
Don’t get stuck streaming quarterbacks all season again. Target one of these guys and you’ll be set at the position
#5: Joe Burrow (CIN)
Even in a season that fell apart in Week 2, Burrow reminded fantasy managers exactly what they're buying, and the full version is long overdue for a bounce-back run.
The ceiling is real: In his healthy 2024 season, Burrow led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43), averaging 22.5 PPG… numbers that made him the clear QB1 in fantasy.
He came back locked in: After returning from turf toe surgery in Week 13, he averaged 270 passing yards and 2.5 TDs over his final six games, ranking 5th in True Passer Rating (110.2) on the season despite playing only eight games.
The schedule is a gift: Cincinnati's SOS projects as the 5th easiest for QBs in 2026, a major upgrade from 21st in 2025, and their 31st-ranked defense virtually guarantees pass-heavy game scripts all season long.
When healthy, Burrow is a top-2 QB talent… and at ADP 59, the market is still offering a quiet discount on a bounce-back candidate with elite weapons and a softer road ahead.
#4: Caleb Williams (CHI)
Williams didn't just survive his sophomore season in Chicago, he quietly put together a QB5 finish while throwing more air yards than nearly anyone in the league, and the arrow is pointing up.
Volume is already elite: He ranked 5th in pass attempts (568) and 2nd in the NFL in both deep ball attempts (82) and total air yards (4,901)… this offense is built around letting him create.
He wins when it matters: Williams set an NFL record with seven comeback wins in 2025, proving he has the poise and playmaking ability to deliver in high-leverage moments that fantasy points are built on.
The rushing floor makes him a weapon: He added 388 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. It’s that dual-threat production that keeps his weekly floor propped up even on off passing days.
The efficiency still has room to grow (a 91.8 True Passer Rating ranked 29th), but Williams finished 7th in fantasy PPG (19.1), and with HC Ben Johnson returning, Year 3 could be where it all clicks.
#3: Lamar Jackson (BAL)
A battered 2025 campaign saw Lamar battling four separate injuries and career-lows on the ground… but that can’t hide the fact that he remains one of the most efficient passers in the entire NFL.
The efficiency is elite: Even across just 13 games, Jackson ranked 4th in fantasy points per dropback (0.66), 3rd in True Passer Rating (115.3), and 3rd in yards per attempt (8.4). It’s proof that when healthy, the ceiling is unmatchable.
The passing game has evolved: He ranked 6th in deep ball completion percentage (46.3%) in 2025, and opened the season with a vintage 279-yard, 3-TD performance in Week 1. So his two-time MVP form is still in there.
The bounce-back case is compelling: Entering his age-29 season, Jackson is a prime rebound candidate. His 20th-easiest projected SOS holds steady from 2025, and the Ravens' win totals remain among the highest in football.
Yes, the rushing regression is real and the new coaching staff may ask him to run less… but when Jackson is healthy and clicking, he remains a top-3 fantasy QB with a floor most QBs can't touch.
#2: Drake Maye (NE)
Drake Maye led the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance as an MVP runner-up in just his second season, and yet his ADP of 61 suggests the fantasy market still hasn't fully bought in… that's an opportunity.
The efficiency numbers are staggering: Maye led the NFL in Yards Per Attempt (8.9), True Passer Rating (116.3), QBR (77.2), and Completion Rate (72.0%). It’s a clean sweep of the passing efficiency leaderboard.
He's a genuine dual-threat: He contributed 450 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground, ranked 6th among QBs in carries per game (6.06), and finished top-5 in intended air yards (4,500) and 4th in deep ball attempts (70).
The team around him got better: New England addressed his two biggest vulnerabilities — adding OT Caleb Lomu and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker to fix a line that allowed 47 sacks, while signing WR Romeo Doubs to replace Stefon Diggs, with A.J. Brown trade rumors still swirling.
The schedule is no longer the cupcake slate the Pats god last year, and Drake’s playoff struggles were real…. but with an ADP in the 60’s, you're getting the No. 2 early-ranked fantasy QB in football at a meaningful discount.
#1: Josh Allen (BUF)
There is no debate at the top of this list: Josh Allen is the undisputed No. 1 fantasy football player in the sport, and he keeps finding new ways to separate himself from the field.
The production is historic: Allen averaged 22.0 PPG (1st) and 0.75 fantasy points per dropback (1st) in 2025, while recording 14 rushing TDs, passing Cam Newton for the most career rushing touchdowns by a QB in NFL history (76).
The floor is ironclad: He's the first QB in history to rush for 6+ TDs in eight straight seasons, has played 128 consecutive regular season starts, and was never outside the top fantasy options at the position — durability and consistency at an unprecedented level.
The 2026 setup is even better: The Bills traded for star WR DJ Moore from Chicago, giving Allen his most dangerous supporting cast yet, while former OC Joe Brady (now HC) aims to push the offense into an even more aggressive passing attack.
There will be a harder schedule and a surgery recovery to monitor, but Allen enters 2026 as the betting favorite for NFL MVP (+600), and with DJ Moore now in the fold, his first-overall fantasy tag has never looked safer.
That’s the list… the best QBs in fantasy football for 2026.
-Joe
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