There's no quicker way to out yourself as a fantasy football noob than drafting a quarterback too early.
Though it may be the most important position in actual football that's played on the field, running backs, receivers and sometimes even tight ends are more valuable when it comes to football of the fantasy variety. That's even more true when discussing points per reception (PPR) or half-PPR league formats.
With that being said, not all quarterbacks are created equal, and a select few guys in the league are worth investing an early draft pick in. Here are the quarterbacks in 2026 who could be worth drafting in the first four or five rounds.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen is a bit of a unicorn when it comes to fantasy football production from a quarterback. The 2024 MVP
has been a mainstay in the top 10 in overall fantasy production and has ranked as either the first or second fantasy quarterback in every season since 2020. It's largely thanks to his rushing production, as he's totaled at least 500 yards on the ground in all but one of his eight professional seasons, to go with 79 career rushing touchdowns. Even as his passing production has dropped slightly over the last couple of seasons, Allen remains QB1 entering 2026, and it may not be all that close.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson's appeal is very similar to Allen's: The two-time MVP simply produces a ton of yards and touchdowns on the ground. He's run for more than 1,000 yards twice in his career and nearly did so in 2024 as well. He was limited to 13 games due to injury last year, but that 2024 campaign was also his most prolific as a passer, as he threw for career highs in yards (4,172) and touchdowns (41). If he can get back to that level of production and turn into the fantasy QB1 as he was in 2024, he's a no-brainer selection, especially if you're trying to end up on the right side of a run on quarterbacks after Allen is picked.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
With Burrow, the only real risk as a fantasy prospect is his health. When healthy in 2022 and 2024, he was a top-five fantasy signal-caller. Unfortunately, injuries have limited him in two of the last three seasons, making this a bit of a riskier gambit than either Allen or Jackson would be. Still, his ceiling with a stacked receiving corps makes it a risk that may be worth taking, even in early rounds.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Maye presents some risks of his own after a breakout sophomore season in which he led the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance. After an up-and-down rookie campaign, he was a bona fide MVP candidate last season. If he continues to improve, he'll be a mainstay among the top five fantasy quarterbacks. He threw for nearly 4,400 yards last season with 31 passing touchdowns, and unlike Burrow, there's some sneaky rushing production to like here (he has 871 yards and six touchdowns on the ground through his first two seasons). He also has some nice new pieces to throw to in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. Maye could be viewed as a regression candidate this year, but it seems more likely he finds himself near the top of the fantasy rankings once again in 2026.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 4 fantasy football quarterbacks worth using a premium draft pick on
