My fantasy football draft philosophy at quarterback has always been to target the dual-threat players. Give me the signal-callers who can throw with efficiency and create explosive plays in the pass game, and add rushing numbers to boost my weekly scoring. Designed carries, scramble attempts, especially in the red zone or near the goal line -- it all adds up.
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Last season, Josh Allen, the top-scoring fantasy QB, rushed for 14 touchdowns. Trevor Lawrence, who finished as the No. 4 fantasy QB, had nine rushing scores. In all, four of the top five scorers at the position rushed for at least 350 yards on the season.
That being said, we also saw the return of the pocket throwers last season.
Matthew Stafford finished as the No. 3 QB -- while rushing for 1 yard. That's it. Dak Prescott (QB6) topped 4,500 yards passing, and Jared Goff (QB9) had only 19 rushing attempts. Sure, I still focus on the rushing upside at the position, but you don't have to draft a specific fantasy profile to have success as a manager.
The key when setting your fantasy draft board is to separate players by tiers. It can give you a blueprint to follow and keep you from reaching on a player. Plus, it tells you when to act before there is a major drop-off in projected numbers.
Here is my breakdown of the QB position heading into the 2026 season, divided into six tiers.
Tier 1: High-end QB1s
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals Drake Maye, New England Patriots
The top four features multiple dual-threat quarterbacks, plus the league's best pocket thrower. Allen paces the group, using his arm talent and physical tools as a runner to create explosive plays and red zone scoring opportunities. Allen led all quarterbacks with 21.4 fantasy points per game in 2025, and his 14 rushing scores were the third most in the NFL. He's a difference-maker.... Jackson played in only 13 games last season because of injuries, and his numbers declined (16.5 fantasy points per game). Entering this season healthy, however, and with a new playcaller in Declan Doyle, I see Jackson back in the fold, using his elite rushing ability to pair with a pass game that will create rhythm throws.... I'm in on Burrow (always have been). Yes, the availability concerns create some risk, as Burrow has missed at least seven games in two of his past three seasons. However, when he is on the field, Burrow can light it up, like he did in 2024. In that season, Burrow averaged 21.9 fantasy points, throwing for 43 touchdowns, and he has two premier targets in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.... In New England, Maye gets a major upgrade in A.J. Brown, plus newly signed Romeo Doubs can uncover. Maye averaged 20.7 fantasy points last season (second most) while rushing for 450 yards, and he is set up to produce better numbers in 2026.