This is shaping up to be an unusual season for fantasy quarterbacks, at least based on recent history. Josh Allen has been a top-2 quarterback in each of the last six years. Not sure that's ever happened before. Aaron Rodgers' longest top-2 streak was five seasons. Drew Brees's longest was three seasons. Peyton Manning's was two. Now 30 years old, Allen once again is the preseason QB1. If all goes as expected, he'll dominate as always.
But what's unusual is how many QBs have a legitimate shot at finishing #1. Lamar Jackson has done it twice. A more pass-friendly offense might cut into his ceiling if it means running a lot less. But his QB2 ADP is a reminder that the fantasy market still believes he can be the best.
Patrick Mahomes has been the overall #1 twice. He was the overall QB1 midway through last season despite Rashee Rice missing most of those early games. Mahomes' QB13 ADP assumes he'll be significantly less than 100% for a chunk of the season. Even if last season's dominant first half never happened, we still couldn't count him out.
Jalen Hurts (QB6 ADP) has had two top-2 fantasy seasons based on points per game, including a memorable 2022 campaign when he averaged 25.2 fantasy points. That's one-tenth of a point less than Jackson's historic 2024 output. While losing A.J. Brown makes Hurts a longshot to reverse his recent decline, his mobility makes him an intriguing candidate for QB1 honors. Also consider that Hurts has had seven offensive coordinators since entering the league, and that the newly installed Sean Mannion could get more out of him than any of his predecessors have.
Could Jayden Daniels be #1? I've actually had him as a huge bust all summer. But the fantasy market still likes him, handing him a QB5 ADP, which conveniently matches his QB5 finish as a 2024 rookie. If you believe he'll build on that rookie-year breakout, then of course QB1 is achieveable.
Drake Maye doesn't need to do much more than last year to finish as the QB1. He's effectively traded out Stefon Diggs for AJ Brown. If the latter stays healthy, Maye should once again crush it.
Can Trevor Lawrence catapult to fantasy immortality? A late surge elevated him to career-best QB5 numbers in 2025. Specifically, he racked up 163 points in his final six contests. Across a 17-game season, his 461.8 points would have smashed the fantasy QB record. And that end-of-season run wasn't a fluke.
How good can Caleb Williams be? He followed up a QB16 campaign as a 2024 rookie with QB5 numbers last year. At minimum, his potential eliteness cannot be ignored.
Can Joe Burrow stay healthy? He was the QB3 in 2024 and the QB4 in 2022. He struggled with injuries in 2025 and 2023. A pass-happy quarterback throwing to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins has to be taken seriously.
One more, and certainly not a popular one given his absurd QB15 ADP: Bo Nix. He was the QB7 in points per game as a 2024 rookie and again last season. The arrival of Jaylen Waddle changes the complexion of Denver's passing attack, which previously has been Courtland Sutton + a bunch of young talents. Now Nix has the best receiving corps of his brief career, plus the deepest and most catch-friendly backfield his career. Nix has been my biggest QB bargain all summer, so of course I'm putting him on this list.
Would you be shocked if Lawrence leads all fantasy quarterbacks? Or Jackson? Or Burrow? Or Mahomes? And so on? These are nine guys with realistic or semi-realistic QB1 upside, plus Nix if you agree with my thinking on Denver's ascending franchise quarterback.
We're in uncharted territory after six years of Allen's dominance. It's going to be a fascinating season for QBs and a rewarding one for managers who pick the right bargain.
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