- Jayden Daniels has the clearest path to QB1: Daniels was a top-five fantasy quarterback as a rookie on elite rushing volume no one else approached, and a healthy 2026 gives the Washington Commanders star a realistic shot at the top spot.
- Justin Herbert‘s setup finally matches the upside: Herbert pairs a career-high rushing jump with a new scheme, an improved line and a young supporting cast, giving the Los Angeles Chargers passer real overall QB1 potential.
- Caleb Williams has the rushing floor and the arrow up: Williams finished eighth among quarterbacks last season, and a second year under Ben Johnson with Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland gives the Chicago Bears quarterback room to climb.
The quarterback position has been dominated by three players over the past eight years. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are the only quarterbacks to finish a season as the position's top fantasy scorer in that span. Allen is the favorite to end in first again this year, and no one would be surprised if Jackson took the top spot instead.
This article is for the less-obvious players who have the talent and are in a good enough situation to become the new top overall quarterback if everything goes right. Two of the three are in the prime of their careers, while the third has a new offensive coordinator and new offensive line which could push him over the top. All three are values relative to where they are currently being selected.
The average draft position listed is from a consensus between ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.
Last updated: Friday, July 10
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (ADP: 5.04)
Daniels was a top-five fantasy quarterback as a rookie, averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game on the strength of his rushing, with 148 carries for 891 yards and six touchdowns. No quarterback was close to those marks, with Josh Allen‘s 112 carries for 579 yards leading the position behind him.
Daniels struggled significantly in 2025, largely due to injury. He dealt with a knee sprain, hamstring strain and dislocated elbow across the season. His only fully healthy game came in Week 1, when he ran 11 times and scored 20.1 fantasy points.
His rushing ability gives him the potential to be the top fantasy quarterback over the next several seasons if he can stay healthy, including a realistic shot at the top spot in 2026. The elite rushing quarterbacks of the past decade have all gradually run less often, and they remain near the top of these rankings largely because no one has stepped in to replace them.
The biggest concern is that Daniels continues to suffer injuries or that his injury history leads him to become more conservative as a runner. There is some comfort in the fact that he does not need to match his rookie rushing volume to remain a top fantasy quarterback, but any meaningful reduction in that area would significantly lower his ceiling.
The other worry is significant turnover in the supporting cast. David Blough takes over as offensive coordinator after spending two seasons as the team's assistant quarterbacks coach, providing the offense with some continuity with Daniels while also marking his first time calling plays at the NFL level. Five of the six Commanders with 40 or more receptions over the past two seasons are off the roster, including Zach Ertz, Deebo Samuel, Olamide Zaccheaus, Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown.
Terry McLaurin is the only significant returning receiver, with third-round rookie Antonio Williams, tight end Chig Okonkwo and running back Rachaad White among the notable additions. Whether those changes help or hurt the offense immediately adds another layer of uncertainty around Daniels heading into 2026.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (ADP: 7.09)
Herbert was the rare rookie quarterback in 2020 who finished among the top 10 at the position despite not being known for his rushing. He placed second in 2021 and 10th in 2022, then missed time in 2023 but still ranked top 12 in fantasy points per game. Los Angeles leaned more run-heavy under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, yet Herbert still finished 16th and 10th over the past two seasons.
Expectations are higher this season under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Los Angeles has a young core of skill players around him: running back Omarion Hampton, receivers Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris and tight end Oronde Gadsden II. The offensive line should also be much improved, with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt healthy and three new interior linemen.
Typically, quarterbacks run more in their first season or two in the league and gradually take off less as their careers progress. Herbert was relatively consistent over his first five seasons but then ran six times per game last season while averaging 5.3 yards per carry, good for 31.1 rushing yards per game. His 498 rushing yards were the second-most among quarterbacks.
The stars are aligned for Herbert to be one of the top fantasy quarterbacks this season, if not the top. If all goes well and he turns a few of those carries into rushing touchdowns, he could finish in the top tier. But this wouldn't be the first season he entered with overall QB1 potential only for injuries to his supporting cast to derail it.
In single-quarterback leagues, I am comfortable passing on every quarterback drafted in the first few rounds and waiting on Herbert. It is still worth adding a second quality option, though, particularly for weeks when Herbert draws a rough matchup.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (ADP: 7.06)
Williams was a non-factor in single-quarterback leagues as a rookie, but the additions of Ben Johnson at head coach, Luther Burden III at wide receiver and Colston Loveland at tight end helped propel him to 19.0 fantasy points per game last season, tied for eighth-most among quarterbacks.
Williams was not a consistent passer on a play-by-play basis. His 57.0% accuracy was second-worst among the 28 quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts, and his 23.6% uncatchable rate was the worst. Despite that, he managed a 71.1 regular-season PFF passing grade, right in the middle of the pack. His fantasy production was buoyed by volume and a strong 27-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Williams also ran 77 times for 383 yards, tied for seventh-most among quarterbacks, giving him a nice floor. Some statistical regression is likely given his accuracy concerns, but there is also reason to expect improvement in his second year in Ben Johnson's system. Williams’ young receivers played exceptionally well down the stretch last season, including in the playoffs, and should build on that momentum.
Williams should be considered a fantasy starter this season. Given his age and likely long-term future with Johnson, Burden and Loveland, he ranks among the top dynasty options at quarterback.
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