6 QB Winners of the 2026 NFL Draft for Fantasy Football

There is always so much emphasis and focus on the specific players who are selected in the NFL Draft, and what their landing spots mean for them in the Fantasy Football world. There is not enough focus on analyzing landing spots from the NFL Draft and what they mean for players already on specific teams. That is exactly what we are doing in this piece – looking specifically at quarterbacks who were “winners” from the 2026 NFL Draft. Quarterbacks who have had solid supporting pieces added that can elevate them in the Fantasy Football world. I have six quarterbacks who have increased fantasy value after breaking down every team’s draft picks this year.

6 QB Winners of the 2026 NFL Draft for Fantasy Football

1. Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

• Round 1, Pick 20: Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
• Round 2, Pick 22: Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt)
• Round 3, Pick 4: Markel Bell (OT, Miami)

Jalen Hurts is coming off a career-high 25 passing touchdown season, but finished with pretty mediocre marks in both passing yards (3,224) and rushing yards (421) vs. his history. There is a very high possibility that AJ Brown is traded before next season, and the draft moves the Eagles made speak to that.

Makai Lemon is an extremely tough and reliable slot wide receiver who can be an immediate outlet for Hurts. Dallas Goedert is back on a one-year deal, but the Eagles drafted his replacement in the highly athletic Eli Stowers. Markel Bell provides some OL depth. DeVonta Smith is coming off his third season with over 1,000 receiving yards, and can take on an even bigger role for 2026.

A QB9 Fantasy Football finish with an average of 18.1 Fantasy PPG in 2025 felt disappointing for Hurts. He averaged 21.3 fantasy points in his Super Bowl winning season the year before. Losing AJ Brown looks like a big blow, but the Eagles did a great job adding some solid young talent in this draft to compensate for that.

2. Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

• Round 1, Pick 14: Olaivavega Ioane (OG)
• Round 3, Pick 16: Ja’Kobi Lane (WR, USC)
• Round 4, Pick 15: Elijah Sarratt (WR, Indiana)
• Round 4, Pick 33: Matthew Hibner (TE, SMU)
• Round 5, Pick 33: Josh Cuevas (TE, Alabama)
• Round 5, Pick 34: Adam Randall (RB, Clemson)

Lamar Jackson was limited to just 13 games due to injury in 2025, after finishing with career-highs in both passing yards (4,172 yards) and passing touchdowns (41) the year prior. What was encouraging from 2025, though, was the true breakout season of Zay Flowers, who caught 86 balls for 1,211 receiving yards.

The Ravens boosted their OL with Olaivavega Ioane in the first round. Ja’Kobi Lane may have lived in the shadow of Makai Lemon over at USC in 2025, but in 2024, he proved to have some major touchdown upside. Elijah Sarratt is a physical, possession receiver who was a huge part of Indiana’s 2025 National Championship. The Ravens added tight end depth behind Mark Andrews after losing Isaiah Likely to Free Agency. Adam Randall is a former wide receiver turned running back, who can be utilized in the passing game as well.

Lamar Jackson’s ceiling has always been extremely high for Fantasy Football, and adding what the Ravens did via the draft after his massive 2024 season should raise eyebrows. Flowers, Andrews, and Rashod Bateman have some new young weapons to add to the receiving room, and Jackson has clear QB1 overall upside for Fantasy Football this coming season.

3. Tyler Shough (Saints)

• Round 1, Pick 8: Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
• Round 3, Pick 9: Oscar Delp (TE, Georgia)
• Round 4, Pick 32: Jeremiah Wright (OG, Auburn)
• Round 4, Pick 36: Bryce Lance (WR, North Dakota State)

Tyler Shough was selected by the Saints in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and opened up the season behind Spencer Rattler for the QB1 role. Shough impressed with 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, 186 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns through 11 appearances in 2025. Chris Olave had a career year in 2025, catching 100 balls for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns.

The pairing of playmaker Jordyn Tyson with Chris Olave was a huge boost to Shough, as this duo can turn into one of the league’s best. Tyson is versatile, twitchy, and makes the big plays. Oscar Delp provides some youth depth behind veterans Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant in the tight end room, as well as Jeremiah Wright with the OL. Bryce Lance is a highly athletic receiver with big-play ability that can develop into the new Rashid Shaheed for New Orleans. Travis Etienne Jr. was also added to this offense this offseason via Free Agency, as a huge boost to complement the passing game on the ground.

Tyler Shough was very Fantasy Football useful as a rookie, showing great signs of dual-threat upside. The Saints have shown us this offseason that they are willing to build around their sophomore quarterback, who could have a huge 2026 Fantasy Football season.

4. Geno Smith (Jets)

• Round 1, Pick 16: Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
• Round 1, Pick 30: Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)

Geno Smith is coming off a poor season with the Raiders, but in all fairness, he had arguably the worst wide receiver room in the NFL, and Brock Bowers only played in 12 games. In 2024 with the Seahawks, Smith finished with 4,320 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. Smith was traded to the Jets this offseason, who actually drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The Jets drafted Kenyon Sadiq in the first round, despite drafting Mason Taylor in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sadiq is a freak athlete of a tight end who can bring some true upside to the offense. Omar Cooper Jr. is a professional at making guys miss and was a big part of Indiana’s 2025 National Championship. Garrett Wilson only played in eight games last season, but finished with a career-high 1,104 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. Breece Hall is a proven dual-threat running back who is a reliable quarterback outlet. Adonai Mitchell flashed last season after being traded from the Colts, as a former second-round talent from 2024.

Geno Smith has had a history of Fantasy Football relevance back with the Seahawks, and is in a system with a sneaky group of playmakers to make him a streaming option in 2026. Smith could be a worthy late-round flier in redraft leagues and a contender target in Dynasty leagues for Fantasy Football.

5. Deshaun Watson (Browns)

• Round 1, Pick 9: Spencer Fano (OT, Utah)
• Round 1, Pick 24: KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
• Round 2, Pick 7: Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
• Round 3, Pick 22: Austin Barber (OT, Florida)
• Round 5, Pick 6: Parker Brailsford (C, Alabama)
• Round 5, Pick 30: Joe Royer (TE, Cincinnati)

The last time Deshaun Watson played football was seven games in 2024. Watson has not played more than seven games since 2020, and in that season, he finished with 4,823 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and 444 rushing yards. Current reports indicate that Watson is beating sophomore Shedeur Sanders for the QB1 role for 2025.

The Browns added yards after catch specialist KC Concepcion in the first round of the NFL Draft this year, who consistently gets open. The Browns also added Denzel Boston in the second round, who was often mocked as a first-round selection as a productive prospect who is used to making big plays. Spencer Fano becomes an instant starter for the OL from Round 1, and the Browns added more depth beyond that in the draft. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is coming off a major rookie season, catching 72 balls for 731 yards and six touchdowns last year. Jerry Jeudy also produced 1,229 receiving yards back in 2024, and will remain on the roster. Quinshion Judkins is coming off a big injury, but he looked the part as the team’s RB1 during his rookie season last year.

Watson has had a history of Fantasy relevance, which was impacted by injuries and off-field issues. It is difficult to truly say if he will return to form, but Cleveland has done a great job of adding to their offense. The group of Fannin, Judkins, Jeudy, Concepcion, and Boston is a very underrated one that can elevate a quarterback.

6. Cam Ward (Titans)

• Round 1, Pick 4: Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
• Round 5, Pick 2: Fernando Carmona (OG, Arkansas)
• Round 5, Pick 25: Nicholas Singleton (RB, Penn State)

The Titans selected Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he finished his rookie season with 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Nothing great there on paper, but Ward stepped up his game, finishing his final four full games with a pair of passing touchdowns in each of them.

The Titans selected Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, as a guy who will consistently be open and make big plays for Ward. This comes after signing Wan’Dale Robinson via Free Agency, who will be a consistent target from the slot as well. Fernando Carmona was added to help the OL, and Nicholas Singleton has a ton of juice as a dual-threat running back who can become the 2027 starter. Calvin Ridley and sophomore Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Gunnar Helm provide even more depth for the weapons. Robert Saleh was hired this offseason to be the next Titans Head Coach, and Brian Daboll followed as the new Offensive Coordinator.

Cam Ward flashed as a rookie and has a long list of improvements to his situation for 2026. We can see a quality sophomore leap for Fantasy Football out of Ward, who is a true sleeper quarterback for this coming season.