The 2026 NFL Draft is still several months away, but this is the ideal time of year to get caught up on the prospects who will make an impact on the fantasy football landscape for redraft and dynasty leagues.
With the main fantasy season complete, I’ve had time to go over game tape, collegiate production, interviews and more, in order to project what this incoming crop of rookies will become at the next level.
We’ll get more precise athletic testing numbers to work with at the NFL Combine in late February, before eventually finding out how NFL front offices value this class when draft day arrives in April.
Consider this a starting point in the pre-draft process, while understanding that landing spots will have an important impact on the fantasy value of each player. Once we know which organization they’ll be joining, it reveals a larger part of the puzzle in terms of their opportunity, coaching, scheme and team culture.
For now, we’ll begin this series by focusing on the incoming quarterbacks who have the best chance to become fantasy relevant in the NFL.
A tier of his own
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza is alone at the top of this quarterback class and might even be the only passer selected in the first round of April’s draft. Unfortunately, that says more about the quality of this group as a whole, than it does about Mendoza.
The Heisman Trophy winner is coming off a magical year where he threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns while rushing for 276 yards and seven scores en route to a National Championship.
However, while he’s likely to be taken first overall by the Raiders, he’s not a dominant prospect who’s going to singlehandedly change the fortunes of a franchise.
The 22-year-old has proven himself to be a good leader with excellent on-field awareness who displays the toughness needed to overcome adversity during games. He has a strong arm to make any throw, but it’s his touch passing that stands out. Though Mendoza has enough speed to scramble his way out of trouble and pick up yards on the ground, he’s not fast enough to be a meaningful runner in the pros.
He profiles as a long-term NFL starter, who will need the right environment around him to become a star.
Fantasy Outlook: Barring a surprising trade, all signs are pointing towards Mendoza becoming a member of the Raiders in April.
As a pocket passer with some rushing ability, he has more than enough tools to be fantasy-friendly — even if the path to high-end production is unlikely for him at the next level.
Las Vegas has a pair of difference-makers on offense in TE Brock Bowers and RB Ashton Jeanty, who will form a nice core, but the front office needs to add significant talent at wide receiver and on the offensive line this offseason.
Even so, Mendoza is likely to be undervalued in dynasty because he isn’t entering the league as an elite prospect. You can consider him a more mobile Jared Goff or a much better version of Ryan Tannehill.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): 1.02-1.05
Star in the making
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
It’s telling that we’re only on the second quarterback in this class and we’re already talking about potential Day 2 picks. That’s because after Mendoza, there really isn’t a clear cut second QB who’s emerged this year.
Obviously, I’m approaching this with future fantasy production in mind, which makes Chambliss by far the most intriguing of the remaining passers. However, it’s worth noting that Chambliss is attempting to return to Ole Miss for a sixth year of eligibility. The NCAA initially denied his request, but he’s attempting to get that overturned in court.
Regardless, Chambliss is a true dual-threat option, who rushed for 527 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. His pocket presence is noticeable as he often buys time with his legs and makes plays on the move, including some quality throws on the run.
The 23-year-old is a confident thrower with a quick release and good accuracy. His 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame isn’t what most teams are looking for at the position, but he plays bigger than his size and is more than capable of developing into an NFL starter — whenever he enters the draft.
Fantasy Outlook: Chambliss’ rushing ability alone makes him a player to target if he ends up being part of the 2026 draft class.
As we know, even below-average passers with rushing upside can turn into fantasy-relevant starters and Chambliss has showcased more than adequate passing skills.
There’s a little Russell Wilson to his game, but he profiles as a more talented Tyrod Taylor to me. Either way, he should be on your dynasty radar if his attempt to return to Ole Miss is eventually shut down.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Mid-to-late second round (if he enters the draft).
Overrated college starters
Ty Simpson, Alabama
Carson Beck, Miami
Simpson and Beck are household names after suiting up for storied programs and playing in plenty of big games, but that might lead to them being overvalued in fantasy.
Simpson seems to be the default No. 2 QB in the class for most people, after Dante Moore chose to return to college for another year. Whether Simpson is worthy of that honor remains to be seen.
The 23-year-old has underwhelming arm strength, accuracy concerns and sometimes his lack of decisiveness leads to negative plays. Simpson has the mobility to escape the pocket, but can get chaotic when trying to make plays off-script.
Meanwhile, Beck is an effortless thrower who’s accurate and makes confident decisions. But he had the benefit of outstanding protection and strong supporting cast this season, which maximized his output.
Both players seem headed for backup jobs in the NFL, with a narrow path to becoming starters.
Fantasy Outlook: Draft capital in April will tell the story for whether Simpson and Beck will get a legitimate chance to start at the next level. I remain skeptical of them emerging as anything more than overqualified backups or injury-replacement, short-term starters.
They also lack the speed required to be true rushing threats, which is another limiting factor for their fantasy potential.
If you’re taking them in dynasty, just know that they might become roster cloggers — unless you’re holding them as one-injury away QB options in deep superflex formats.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Third round.
Intriguing upside
Drew Allar, Penn State
Jalon Daniels, Kansas
While Simpson and Beck are higher profile prospects, Allar and Daniels are far more interesting to me as developmental fantasy options in the pros.
That’s not to suggest Allar and Daniels don’t have their flaws. Allar had an up-and-down college career that provided him with lots of playing time prior to an injury-shortened final season due to a broken ankle.
Allar comes with ideal size and arm strength, but accuracy concerns loom. It’s also difficult to discern how much of his occasional struggles were the fault of a weaker receiving corps. While he’s not a dual-threat QB, he can add value on the ground.
Daniels is a very confident passer who rarely seems rattled. He’s also very comfortable breaking the pocket and using his athleticism to make plays on the move or create big gains with his legs.
Bottom line, there is potential here for both players to begin their careers as backups but evolve into more with the right coaching.
Fantasy Outlook: Allar and Daniels flashed their talents in college and now the question is whether they can continue to build on that.
Both players have exhibited the tools and traits needed to turn into starting quarterbacks in the NFL, but there is a long way to go before making that a reality.
While the rushing upside helps their causes, it will take more than that for them to become meaningful fantasy assets.
For the time being, they are superflex stashes who should be available in the third round or later of your dynasty rookie drafts. Draft capital and landing spots will have a big impact on their outlooks, but I’ll be targeting these two in my leagues.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Third-to-fourth round.
Backup bound
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
We’re delving deeper into an already weak quarterback class, so keep your expectations in check from this point on.
Nussmeier is an old school pocket-passer who lacks ideal size and offers nothing as a runner. He also dealt with injuries this season which limited his output. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is mostly accurate in the short-to-intermediate ranges of the field, but sometimes gets himself in trouble with riskier throws.
Klubnik doesn’t really have a high-end attribute to hang your hat on, which limits his ceiling. An average arm, accuracy issues and erratic scrambling is not a good starting point for an NFL prospect.
Fantasy Outlook: It’s impossible to deny the impact rushing stats have on a quarterbacks’ fantasy numbers. Nine of the top-12 fantasy QBs in 2025 rushed for at least 350 yards.
That really increases the degree of difficulty for a prospect like Nussmeier, in addition to some of his other shortcomings.
While Klubnik might have another layer of rushing production to unlock in a new offense, his disappointing final season at Clemson was discouraging given the talent around him.
If forced to choose between these two, I’d take the younger Klubnik and hope that he can develop, but I don’t have a lot of faith in that occurring.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Fourth round or later.
Long-term projects
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Cole Payton, North Dakota State
Taylen Green, Arkansas
This group of passers are true long shots to have fantasy value in the NFL, but they each flashed enough to warrant a mention here.
Pavia is undersized at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, but he’s shown a willingness to do whatever it takes, including sacrificing his body when the play requires it. The 23-year-old has a strong enough arm to make the necessary throws, you just always have to wonder how much height could be a factor, especially with passes over the middle. His rushing production is hard to ignore though, with over 800 yards and at least seven touchdowns in each of his last three seasons.
Payton is already garnering Taysom Hill comparisons due to his rushing ability (reached 600 yards and 13 rushing TDs in two of his last three campaigns). He’s a tank on the ground, but also appeared to be beating up on lesser competition during his time at North Dakota State. He’ll need a lot of work as a passer if he’s going to emerge as anything more than a gadget player in the pros.
Green is a true dual-threat QB who has the size (6-foot-6, 229 pounds) and tools to develop into something more. He was a big-play waiting to happen at Arkansas and that'll almost surely entice a team enough to take him on Day 3.
Fantasy Outlook: I highlighted the importance of draft capital off the top because the truth is it’s rare for quarterback prospects who are selected outside of the first round to become long-term stars.
We all recall Tom Brady (sixth round) and Brock Purdy (seventh round), but those are outliers. There are far more quarterbacks drafted on Day 2 or Day 3 who get buried on depth charts or end up out of the league in a few years.
Remember that when using a dynasty bench spot on someone from this final group, especially since they will likely require a year or two behind an established veteran before they are even close to being ready to start — if they ever get there.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Fourth round or later, but most likely future waiver wire adds.
