-2026 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2026 Draft Kit
Dalton was acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles in an offseason trade to provide reliable veteran depth. He is currently competing with Tanner McKee for the primary backup role to Jalen Hurts. Unless Hurts misses time, Dalton will see practically no playing time in offensive packages. He should not be drafted or rostered in standard 1QB formats and is only worth monitoring as a high-end emergency streaming option in deep Superflex leagues if an injury occurs.
Minshew signed a lucrative one-year deal with Arizona. Jacoby Brissett is expected to remain the starter for the Cardinals, but it's still possible a QB competition emerges. Given that Brissett and the Cardinals have been locked in a contract dispute, there is also the chance that Minshew sees additional snaps in training camp -- he's already taken #1 snaps in OTAs as Brissett has conducted a "hold in". Minshew holds virtually no standalone value in standard 1-QB leagues but serves as a viable streaming option and high-upside stash in Superflex and two-quarterback formats should he see time as a starter.
Following his release by Cincinnati, Jake Browning is slated to serve as the backup to Baker Mayfield for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being allowed to hit unrestricted free agency by the Cincinnati Bengals, Browning signed a one-year deal with the Bucs. He is firmly behind Mayfield on the depth chart and will not see the field unless Mayfield suffers an injury. He has no value in traditional 1QB formats and is worth watching only as an emergency bench stash in case of a Buccaneers starter going down.
Having signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, Kyle Allen serves as the primary backup to his close friend Josh Allen. He would only become a viable fantasy starter or waiver-wire target if Josh Allen were to suffer an injury. If thrust into action, he benefits from operating in a high-powered offense with weapons like DJ Moore and Dalton Kincaid, but managers would likely see a significant downgrade in red-zone rushing production. Unless you are in an incredibly deep or 2-QB "Superflex" dynasty league, leave him on the waiver wire. Monitor injury reports rather than drafting him.
The Packers signed veteran QB Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has appeared in eight games the past two seasons for the Jets. He'll figure to step into the backup role behind Jordan Love after Green Bay lost Malik Willis to Miami. Taylor is not an option in fantasy unless Love misses time.
Mitchell Trubisky is slated to be the primary backup to 2nd-year starter Cam Ward for the Tennessee Titans and will not see the field barring an injury to the starter. After signing a two-year deal, Trubisky comfortably secured the QB2 job. He provides reliable veteran insurance in an offense coordinated by Brian Daboll, whom he previously played under in Buffalo. Trubisky should not be drafted in any 1-QB format. He represents only a speculative add in emergency situations if Ward misses time.
Signed to a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, Kenny Pickett enters the season firmly entrenched as the primary backup to Bryce Young. Now with his fourth team in four years (after stints in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Cleveland), Pickett has struggled to establish a foothold. Over the last two seasons, he has combined for just 479 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Pickett is entirely off the redraft radar. He will not see the field unless Young suffers an injury, and even then, his limited career ceiling offers minimal fantasy upside.
Tagovailoa signed a one-year contract with the Falcons in free agency. He should see more of the first-team reps early on with Penix continuing to work his way back from knee surgery. We're probably looking at Tagovailoa opening the 2026 season as the Falcons' starting quarterback, giving him modest appeal in Superflex/two-QB leagues. From 2022-24, he averaged around 20 Fantasy points per game (six-point TDs) before nosediving in 2025 to 14.3. The Falcons will probably ask him to do a lot of the same things he did in Miami: make pre-snap reads, get the ball out fast, and lean on his top targets, in this case Drake London and Kyle Pitts. There will be weeks where Tagovailoa is decent, but not enough of them to prioritize him in one-QB Fantasy formats. He's a mid-rounder in those two-QB formats.
After seven topsy-turvy seasons with the Cardinals, Kyler Murray will make a fresh start with the Vikings in 2026. Murray may or may not be in a quarterback competition with JJ McCarthy for Minnesota's starting job, but it's widely expected that Murray will be taking the snaps when the Vikings face the Packers in Week 1. Murray played only five games last season before sustaining a foot sprain that eventually landed him on injured reserve. Murray's yearly finishes in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks with at least five starts: QB11, QB4, QB4, QB7, QB9, QB12, QB20. Murray steps into a good situation, with Kevin O'Connell as his playcaller, and he'll have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings as his wide receivers. Murray has always added rushing value, having averaged at least 30 rushing per game in all seven of his NFL seasons. The perception might be that Murray is damaged goods, but he could be one of the better QB values in 2026 fantasy drafts.
After a poor season with the Raiders in 2025, Geno Smith is expected to be the Jets' Week 1 starter in 2026. Smith threw 17 interceptions in 15 starts last season and averaged just 12.7 fantasy points per game. But Smith is only two years removed from a 4,320-yard season with the Seahawks in 2024. And at 35, Smith is old but not ancient. The Jets have a solid offensive line and an interesting collection of pass catchers that includes Garrett Wilson and first-round rookies Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. It's unlikely that Smith will have much fantasy relevance this season, but it's possible he'll be capable enough to warrant consideration as an injury or bye week fill-in.
Kansas City traded for Fields this off-season as insurance for Patrick Mahomes, whose availability for Week 1 remains in question. If Mahomes misses time, Fields would likely step in as the starter, giving fantasy managers short-term utility. Fields' passing tendencies (he has some of the highest sack and off-target rates in the league) present a stark stylistic contrast to Mahomes' playstyle. Fields’ primary fantasy appeal continues to be his mobility. If he draws the start against weaker defenses, his designed runs and scrambles give him a reliable enough floor to act as a bye-week or injury fill-in. He is essentially undraftable in standard 1 QB leagues. However, because Mahomes is recovering from the torn ACL and LCL, Fields has a chance to start early in the season, making him a draftable asset in deep, two-QB, or Superflex formats.
After a less than exciting tenure in Atlanta, Kirk Cousins now finds himself with the LV Raiders. His opportunity there to start is almost certainly going to be short-lived as the Raiders just invested the #1 overall pick on rookie Fernando Mendoza. That said, it does look like the veteran Cousins will head into the season as the favorite to start as he has received all first-team snaps at OTAs, while Mendoza was working mostly with rookies. Even if he does start the season, he's likely doing so on borrowed time as Mendoza will push for the starting position sooner rather than later -- and that seat will seat will get very hot should Cousins (or the team as a whole) struggle early on. In 1QB seasonal leagues, we advise staying away altogether. In SuperFlex or 2QB leagues he's worth a late-round selection, once we receive certainty that he will be the Day One starter.
Cast aside by the Titans and rejuvenated by a stint as a backup with the Packers, Malik Willis now gets a chance to prove himself as a starter for the Dolphins, who signed him to a three-year, $67 million contract in March. Willis is an electric runner. In six career starts, Willis has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game and has run for four touchdowns. And Willis seems to have made considerable strides as a passer. Over 11 appearances and three starts in Green Bay in 2024 and 2025, Willis completed 78.7% of his throws and averaged 10.9 yards per pass attempt, with six TD passes and zero interceptions. Willis will be hard-pressed to match that sort of passing efficiency with the Dolphins, who might have the worst collection of pass catchers in the league. But Willis' running ability should make him fantasy-viable even if his passing numbers are mediocre.