Welcome to my 2026 Dynasty Values at Quarterback article!
The Free Agency madness has mostly passed, but there is far more to do before the season starts. Rosters are not complete with more vets and rookies to sign & be drafted. What vets can make a surprising difference for squads?
In this series, we will go through all positions (including IDP for us degenerates) and find value pieces across the league. Value players who should outperform current rankings today and/or tomorrow. You can check out the rest of this series here:
We will not be hitting players who were involved in the 2026 Free Agency cycle (i.e., Malik Willis & Kyler Murray), but those currently buried on a depth chart. With the QB position, these picks may be more “future assets” than others, since only 1 is on the field at a time, and we typically do not see split snaps there. Hitting on the “next big thing” is something that can put you ahead in Dynasty leagues, especially if you are able to get them cheap!
We will be breaking down prospects into a few tiers: former starters, high-end backups who could start, and young projects. For each tier they will be ordered according to my personal preference (with a fun little overall ranking at the end)! Note: all statistics come from Pro Football Focus’ database.
Former Starters:
Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
6’3” 220 lbs, Pick 1.15 in 2021 (6th season): signed through 2026
Career Stats (57 starts) – 17 game avg: 66.5% comp, 3438 yards, 18/13 TD/INT
Advanced Stats: 7.9 aDoT, 74.7% adj comp, 19.5%, P2S, 2.61 TTT
After a highly exciting rookie season with the Patriots, McCorkle (and the team as a whole) largely regressed over the next two seasons. Jones finished his rookie contract with the Jaguars, where he put up a decent performance in relief of Trevor Lawrence. Then in 2025 Jones finally ended up with Kyle Shannahan, where he had a few electric performances with Brock Purdy injured. In 8 games he averaged nearly 270 yards a game while tossing 13 TDS. A free agent after this year, Jones is well within the same path that Sam Darnold took before finding success with the Vikings & Seahawks. The 49ers have been hesitant to move their backup, but preseason injuries could force desperation. Even if he stays on the 49ers roster for 2026, Jones will only be 28 going into 2027, where a team could turn to the veteran for a redemption arc finalization. You could steal a mid-low QB2 for nothing right now!
Justin Fields, Kansas City Chiefs
6’3” 22 lbs, Pick 1.11 in 2021 (6th season): signed through 2026
Career Stats (53 starts): 17 game avg: 61.4% comp, 2604 yards, 15/9 TD/INT, 833/9 rush yards/TD
2025 Advanced Stats: 8.9 aDoT, 72.9% adj comp, 23% P2S, 3.26 TTT
Oh, what Justin Fields has become. So much talent, but he has not come close to putting it together. He was up and down in Chicago before a couple of decent outings pre-Russell Wilson return in Pittsburgh, and then an atrocious showing with the Jets. The hope with the dynamic athlete is that some time in the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes program will revitalize his career, as it did for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Fields has flashed less than those 2 did (at least with his arm), so this is a stretch, but as a potential week 1 starter, you cannot ignore the tantalizing talent and system.
Fields will be cheap now, as most have given up on the QB. But if time in a good ecosystem gives him confidence and a career reset, you may just find a usable QB2 with upside for nothing!
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
6’4” 244 lbs, Pick 1.04 in 2023 (4th season)
Career Stats (15 starts): 50.6% comp, 2400 yards, 11/13 TD/INT, 634/10 rush yards/TDs
2025 Advanced Stats: 11.3 aDoT, 62.7% adj comp, 14.4% P2S, 2.92 TTT
What do we make of Richardson? The talent is obviously immense, but he was awful in 2024 and was eventually benched in favor of both Joe Flacco and Daniel Jones before 2025. Injuries have been a major factor, limiting the reps he desperately needs to improve. However, the Colts are not in a position to wait for AR to grow; they needed to win yesterday to keep jobs and maximize an aging roster.
Richardson’s best hope is to be traded to a team with an established QB1 and learn without the expectation of being a franchise savior. This will not allow him to earn reps, but the mindset and location reset may be just what he needs. If he does get another shot as a starter, the talent is too much to ignore (much like Justin Fields in years past).
Will he live up to the 4th overall selection? No, almost certainly not. But with the flaws, tosses like the one below, combined with elite athleticism, make him a generational “what if I can fix him?” That is someone worth rostering and getting cheap… just in case.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
6’4” 229 lbs, Pick 2.3 in 2023 (4th season): Signed through 2026
Career Stats (21 starts): 17 game avg: 61.0% comp, 3156 yards, 17/13 TD/INT, 194 rush yards
2025 Advanced Stats: 10.0 aDoT, 714.% adj comp, 26.0% P2S, 2.75 TTT
Levis was an interesting case study as a prospect, which absolutely translated to the NFL. He has some high-level, wow throws… on both ends of the spectrum. Fitting in deep passes while making some of the most mind-numbing decisions we have ever seen. Through 2 seasons, we saw Levis doing a Jameis Winston cosplay, with 17 fumbles and 16 INTs on 654 dropbacks. He flashed a big arm with solid passing grades over the middle and in the intermediate range of the field, enough where the near-1st round pick could get another chance as a “competitive backup”.
Levis is widely hated (which is understandable) in the fantasy community, so he could be picked up off waivers or for dirt cheap. A Rams-like team trading for him and giving him a shot to revive his career and learn is interesting enough that he is worth adding.
Davis Mills, Houston Texans
6’4” 225 lbs, Pick 3.67 in 2021 (6th season): signed through 2026
Career Stats (29 starts): 17 game avg: 61.8% comp, 2736 yards, 15/10 TD/INT
2025 Advanced Stats: 8.3 aDoT, 70.3% adj comp, 17.4% P2S, 2.60 TTT
Mills is a borderline entry in this category, but a sneaky 29 starts put him here. Mills has become a highly-regarded backup behind CJ Stroud, but will that be enough to get him another starting shot next season? The Texans fielded but turned down offers this offseason, giving the thought that at least one team may give him a shot for 2027. He is far from exciting, as a purely pocket passer, but functional enough to be a solid bridge and fantasy QB2 in a pinch. His ceiling is low, but the price is also low.
If you are not a CJ Stroud believer (which would be a massive overreaction; he is still good, but not a discussion for now), then a shot of the Texans’ highly regarded backup makes even more sense!
High-End Backups With Starting Potential
Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles
6’6” 231 lbs, Pick 6.2 in 2023 (4th season): signed through 2026
Career Stats (in 2 games started): 59.1% comp, 510 yards, 3/1 TD/NT, 5/31 rushing
2025 Advanced Stats: 8.4 aDoT, 73.8% adj comp, 12.8% P2S, 2.67 TTT
This is where it gets fun. McKee is a prospect I was not high on out of Stanford, with an injury history as long as he is tall. However, he has recouped his functional athleticism and shown a rocket arm and poise that made him a highly regarded pre-eligibility prospect. The volume of film and reps is limited, but he has shown a strong ability to rip passes over the middle while standing tall under pressure. In 18 starts over two weeks, he has averaged over 250 yards with 3 TDs.
The film looks even better than the numbers suggest, and he has attracted significant trade interest from other teams over the years. With Andy Dalton now an Eagle, there may be a more immediate chance for McKee to be moved and compete for a starting job this year.
Even though he is a pocket passer, McKee has the arm talent to produce Jordan Love-esque numbers in the right fit (which is asking a lot). That ceiling is not likely, but if you have a chance at that level of talent and production, probably for 2 or 3 2nds in an SF league, that feels like a risk that is easy to make.
Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
6’1” 217 lbs, Pick 5.2 in 2024 (3rd season): signed through 2027
Career Stats (14 starts): 62.7% comp, 2903 yards, 12/10 TD/INT, 49/313 rush att/yards
2025 Advanced Stats: 8.3 aDoT, 72.6% adj comp, 19.1% P2S, 2.70 TTT
Snakes alive? Not as of now, with Tyler Shough showing that he could be the Franchise QB. However, Rattler showed enough moxie, arm talent, and movement skills to be an upside backup or spot-starter elsewhere. Rattler’s 1-13 record is well-documented, but he played far better than that despite an awful Saints’ roster (especially 2024). He may not have the physical talent/build to be a high-end starter, but he has more than enough to carve out a role in the league. A high-end backup in the right situation can develop into a fantasy asset or be usable in case of injury. Rattler showed enough early on to be worth a spot on deeper dynasty SF rosters.
Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears
6’3” 213lbs, UDFA in 2023 (4th season): signed through 2027
Career Stats (4 starts): 66.4% comp, 917 yards, 3/6 TD/INT
2025 Advanced Stats: 6.4 aDoT, 76.6% adj comp, 9.3% P2S, 2.91 TTT
Bagent apparently had suitors this offseason, inquiring about trading for him to become a starter. Those murmurs did not come to fruition, but it does show how highly regarded the Shepherd product is. He was touted enough to earn a good backup contract (top-38 paid QB in the league) after 2 seasons as the Bears’ backup. His overall numbers aren’t great, but he flashed real skill as a spot-starter as a rookie. Bagent most likely is a good backup for his career, but it only takes one opportunity. If he gets that shot on a good roster (while not being a rookie out of D2), he may prove enough to get a shot, like Malik Willis before him.
Young Projects
J.J. “9” McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
6’3” 202 lbs, Pick 1.10 in 2024 (3rd season)
Career Stats (10 starts): 57.6% comp, 1632 yards, 11/12 TD/INT, 181/4 rush yards/TDs
2025 Advanced Stats: 9.5 aDoT, 71.0% adj comp, 23.5% P2S, 3.01 TTT
“9” has become memed over the past year, after a pretty awful initial showing. He graded poorly across the board and often looked lost on film. He had a few flashes throughout the season, but his struggles and a strong but aging Vikings roster had them acquire veteran Kyler Murray to “battle” for the starting job. McCarthy may not be a fantasy asset in 2026, but he does have talent and was a logical pick in 2024. The hype (clearly) went way too high before 2025, but the 23-year-old QB is far from done. Even if he does end up deserving the bust label, top-10 QBs get continuous chances based on talent.
He will have a chance again in 2027 to show growth and improvement, whether in Minnesota or elsewhere. We have to remember that the NFL is incredibly difficult for a young QB (again, he is 23!) and some need more time than others to reach their potential.
Riley Leonard, Indianapolis Colts
6’4” 216 lbs, Pick 6.2 in 2025 (2nd season)
Career Stats (1 start): 39/67 (58.2% comp), 415 yards, 2/3 TD/INT, 27/2 rush yards/TDs
2025 Advanced Stats: 9.2 aDoT, 67.7% adj comp, 7.1% P2S, 2.73 TTT
The Colts’ 6th-round pick in 2025 may seem like an odd inclusion here. However, I liked him as a prospect, and he projects to start for the team until Daniel Jones returns from injury. Leonard flashed some arm talent and mobility in limited reps, enough for Indy to trust him to bridge back to Jones. We have seen this sort of player win trust in the past, even as recently as Brock Purdy, who got a chance and hasn’t looked back. Obviously, that outcome is unlikely for Leonard, but all we can ask for is a chance.
Will Howard, Pittsburgh Steelers
6’4” 235 lbs, Pick 6.2 (2nd season)
No career stats
Howard, who went a handful of picks before Leonard, is included here based on the unknown. Aaron Rodgers expects to be the starting QB in 2026, but he has not been re-signed yet. If he decides not to report, then the Steelers will have Howard and Mason Rudolph battling for starting snaps. At a point, the team would need to see what they have in the National Champ, before resetting and drafting a young QB high. Howard has a lot of fans in the Steelers’ building, so hey, maybe he is something! Either way, that is worth a look, even as a current QB3.
And Finally…
Joseph Harlow’s Value QB Rankings
- Tanner McKee
- Spencer Rattler
- Mac Jones
- Anthony Richardson
- J.J. McCarthy
- Riley Leonard
- Justin Fields
- Will Levis
- Will Howard
- Tyson Bagent
- Davis Mills
