One point has been hammered home in the NFL time and time again. Quarterback is the most important position in the game. And, yes, you can find examples of quarterbacks who aren’t elite that have won the big game. But three things are generally true of those guys.

The first is that they can at least play the position. They can run a “clean” offense without major mistakes. They get their guys in place and execute the play. Two, they play for good organizations - you don’t get labeled a bad organization if you are winning all the time. And, three, those organizations give them the weapons to succeed. Even if that success was brief, they got it done (looking at you, Trent Dilfer).

So today, we are going to focus on what the best landing spots are for fantasy football for the 2026 NFL Draft. Will the prospects be talented enough to thrive? We’ll get into that in our upcoming positional preview series. But here is where we look at the teams that need quarterbacks - and we’ll give some examples of who could work out. So let’s break down the when, where, why, and who of the 2026 NFL Draft quarterback landing spots. 

If you’d like to see our similar breakdown of Best Wide Receiver Landing Spots for the 2026 NFL Draft, that is available here!

When And Where Is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23rd, with the first round at 8 PM ET. The main event is set in Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pennsylvania. Then round 2-3 will be on Friday, April 24th, at 7 PM ET. The rest of the draft will start on Saturday at noon ET and finish off the last four rounds.

We’ve done a study on when elite quarterbacks are taken in the draft. And the overwhelming proof suggests that the first overall pick and then the first round in general yield the vast majority of starting NFL QBs. There have been examples of second-round QBs like Jalen Hurts, but those usually come in deep QB classes. And yes, you will have the one-off Tom Brady or Brock Purdy picks, but those are more exceptions that prove the rule. So we are rooting for our guys to go early. 

 

 

 

Best Quarterback Landing Spots For Fantasy Football

Quarterback only has three criteria, really. And they are ranked in this order below.

  1. Starting Job - This doesn’t really need explanation. Quarterback is a linear position - you either start or you don’t. We want the easiest path to starting. We also want to make sure the quarterback can do the things the scheme requires of them, like RPO, rollouts, scrambles, pocket passing, etc.
  2. Good Offense - What are the weapons like? Do they have great pass-catchers? A good offensive line? What is the scheme? Who is calling the plays? Let’s say we have two teams. Team A doesn’t have great pass-catchers, and the OC is an old-school, run-first guy. Team B has a bunch of great wide receivers and a QB who loves to chuck it. Where do we want our quarterback to go?
  3. Great Organization - We can’t ignore that some organizations have, historically, been terrible. The Washington Commanders seemingly turned things around overnight after Dan Snyder sold the team. How many quarterbacks have made stops in Cleveland, Carolina, New York, etc., only to go on to have success elsewhere? Winning starts from the top down. 

Which NFL Teams Need A Quarterback In The 2026 NFL Draft?

Las Vegas Raiders

Let’s talk about our criteria. First and foremost, the Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a starting quarterback. They also have the first overall pick in the draft. You don’t get an easier path to starting right away.

As for their offense, they have a new head coach, Klint Kubiak, who brought along Rick Dennison, his offensive line guru. They also added the top center in free agency, Tyler Linderbaum. They have Ashton Jeanty at running back and Brock Bowers at TE with the ammo to draft a wide receiver as well. This scheme historically has been VERY friendly to quarterbacks with the extra blockers and use of pre-snap motion. Not only did Sam Darnold have a highly efficient year, but, in 2023, when Kubiak was the pass-game coordinator in San Francisco, Brock Purdy had the highest yards per attempt season of all time.

Whether this is a “good franchise” or not is up for debate. But arguably, no one knows more about winning at the NFL level than Tom Brady. And he only joined the organization in 2024. So you at least have to give them the benefit of the doubt there. Fernando Mendoza seems like a lock for this spot.

  • Top Option(s): Fernando Mendoza

For our full 2026 rookie quarterback prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Quarterback Breakdown!

Arizona Cardinals

Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew are not insurmountable objects. They are kind of the definition of journeyman. So the path is there. They also obviously have great weapons in Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson, and a stable of capable backs. So this is the best group of weapons you will see on the list.

The real knock is on the organization. The Bidwill family has owned the team for ~100 years, and they are tied for the fewest playoff wins for the Texans. For those keeping track at home, the Texans have only been a team since 2002. As long as Michael Bidwill insists on making himself Team President, it’s hard to trust them as an organization. 

One thing also worth mentioning is that, per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Mike LaFleur had Jordan Love drop straight back to pass 373 times while only asking him to roll out to his left or right 27 times. So this scheme could be a better fit for someone like Ty Simpson or Drew Allar, who didn’t throw particularly well while on the run (Simpson especially needed to set his feet at times to make throws)

Top Option(s): Ty Simpson, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier

For our full 2026 rookie quarterback prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Quarterback Breakdown!

 

 

 

New York Jets

The Jets have some work to do. They have Garrett Wilson, but after that, they aren’t exactly loaded with pass-catchers. The next best one is probably running back Breece Hall, who is being held there against his will on the franchise tag. They are bringing in a veteran offensive coordinator retread in Frank Reich to call the plays, which isn’t necessarily inspiring. Which brings me to probably the biggest problem for the Jets - the organization. 

Woody Johnson and company have been pretty brutal lately. It’s gotten to the point where sites like The Athletic have dropped pretty damning reports of the dysfunction behind the scenes in New York. It’s just hard to attract coaches or players in free agency when you have that kind of reputation. I mean, they drafted Sam Darnold, who just won the Super Bowl, as well as Geno Smith, who they are now basically admitting succeeded in spite of them by signing again. That said, they obviously need their QB of the future, so it’s a landing spot. 

Assuming Frank Reich manages to hang around as the offensive coordinator, his scheme has typically involved a lot of short passes. He likes 11 personnel with three wide receivers and loves in-breaking routes like digs and drags. Guys like Simpson and Nussmeier have shown they can get the ball out quickly and efficiently, and could work here. 

  • Top Option(s): Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar

For our full 2026 rookie quarterback prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Quarterback Breakdown!

Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a good organization, historically. We are about to find out if that was mostly because of Mike Tomlin and great coaching in general, but Mike McCarthy is also a competent enough coach. You also have DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, and the new addition via trade, Michael Pittman Jr., so the weapons work in your favor.

The short-term reality, however, is that Aaron Rodgers is probably coming back to start for this team in 2026 - and possibly beyond. There have also been some reports that they love Will Howard, who they drafted last year. So the most important criterion of starting soon is a little bit murky. 

Mike McCarthy runs a West Coast-based system. And, assuming Rodgers will be back, that should jive well with his desire to get the ball out of his hands quickly. Rodgers quietly also led the league in RPO drop-backs last year, per Fantasy Points Data Suite, but it’s hard to say if that was more driven by Rodgers or Arthur Smith. Either way, the same fits for the Jets likely apply to the Steelers. 

  • Top Option(s): Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, Carson Beck

For our full 2026 rookie quarterback prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Quarterback Breakdown!

 

 

 

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns want you to think that change and hope are just over the horizon. But the ownership group has not changed from the Haslems, and that is a problem. Even after the Deshaun Watson fiasco, they have continued to bring in guys with character concerns like Quinshon Judkins and Isaiah Bond. The list of quarterbacks who have failed there is spectacularly long and well-documented. And it includes Baker Mayfield, who has been a rock star in Tampa Bay. Even though Judkins and fellow rookie Harold Fannin look good, it is not a spot I want my favorite quarterback prospect to land, even if the path to starting is relatively clear. 

That said, there are some guys I would be interested in going here, even if they are drafted later. We know the Ravens guys coming over obviously have experience with a mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson. If the Browns wanted to once again go “high risk, high reward” with a pick they can take a little later in the draft, there are some seriously mobile quarterbacks that they can try to develop into a Lamar Jackson type, like Taylen Green and Cole Payton. Green, especially, is a raw player who needs development. 

  • Top Option(s): Jaylen Green, Cole Payton, Drew Allar

HONORABLE MENTION LANDING SPOTS

For our full 2026 rookie quarterback prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Quarterback Breakdown!