RELATED: See 3 ADP Traps at QB
In fantasy football, "onesie" positions like quarterback and tight end can be less of a priority. Oftentimes, there are better options available later in drafts at these positions than at running back and wide receiver, which dry up quickly. Still, few quarterbacks have ceilings that could vastly elevate a fantasy roster. Here are a few best ball steals to target at the quarterback position for the 2026 season.
Justin Herbert (Underdog ADP: QB9, 82.6 overall)
At a glance, Justin Herbert's ADP seems fair given that he finished as the QB11 in fantasy points per game (PPG) last season. However, there's more to his QB11 finish than meets the eye. For one, Herbert had a career-high 83 rushing attempts in just 16 games played. That was good enough for the fifth-highest among quarterbacks, behind only Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Drake Maye, and Jaxson Dart. And despite much hype surrounding Caleb Williams as a dual-threat quarterback, he averaged just 23 yards on 4.5 rushing attempts per game in 2025 compared to 31 yards on 5.2 rushing attempts per game for Herbert.
Herbert also managed to finish as a back-end QB1 in fantasy PPG in spite of a gutted offensive line. Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater ruptured his patellar tendon in August and missed the entire 2025 season. On top of that, Pro Bowl right tackle Joe Alt suffered a high ankle sprain and subsequently re-injured the same ankle. He played just six games total last year, leaving the Chargers' offensive line woefully undermanned at both anchor positions. In short, Herbert overcame what Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked as a bottom-three offensive line on the season. In fact, Footballguys' own Matt Bitonti ranked Los Angeles as the worst offensive line in the league in pass blocking heading into Week 17 last year.
Now, heading into 2026, both Slater and Alt are expected to be fully healthy for Week 1. That alone should help Herbert's production this coming season. Beyond that, the Chargers landed one of the most impactful coaching hires of the offseason. Incoming offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel should bring an explosive scheme that can elevate Herbert and the Chargers offense beyond anything we've seen before. Although his scheme will likely adapt to the available personnel and won't be exactly the same as what we saw in Miami, there's ample reason for optimism.
In McDaniel's first season as the Dolphins' head coach in 2022, Tua Tagovailoa led all quarterbacks with 8.4 adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) despite missing four games due to injury and in spite of Miami's offensive line having ranked just 22nd that year. And before multiple injuries to Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill derailed the Dolphins' offense the last couple of years, Tagovailoa saw a career-high 4,624 passing yards and ranked second among all quarterbacks in ANY/A in his only fully-healthy 17-game season in 2023, Year 2 with McDaniel.
There's reason to believe that Herbert is currently being drafted at his floor outcome at his current QB9 ADP. Call me crazy, but with McDaniel at the helm and behind a hopefully healthy offensive line, I have him ranked as a top-five quarterback for 2026. That makes Herbert one of the highest-priority best-ball steals leading up to the NFL Draft. That's not just talk: I've already drafted Herbert quite a few times in pre-NFL Draft best ball contests and have even placed offseason bets on him to win MVP at +1100.
Daniel Jones (Underdog ADP: QB25, 143.3 overall)
Some best ball steals aren't without risk, but with a 12th-round ADP, it's hard to pass on Daniel Jones. Prior to tearing his Achilles, Jones was the QB8 in fantasy PPG last year. That said, it's understandable why fantasy football managers have some trepidation about drafting him.
Achilles tears sap explosiveness, which could limit Jones' ability to run in 2026 even if he were to play the entire season. He logged the fifth-most inside-the-five rushing attempts among quarterbacks last year, and those goal-line sneaks led to five rushing touchdowns. Those buoyed his fantasy production considerably and is an area where he could regress in 2026, as Jones only had one season with more than two rushing touchdowns prior to 2025.
Additionally, the Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers this offseason. While Pittman wasn't necessarily a true No. 1 wide receiver, his absence does leave Indianapolis with a depleted pass-catching corps. Even assuming the Colts will bolster their wide receiver room with some depth during the NFL Draft, there's no guarantee any rookie would make an immediate impact. It's especially unlikely since, barring a trade, the earliest Indianapolis could add a rookie wide receiver would be on Day 2, having traded its first-round pick to the Jets as part of the deal to acquire Sauce Gardner.
However, even taking these factors into account, Jones is still among the most irresistible best-ball steals. Early offseason reports indicate that Jones is on track to participate in training camp and potentially even OTAs. Barring a setback over the next month or two, it sounds like there's a good possibility that Jones could be ready for Week 1 of the regular season.
And despite concerns about rushing touchdown regression, Indianapolis still boasts a strong offensive line that ranked top-three in the league last year, so goal-line quarterback sneaks remain on the table even if Jones doesn't run as much overall this coming year.
With that in mind, it's difficult to project Jones lower than a fantasy QB2 if he were to play all 17 games in 2026. So, at his current ADP outside of the top-24 quarterbacks, Jones is a no-brainer in the double-digit rounds. Taking the price tag into consideration, Jones offers potential reward with little risk and fits both 2QB and 3QB roster builds.
