3 Second-Year Quarterbacks: Fantasy Football Outlook (2026)

The 2025 rookie class produced one of the more electric groups of instant fantasy football contributors in recent memory, and now every one of these players enters 2026 with a full season of NFL tape, an offseason to build on their role, and, in most cases, a clearer runway to more usage. Below is the 2026 fantasy football outlook for second-year quarterbacks.

2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Second-Year Quarterbacks

Let’s take a look at the most fantasy football-relevant second-year quarterbacks in fantasy football drafts. Check out their current rankings and fantasy football outlook for 2026.

Quarterbacks

Three rookie quarterbacks earned starting jobs at some point last season, and how each of their situations has evolved heading into Year 2 varies widely.

Jaxson Dart (NYG) — QB11, Overall RK88, Bye: 8

After selecting edge rusher Abdul Carter No. 3 overall in last year’s NFL Draft, the Giants traded back into the first round to grab Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss at No. 25. That move looks shrewd so far, as Dart acquitted himself extremely well in 12 starts last year despite having a skeleton crew of pass catchers following a season-ending injury to WR Malik Nabers. Dart completed 63.7% of his throws and averaged a respectable 6.7 yards per pass attempt, with 15 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Dart was dynamic as a runner, racking up 487 rushing yards and nine TD runs. But Dart was also a reckless runner at times. He took some hard hits, including one against the Bears in Week 10 that resulted in a concussion. But it’s appealing to fantasy managers that Dart is such a willing and able runner. Two reasons for concern: (1) Nabers has reportedly been slow to recover from his knee injury; and (2) new Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy isn’t considered one of the NFL’s top offensive designers.

Tyler Shough (NO) — QB20, Overall RK124, Bye: 8

Second-round draft pick Tyler Shough was a pleasant surprise for New Orleans as a rookie. He now enters the 2026 season as the Saints’ undisputed starter, with an opportunity to prove that he can be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. Spencer Rattler started the Saints’ first eight games in 2025, but Shough took over as the starter in Week 9 and guided the team to a 5-4 record down the stretch. Shough was QB12 in fantasy points per game from Week 9 through the end of the regular season, and he produced at least 17.1 fantasy points in each of his last six starts. The 26-year-old Shough completed 67.6% of his throws, averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt, and had 10 TD passes and six interceptions. He also averaged 16.9 rushing yards per game and had three TD runs. It should be noted that only one of the teams Shough faced in his nine starts last season, the Rams, ranked inside the top 10 in DVOA against the pass. Still, it was an impressive half-season for Shough, and the Saints should have an easy schedule again in 2026. The Saints feathered Shough’s nest in this year’s NFL Draft by drafting WR Jordyn Tyson No. 8 overall. With Tyson and veteran Chris Olave, Shough has more than adequate pass-catching weaponry.

Cam Ward (TEN) — QB24, Overall RK152, Bye: 9

Cam Ward struggled mightily for most of his rookie year but showed improvement late in the season, creating optimism for 2026. The No. 1 pick in last year’s NFL Draft averaged just 10.2 fantasy points per game over his first 12 starts. He averaged a paltry 5.7 yards per pass attempt over that span, with seven TD passes and six interceptions. Ward didn’t have more than one TD pass in a game until Week 14, but then he had three consecutive games with two TD passes. Over Ward’s last four starts of 2026 (not including a brief cameo appearance in Week 18), he averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game. A shortage of pass-catching weaponry was a major problem for Ward as a rookie. The Titans addressed that issue by signing WR Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency and drafting Ohio State WR Carnell Tate No. 4 overall. Hopefully Ward will get better protection from his offensive line in 2026 after taking a league-high 55 sacks last year. Ward is probably only a consideration in superflex leagues or extremely deep redraft leagues for 2026, but the talented youngster could come on quickly.