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Updated Divisional Round NFL playoffs fantasy football quarterback rankings (2026). Set winning lineups with our Divisional Round weekend rankings for fantasy football.
Quarterbacks are key in DFS and fantasy football, and that remains true in the NFL playoffs. We're back with our Divisional Round fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2026 to help guide your lineup calls. In the rankings table below, check out where Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud, and Drake Maye stand among the other four starters for the second round of the NFL playoffs.
Our quarterback fantasy football rankings for the Divisional Round are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find key fantasy football outlooks from our RotoBaller staff, as well as the "Who to Start?" tool. Also, be sure to check our fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
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Updated Divisional Round Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football
| QB Tier |
QB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. |
| 1 | 1 | Josh Allen | QB |
| 1 | 2 | Matthew Stafford | QB |
| 1 | 3 | Caleb Williams | QB |
| 2 | 4 | Bo Nix | QB |
| 2 | 5 | Sam Darnold | QB |
| 2 | 6 | Brock Purdy | QB |
| 2 | 7 | Drake Maye | QB |
| 3 | 8 | C.J. Stroud | QB |
Divisional Round Quarterback Outlooks for Fantasy Football
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (oblique) was added to the injury report on Thursday with an oblique injury and is questionable to play in the Divisional Round on Saturday night against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, according to Curtis Crabtree of FOX 13 Seattle. However, Darnold is fully expected to play through his questionable tag this week.
The 28-year-old was listed as limited in Thursday's practice. "I feel good...in routes on air, I just felt a little something in my oblique. I just didn't want to push it. It wasn't the day to push it, so that was it. I came inside, got some rehab, and I feel like I'll be ready to go for Saturday," Darnold said. The former first-rounder should be fine to play against a Niners team that he has yet to throw a touchdown against in two games this year. In the Week 18 win over the 49ers, Darnold threw for 198 yards with no TDs or interceptions.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
In his first career playoff appearance, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye led his team to a 16-3 win in the Wild Card round over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 23-year-old completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 268 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 66 rushing yards on 10 attempts. However, Maye also fumbled twice, one of which was recovered by the Chargers. Maye's production upside remains sky-high, but any potential ball security issues may only be exacerbated in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans.
Houston allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards (3,486) in the regular season while ranking tied for third in interceptions (19). The Texans' defense is also coming off a dominating performance in the Wild Card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which it forced two turnovers, recorded four sacks, and allowed just six points. Maye's rushing ability could carry him to success, but the difficult matchup makes him a low-end quarterback option for fantasy managers in the Divisional Round.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (foot, knee, finger) was listed with foot, knee, and finger injuries this week, but he practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday and has been cleared to play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this Saturday against the Denver Broncos. Allen is heading into a less-than-ideal matchup on the road with two of his receivers (Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers) out for the rest of the year with torn ACLs. However, he should still be considered one of the top-two QB plays in fantasy football playoff leagues because of his dual-threat abilities.
Denver's strong defense allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs during the regular season, but Allen is a different breed. He was the top fantasy QB in 2025 and led the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns -- the next closest was Trevor Lawrence with nine.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (finger) was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. Stafford sprained his right index finger in the Wild-Card win over the Carolina Panthers last Saturday, but the Rams were never concerned about his availability for the Divisional Round this Sunday versus the Chicago Bears. In the win over the Panthers, Stafford went 24-for-42 passing for 304 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
The 37-year-old veteran is the favorite to win the NFL MVP this year after throwing for a league-high 4,707 yards, a league-high 46 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions in 17 regular-season games. His finger injury shouldn't be an issue this weekend in Chicago against a Bears defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to QBs. Stafford is the top QB on the board in fantasy this week.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Divisional Round fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud, and Drake Maye. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups.
Divisional Round Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for the Divisional Round. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Divisional Round Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for the Divisional Round (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Divisional Round Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Divisional Round searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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