April 8, 2026
ESPN's Adam Schefter recently said that he expects Alabama quarterback
Ty Simpson to be a first-rounder in the 2026 NFL draft, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says that enough scouts have a second-round grade on him to make him an early Day 2 possibility. Simpson's draft stock is all over the map, as he's expected to go anywhere from No. 10 overall to No. 30 in the first round. The primary concern is his lack of experience, as he didn't become a starter at Alabama until his senior season in 2025. He played well early on last year but struggled late, ultimately finishing with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in 15 games played. Nobody is really expecting Simpson to come in right away in the NFL and be great, and one veteran NFL scout called Simpson "a mix between
Jared Goff and
Mac Jones." Simpson made "a lot of NFL throws" at Alabama, which will help his development at the next level, but fantasy managers in redraft leagues shouldn't expect him to be in play as a starter in 2026, even in superflex leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
April 8, 2026
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said he was "fired up" about the team's quarterback competition after the start of the voluntary offseason program this week, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "You couldn't ask for a better start for the quarterbacks," Monken added.
Shedeur Sanders,
Deshaun Watson (Achilles), and
Dillon Gabriel are in the team's QB room with the NFL draft coming up in a few weeks. Sanders and Watson, who is recovering from a twice-torn Achilles tendon, will be competing for the starting job under center this summer. The Browns aren't tipping their hand as to who has the edge, but with Watson's contract expiring after the 2026 season, it makes sense for the Browns to give second-year QB Sanders the first shot at starting this fall. Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round in last year's draft, but he ended up making seven starts while throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Whoever wins the job in Cleveland will be considered a low-end QB2 option in superflex fantasy leagues with a questionable Browns receiving corps.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
April 8, 2026
The Houston Texans exercised the 2027 fifth-year option on quarterback
C.J. Stroud on Wednesday, a source told Field Yates of ESPN. Stroud is now due $25.904 million next season and is extension-eligible. Despite another disappointing season in 2025 in his third year in the league, the Texans remain committed to the former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State. The 24-year-old signal-caller really impressed as a rookie, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in his 15 starts. However, he has come back down to Earth over the last two years, and Houston's porous offensive line hasn't helped his cause. In 14 regular-season starts in 2025, Stroud completed a career-high 64.5% of his pass attempts, but that led to a career-low 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight picks. Better offensive-line play and Year 2 leaps from wideouts
Jayden Higgins and
Jaylin Noel will be needed for Stroud to bounce back into QB1 territory for fantasy football purposes.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Field Yates
April 7, 2026
The Athletic's Zac Jackson said that Cleveland Browns quarterback
Deshaun Watson (Achilles), who hasn't played since October of 2024 due to a twice-torn right Achilles tendon, has "been medically cleared for competition." The Browns have put a positive spin on Watson's recovery all offseason and will give him the chance to compete with
Shedeur Sanders for the starting job this summer. Sanders, a fifth-rounder last year, started the final seven games of last season and was predictably erratic, although he did show signs of being an explosive playmaker at QB. Jackson adds that Sanders "seems most likely to get the first crack at the starting job and operate as the No. 1" early in spring workouts. However, new head coach Todd Monken continues to stress that "nothing is settled." Watson has the better resume (a three-time Pro Bowler), but he's also 30 years old and is coming off a serious injury. And with Watson's contract expiring after 2026, "logic says" the Browns should prefer the younger option in Sanders. Whoever wins the job this summer will merely be a low-end QB2 option in superflex fantasy football leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
April 7, 2026
Projected No. 1 overall pick
Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL draft in Pittsburgh at the end of this month, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami. The Indiana quarterback will be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall, although the Raiders already signed veteran signal-caller
Kirk Cousins, and he's expected to open the 2026 season as the starter under center while Mendoza sits and watches early on in his NFL career. The Heisman Trophy winner led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and the national championship in 2025, throwing for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in 16 games played. He also had 90 carries for 276 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Mendoza doesn't have an obvious weakness and should have a pretty high floor for those looking to take him at No. 1 overall in rookie-only drafts later this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
April 7, 2026
Vanderbilt quarterback
Diego Pavia, who was the 2025 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, is visiting with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The 24-year-old Pavia led Vandy to its first win over a top-five team last year in school history. The Panthers already have
Bryce Young locked into the starting role in Carolina and
Kenny Pickett backing him up, so Pavia would be the QB3 in Carolina if he were drafted by the organization in 2026. Pavia led the SEC in completion percentage (70.6%), touchdown passes (29), yards per attempt (9.4), adjusted yards per attempt (9.94), and passing efficiency rating (170.4) in 13 games while throwing for a career-high 3,539 yards and eight interceptions in 13 games played. He's a gritty and tenacious QB prospect who thrives on being labeled an underdog. If he were to land in Carolina, he could push Pickett for the backup job behind Young in his first year in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
April 7, 2026
Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said on ESPN in an interview with Kevin Clark on This Is Football that the team is planning to build around new quarterback
Malik Willis. "I'm very comfortable with Malik and his ability to play with what's around him," Sullivan said. The Dolphins gave the 26-year-old Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract after they released
Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. In his two years with the Green Bay Packers, Willis completed 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions in 11 games (just three starts). In his four years in the NFL, Willis has only made six starts, and he'll be leading an offense in 2026 that will have do-it-all running back
De'Von Achane and not much else after
Tyreek Hill (knee) was cut and
Jaylen Waddle was traded to the Denver Broncos. Willis is very athletic and can be a dual threat under center with his arms and his legs, but he could be fighting an uphill battle for fantasy production in his first year in South Beach as Miami begins building around him through the draft.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kevin Clark
April 7, 2026
Chicago Bears quarterback
Caleb Williams finished his second professional season as the QB5 despite failing to reach 4,000 passing yards or even a 60% completion rate. Heading into year two under the tutelage of head coach Ben Johnson, if Williams can clean up some of the details that have plagued his young career, he has the natural ability and tools to become a fantasy league winner.
Rome Odunze,
Luther Burden III, and tight end
Colston Loveland represent one of the best young groups of pass catchers in the league, and for all of Williams' highlight-worthy improvisation, he's done a remarkable job of keeping the ball out of harm's way, accounting for 50 career touchdowns to only 13 interceptions and 19 total turnovers. While the sample size is small and imprecise,
Jared Goff finished as QB10 in his second season with the Lions (his first with Johnson at offensive coordinator) before reeling off consecutive top-7 finishes. Williams is currently RotoBaller's QB5 in dynasty rankings, so any meaningful leap could land him among the fantasy elite.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Lamar Jackson was present for the start of the team's offseason program on Monday. Jackson is coming off an injury-plagued and disappointing 2025 campaign for Baltimore, and he's also looking to get a head start after a regime change to new head coach Jesse Minter and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP appears to be in good standing with the front office as they work towards a contract extension with two years currently remaining on the five-year, $260 million contract he signed with the Ravens in April of 2023. Jackson played in only 13 games in 2025, throwing for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while rushing for 349 yards and two touchdowns on a career-low 67 rushing attempts. If the 29-year-old can put his lower-body injuries behind him in 2026, he'll be a clear bounce-back candidate with high-end QB1 potential. Jackson is still one of the most lethal dual-threat signal-callers in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baltimore Ravens
April 6, 2026
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks
Sam Howell and
Joe Milton III will compete for the backup role behind
Dak Prescott this summer, head coach Brian Schottenheimer told Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The Cowboys acquired Milton last offseason in hopes that he could offer a strong, accurate arm in case Prescott went down. Prescott was healthy for all 17 contests, but when Milton did get into the game, he struggled. He had three turnovers and just one touchdown across parts of four games. Perhaps because of his subpar results on the field, Dallas brought in Howell during the offseason. It appears that the Cowboys have a specific vision for their backup quarterback, as Howell offers mobility and a strong arm similar to Milton. The fantasy implications here are minimal, as we expect Prescott to start the full season unless he gives us a reason to believe otherwise.
--Andersen PickardSource: Todd Archer
April 6, 2026
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Cameron Ward (shoulder) has been "progressing very well" from a right shoulder injury that required offseason rehab, head coach Robert Saleh told Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. Saleh also noted that Ward has consistently been working in the building, sometimes on his own. It was a rookie season to forget for the No. 1 pick, who finished the 2025 campaign with just 3,169 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also took an NFL-high 55 sacks and lost seven fumbles. The turnover-to-touchdown ratio was far from ideal, and Ward will look to play cleaner football next season. He should benefit from an improved offense that now features wide receiver
Wan'Dale Robinson. We also expect
Gunnar Helm,
Elic Ayomanor, and
Chimere Dike to make significant second-year leaps. It's too early to proclaim Ward will be fantasy relevant across the board, but as he continues to recover amid his first full offseason in the NFL, he's certainly trending up.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jim Wyatt
April 6, 2026
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Will Levis could be the odd man out heading into the NFL Draft. Jim Wyatt of the team's official website writes that
Mitch Trubisky will back up
Cameron Ward next season, leaving Levis as either a trade candidate or competing with
Hendon Hooker for the No. 3 role. Wyatt even wrote that he "suspect[s] some teams have been inquiring about Levis," and he indicated that the second-round pick is talented enough to justify a trade, rather than a demotion to the third-string quarterback role. No trade has materialized yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if something came together during the NFL Draft, similar to how the Cardinals traded away
Josh Rosen during the draft after he simply didn't pan out in Arizona. One team that could be interested in Levis is the New York Jets. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com recently wrote that the Jets want to add a veteran backup before the draft, and he specifically mentioned Levis as a name to watch.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jim Wyatt
April 5, 2026
When quarterback
Trevor Lawrence was selected first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was considered by many to be the safest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, and yet, through his first four seasons in the league, questions still remained about whether or not he was a true franchise quarterback. In 2025, he took significant strides in his first season with head coach Liam Coen, helping him climb to QB11 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. With
Brian Thomas Jr. struggling mightily in his second season and
Travis Hunter lost to injury, the Jaguars retooled their wide receiver room on the fly, acquiring
Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline, and over the final nine weeks of the season, Lawrence threw 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He also finished the year with a career-high 359 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. The Jaguars enter the 2026 season with Thomas and Meyers still on the roster, along with underrated tight end
Brenton Strange, and
Parker Washington, whose own late-season surge coincided with Lawrence's. Hunter could spend more time on the defensive side of the ball in year two, but anything he can contribute offensively will only help to elevate an already dynamic group of pass catchers and their quarterback.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Dolphins quarterback
Malik Willis agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with Miami on the first day of free agency, and one week later, the team traded away its No. 1 wide receiver in
Jaylen Waddle. In speaking at the annual owners meeting, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters that the trade materialized after Willis' signing, but that he had a conversation with his new quarterback to ensure that he didn't feel "tricked". Sullivan stressed the need for Miami to get younger and cheaper, with a clear goal of surrounding Willis with a young core of players on rookie contracts. The Dolphins now hold the 11th and 30th picks in the first round of the NFL Draft, and with
Malik Washington,
Tutu Atwell, and
Jalen Tolbert currently topping the wide receiver depth chart, the team is expected to take multiple swings at the position in what is considered to be a deep draft class.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Marcel Louis-Jacques - ESPN
April 5, 2026
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford could have a limited workload leading up to the 2026 regular season, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Stafford missed most of training camp last summer due to a back injury, and the Rams will likely modify the number of throws he makes this upcoming summer to ensure that he stays healthy.
Jimmy Garoppolo took most of the QB1 reps when Stafford was sidelined last summer, and the Rams will likely follow a similar plan during training camp this year. Not only does reducing Stafford's workload keep him healthy, but it also increases the reps for Garoppolo, who needs to be ready in case his number is called at any point during the regular season. As long as Stafford stays healthy, he remains a low-end QB1 in fantasy football because of his role in a high-volume passing offense and the tremendous presence of receivers
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams.
--Andersen PickardSource: Sarah Barshop
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