Jul 16, 2026, 06:18 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions
Have you considered waiting to draft your starting quarterback in fantasy football this year but are a little worried about getting less production from the position? We often hear how deep the position is, but is there an approach that can help you feel good about exercising patience on draft day? Eric Karabell and Tristan H. Cockcroft talk through the process and offer specific QB pairings to target in order to make this strategy work.
Karabell: Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is truly awesome, but there is really no way he should be a second-round pick in standard (non-superflex) ESPN fantasy football leagues. Honestly, I cannot make much of a case to take any of the first seven QBs based on their ESPN ADP in those spots. Quarterback remains a deep position, there is room for only one active passer, and it makes far more sense (at least to me) to load up — and I do mean load up — on running backs and wide receivers. You know, the typical flex options.
OK, so we need only one active flex option, but that isn't really true. You need them all season as you move running backs and wide receivers into lineups, paying attention to their performance, bye weeks, matchups and injuries. You need to utilize that early pick on a flex option — not Allen, and certainly not QB injury risks such as Jayden Daniels or Jaxson Dart. This hardly means we ignore quarterbacks, but drafts are about value. There is significant value on QBs later. In fact, after the first seven QBs, there is a productive group of eight QBs from which to choose!
My statistically based colleague Tristan H. Cockcroft watched my strategy as we participated in a million mock drafts (well, close to it) this spring, as I passed up the top quarterbacks, regularly became the last of the 10 drafters to secure one, and then quickly became the first to roster two quarterbacks.
Tristan felt he could improve on this approach by strategically pairing QBs based on their schedules. What are we doing here?
Cockcroft: We're essentially streaming the quarterback position by picking two in the later rounds and starting the one with the better matchup each week. If you pick the right combination of quarterbacks outside of the top tiers — meaning beyond Round 8 — you can make up the difference in scoring that Allen gives you with the perfect matchups pairing.
Karabell: To be clear, the reason I was taking a second QB right after my first, or perhaps with the next pick, was not to optimize their schedules. We mocked more than a dozen drafts before the NFL released the 2026 schedule. (There is never a bad time to mock!) I was taking the esteemed "Mr. very relevant" Brock Purdy (my annual favorite sleeper QB) and then, depending on availability, one of Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence or Justin Herbert (See, there are so many! That’s my point!).
My reasoning: Quarterbacks get hurt, too, and I don't want to rely on Geno Smith. (Or do I?)
So let's say I wait until Round 10 (still a tad early for me, but let's go with it) and nobody has chosen my beloved Purdy. I think he is a worthy weekly fantasy starter, but do you have the math that tells us, based on his schedule this season, who I should immediately pair him with for perfect streaming purposes?
Cockcroft: Now that we know the schedule, we've got Purdy's perfect partner: Nix.
If you line up the weeks where both play, Purdy gets outstanding matchups at ideal times relative to Nix's schedule and vice versa, such as Weeks 2 (Purdy gets the Cardinals, Nix the Rams), 6 (Purdy the Commanders, Nix the Seahawks) and 14 (Nix the Jets, Purdy the Rams). Additionally, during Nix's Week 10 bye, Purdy faces the Cowboys, a middling-to-favorable QB matchup. If there's a weak point to this pairing — there's naturally going to be for any combination, just as Allen's fantasy managers will deal with his bye week and other suboptimal matchups — it's that Nix faces the Chiefs, a below-average-to-tough QB matchup, during Purdy's Week 8 bye.
Given that, when waiting until the 10th round, I'm taking two quarterbacks — and, if it's Purdy first, I'm taking Nix as his partner. If you're worried that someone might draft Nix before you can manage to get him, he's not the only strong partner. Herbert and Lawrence are second and third best on my list. For you deeper leaguers, Kyler Murray pairs up nicely.
Karabell: It seemed obvious to me to wait on QBs, but you providing me with the scheduling context makes it even clearer. I will do this every season! I do wonder, though, who presents the most unusual case among those midround quarterbacks?
Cockcroft: Mahomes is the answer from this tier, presuming he's ready to play in Week 1 as expected. You wouldn't want to use him for the season-opening Broncos matchup, but he's one of the few quarterbacks whose bye week falls at a time where there's a wealth of alternatives (the Panthers are the only other team off in Week 5). Mahomes, assuming all goes well on the health front, pairs well with almost everyone from this group, but his three optimal pairings are Nix, Stafford and Purdy. In deeper leagues, Murray is once again a strong partner.
Karabell: Excellent! Could you list the quarterbacks other than Purdy and Mahomes from this tier for optimal pairing purposes?
Cockcroft: Here's a complete chart for all of the QBs in this tier, listed in ADP order for the starter:
Karabell: OK, so that makes 15 quarterbacks (seven in the first eight rounds of ADP, then the group of eight above). But there must be others worthy of streaming inclusion. The Detroit Lions boast arguably the top offense in the sport and perhaps the most attractive schedule. Surely their QB must be worthwhile here!
Cockcroft: Yes, Jared Goff leads the next tier of fantasy QBs, which includes Shough, Murray, Baker Mayfield and Jordan Love. Goff has a fair number of strong partnerships from the previous tier, particularly Nix and Purdy.
And revisiting the back end of that first tier, here's a nugget for you Jaxson Dart fans: Dart's matchups pair with Goff's about as well as any two quarterbacks for 2026, as Dart faces the Saints during Goff's Week 6 bye and Goff gets the Vikings during Dart's Week 8 bye. If you're planning on drafting Dart, Goff is one of the best, and most reasonably priced, backups to pick.
Karabell: Well, I am not planning on going near Dart at that generous ADP. It scares me every time he runs. You're a Giants fan! It must scare you, too! Are there any odd combinations of QBs that few, if any, would consider?
Cockcroft: Well, you mentioned Geno Smith. Oddly enough, he's a strong partner for managers that play in deeper (16-plus teams) or superflex leagues. Don't write him off!
Smith meshes best with Mahomes, as the two have ideally matched schedules. You can use Smith in Weeks 1 and 2 against the Titans and Packers, while evaluating Mahomes' return to full strength, then start Mahomes for Weeks 3 and 4 against the Dolphins and Raiders, then Smith against the Browns during Mahomes' Week 5 bye. Note that my projections grade the Browns as an above-average matchup for a QB despite being well-regarded defensively overall. When selecting three QBs in a superflex league, for example, consider a Mahomes-Smith partnership to fill one starting slot.
Karabell: A Jets QB in fantasy? A New York Jet? Now I know you have gone too far, Tristan. But seriously, this is tremendous stuff pairing up the QBs.
