-2025 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2025 Draft Kit
After seven topsy-turvy seasons with the Cardinals, Kyler Murray will make a fresh start with the Vikings in 2026. Murray may or may not be in a quarterback competition with JJ McCarthy for Minnesota's starting job, but it's widely expected that Murray will be taking the snaps when the Vikings face the Packers in Week 1. Murray played only five games last season before sustaining a foot sprain that eventually landed him on injured reserve. Murray's yearly finishes in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks with at least five starts: QB11, QB4, QB4, QB7, QB9, QB12, QB20. Murray steps into a good situation, with Kevin O'Connell as his playcaller, and he'll have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings as his wide receivers. Murray has always added rushing value, having averaged at least 30 rushing per game in all seven of his NFL seasons. The perception might be that Murray is damaged goods, but he could be one of the better QB values in 2026 fantasy drafts.
Tyler Shough enters the 2026 fantasy football season as a highly coveted, late-round breakout candidate and a premium QB2 with clear QB1 upside. After taking over the New Orleans Saints starting job in Week 8 last season, Shough finished an impressive rookie campaign with 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, and 3 rushing touchdowns across 9 starts (11 appearances), leading the Saints to a 5–4 record as the starter. While his season-long volume looks modest, his late-season metrics point toward a massive sophomore leap. Shough was the overall QB5 in fantasy points from Week 12 to Week 18. He completed 67.6% of his passes and maintained a stellar 1.5% turnover-worthy play rate down the stretch. Shough averaged roughly 20 rushing yards per game and notched 3 scores on the ground, providing an indispensable fantasy baseline. The Saints spent heavily in free agency and the draft to build a dynamic nest around their sophomore franchise signal-caller. Star wideout Chris Olave is now paired with elite rookie Jordyn Tyson, selected No. 8 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving Shough one of the most explosive young vertical duos in football. The Saints signed explosive playmaker Travis Etienne Jr. to handle lead running back duties and heavily fortified the interior offensive line by signing veteran guard David Edwards. Kellen Moore's offense operated at a league-leading 2.2 plays per minute and utilized no-huddle 22.7% of the time in 2025. This ultra-fast environment ensures Shough will secure massive pass-attempt volume. Shough is a premier "late-round quarterback" strategy target. With a current Average Draft Position (ADP) sitting well outside the top 100 picks around QB13 to QB15, you can comfortably wait until Round 10–12 to secure him as a high-floor backup or streaming starter.
Brock Purdy's pass-catching corps will look a lot different in 2026. Free-agent addition Mike Evans is expected to be Purdy's new No. 1 receiver, and the 49ers added WR Christian Kirk in free agency as well. Ricky Pearsall is still around, but Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne are gone. TE George Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles and might not be ready for the start of the season. A nagging turf toe injury limited Purdy to nine starts in 2025. He threw 20 TD passes despite missing all that time, but he also threw 10 interceptions. Purdy has ranked inside QB1 range in fantasy points per game in each of his three full seasons as a starter. Consider him a low-end QB1 in 2026 fantasy drafts.
Cast aside by the Titans and rejuvenated by a stint as a backup with the Packers, Malik Willis now gets a chance to prove himself as a starter for the Dolphins, who signed him to a three-year, $67 million contract in March. Willis is an electric runner. In six career starts, Willis has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game and has run for four touchdowns. And Willis seems to have made considerable strides as a passer. Over 11 appearances and three starts in Green Bay in 2024 and 2025, Willis completed 78.7% of his throws and averaged 10.9 yards per pass attempt, with six TD passes and zero interceptions. Willis will be hard-pressed to match that sort of passing efficiency with the Dolphins, who might have the worst collection of pass catchers in the league. But Willis' running ability should make him fantasy-viable even if his passing numbers are mediocre.
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. He should be regarded as a low-end QB1 in 2026 fantasy drafts.