Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings: Should You Draft Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow?
A top-tier quarterback can anchor a fantasy football roster, but drafting the wrong one at cost can leave managers chasing points all season. Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow both offer elite ceilings for 2026, though they get there in very different ways: Burrow wins with passing volume, efficiency, and arguably the league's best receiving duo, while Jackson remains one of fantasy football's most dangerous matchup-swingers because of what he adds as a runner.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson looked like he was headed for another elite fantasy season when 2025 opened. Over his first three games plus 30% of Week 4, he piled up 840 combined yards and 10 touchdowns, good for 89.90 fantasy points in four-point passing touchdown formats, while posting an excellent 72.0% completion rate and 9.6 yards per pass attempt.
His season shifted quickly after a hamstring injury forced an early Week 4 exit and cost him three games. Over his final nine appearances, Jackson lost some of his usual explosiveness, totaling 1,863 combined yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. His rushing efficiency dipped to 4.0 yards per carry, while his completion rate fell sharply to 59.9%.
The inconsistency showed up in fantasy results. Outside of his early-season run, Jackson delivered only two other strong fantasy performances: Week 9 (27.60 fantasy points) and Week 14 (24.25). He also battled ankle and back issues late in the season, eventually missing Week 17.
Durability remains part of the equation. Over the last five seasons, Jackson has missed at least four games three different times. More concerning, he failed to record a single run of 20-plus yards in 2025, finishing with 67 carries for 349 yards and two touchdowns after producing 51 rushes of 20 or more yards across the previous seven seasons.
Lamar Jackson has the best highlights you'll ever see pic.twitter.com/uqfIcTCgRw
- JacksonMuse (@Jackson_Muse) October 6, 2025
Baltimore also enters 2026 with some offensive turnover. The Ravens lost tight end Isiah Likely in the offseason and added five offensive skill players in the 2026 NFL Draft: wide receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, tight ends Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas, plus running back Adam Randall.
Lamar Jackson 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook
Jackson now heads into 2026 adjusting to a new coaching staff, a different offensive system, and a reshaped supporting cast. Even with those variables, fantasy managers continue to view him as elite, as he currently sits as the QB2 in early National Fantasy Football Championship drafts with an ADP of 41 in six-point passing touchdown formats.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow's 2023 season never had a chance to stabilize. He opened the year limited by a calf injury, completing just 57.6% of his passes while averaging only 4.8 yards per attempt over his first four games, totaling 728 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
There were signs he was regaining form. Burrow posted 513 combined yards and five touchdowns over a two-game stretch, then followed it with three consecutive productive outings (326/3, 352/2, and 367/2 while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt) before a wrist injury ended his season in Week 11.
That injury was especially frustrating given what came before it. Burrow had already established himself as one of the league's premier passers with back-to-back monster seasons: 4,729 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in 2021, followed by 4,732 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2022.
He returned in 2024 and immediately reminded everyone why he belongs in the elite tier. Burrow set career highs across the board with 5,119 combined yards and 45 touchdowns while posting seven 300-yard passing games.
The Cincinnati Bengals hit another gear during a seven-game heater in which Burrow averaged 355 passing yards per game with 23 touchdowns against just four interceptions. His best outings came in Week 10 (434/4) and Week 17 (437/4), helping him finish as the QB2 in four-point passing touchdown formats with 436.60 fantasy points.
The concern, as always, is durability. Cincinnati's offensive line struggled badly early last season, allowing 13 sacks over the first four games and contributing to ugly road performances against Cleveland (17 points), Minnesota (10), and Denver (3). Burrow's season was then derailed again when he suffered a toe injury just 30% into Week 2, ultimately missing 10 games after surgery.
Even so, Burrow was excellent when available late in the year. Over his final six starts, he averaged 276 combined yards and 2.5 touchdowns per game, good for 24.17 fantasy points per contest. Stretched across a full season, that pace would have comfortably placed him among fantasy's top five quarterbacks.
NFL's top-5 completion % leaders in NFL history:
- BetMGM (@BetMGM) March 14, 2026
1. Joe Burrow 68.5%
2. Tua Tagovailoa 68.0%
3. Drew Brees 67.7%
4. Jimmy Garoppolo 67.4%
5. Kyler Murray 67.1%
This is a crazy group of names
Joe Burrow 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook
Cincinnati returns its offensive core, including Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, while also adding wide receiver Colbie Young in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Bengals addressed offensive line depth as well by drafting centers Connor Lew (4.28) and Brian Parker (6.8).
Burrow is currently being drafted as the QB3 in early NFBC leagues with an ADP of 48 in six-point passing touchdown formats. If Burrow, Chase, and Higgins all stay healthy for 17 games, a 5,000-yard, 40-touchdown season is firmly in play.
Should You Draft Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow in 2026 Fantasy Leagues?
For 2026, the safer bet in pure passing production is Burrow, but fantasy football rarely rewards safety alone at quarterback. Jackson gets the slight edge because his rushing upside can single-handedly win weekly matchups, while Burrow's fantasy ceiling is more vulnerable to injury dominoes-whether that's another Burrow absence or missed time from Tee Higgins or Ja'Marr Chase destabilizing Cincinnati's passing attack.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings: Should You Draft Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow?.
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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 3:51 PM.