Fantasy Football: QB situations in Arizona, Atlanta among 5 biggest questions for NFC teams this offseason

· Yahoo Sports

As a busy offseason looms, many NFC teams enter with questions left unanswered. With changes coming in free agency, on draft day, and throughout the summer, analyst Joel Smyth goes over five key questions that can shape the 2026 fantasy football season.​ Smyth covered the AFC earlier in the week.

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It was a tumultuous year for San Francisco. Injuries galore, including at quarterback, and yet, head coach Kyle Shanahan did his usual, leading the offense to the fourth-most fantasy points of 2025. It highlights the importance of coaching in fantasy football and opens the door for multiple breakout candidates in 2026. With George Kittle tearing his Achilles and the 49ers WR room being an open competition, the upside available later in August drafts will be key.

Brock Purdy isn’t Tom Brady, but in a Shanahan offense, there are not many quarterbacks in the league better for fantasy. He led the position in catchable target rate to WRs and TEs, has the highest yards per attempt in the Super Bowl Era, and has reached an elite 7%+ TD per attempt in three of his four seasons. In a year without healthy receivers, Purdy ranked third in fantasy points per pass behind only Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye.

The question becomes who besides Christian McCaffrey can benefit from the 49ers offense, especially as Kittle makes his way back from injury, and Jauan Jennings becomes a free agent? Candidate No. 1 is Ricky Pearsall, who, before injury, averaged nearly 94 yards in his three healthy games, after recording 210 yards in his final two games of 2024. Just as likely to be fighting for the No. 1 WR spot is a receiver in free agency or through the NFL Draft. At the end of the day, rolling the dice on any of them late in the drafts is a wise shot, as San Francisco has produced four top-15 fantasy receivers in the last five years, which does not include Kittle.

For a short stint, Rico Dowdle looked to be a fantasy league-winner in the Panthers offense. His 130 rushing yards per game over a five-week stretch dwindled down to 43 the rest of the way with Chuba Hubbard in the fold. Money is a big factor this offseason. Dowdle, who makes next to nothing, is set to be a free agent in March, the same as last year. Carolina is unlikely to re-sign him while Hubbard has three years remaining on a four-year contract worth $33 million.

The issue then becomes, can Hubbard return to his 2024 self? This past season, he had zero explosive carries, not a single run of 15+ yards. Of 49 running backs, he ranked 49th in yards after contact per attempt. His potential will likely depend on the health and effectiveness of the young Jonathan Brooks, a second-round pick in 2024, who only has nine career carries due to injury. If multiple backs enter Week 1 with split playing time likely, I’d rather pass on the whole backfield. However, if Dave Canales has an RB similar to Rachaad White in his 2023 offense, the efficiency won’t matter if top-five RB volume potential is there.

Arizona has until March 15 to decide on whether Kyler Murray will stay a Cardinal in 2026 and earn his base salary, or head to free agency. It looks unlikely he will be Mike LaFleur’s starting quarterback in September as the new coaching staff is looking for answers at the position. Jacoby Brissett is the next option outside of the draft, but a 33-year-old who’s won two of his last 17 starts is not the future. With the lack of young options in free agency, the most likely scenario is Brissett starting the year, with a rookie waiting in the ranks.

After Fernando Mendoza, the QB position among NFL Draft hopefuls falls off fast. The third overall pick isn’t necessarily the answer, but it doesn’t mean the new regime in Arizona won’t get a QB on Day 2. Either Ty Simpson in Round 2 or Carson Beck in Round 3 gives LaFleur another option behind Brissett to give the future some glimmer of hope. For fantasy purposes, the best case scenario would be Brissett returning, and not only repeating his 2025 performance (rather than 2024), but staying the starter as long as possible, as I’d be far less confident in a Day 2 rookie QB to provide the same production for the Arizona pass catchers.

There have been plenty of receivers drafted inside the top-10 in recent years, with very few working out as rookies in fantasy football. Malik Nabers and Ja’Marr Chase have been the big hits as WR1s out of the gate, with a couple more, such as Jaylen Waddle and Tetairoa McMillan, finishing as WR2s in FPPG. The issue with being drafted top-10 is that you’re often not being selected by the greatest offense to shine right away. Three key teams selecting early in the NFL Draft are looking to add a WR2 to an offense in a rare, high-potential spot.

NYG - The Giants are an interesting one. Nabers’ ACL recovery news has been shaky, making his Week 1 availability not guaranteed. Jaxson Dart wasn’t the most accurate QB in Year 1, but led an offense ranked 15th in scoring as a starter. With little competition, a top rookie WR has a chance for a fast start.

WAS - Jayden Daniels’ injury completely derailed the Commanders season. Even after struggling in 2025, Daniels ranks 13th in yards per attempt over the last two seasons. With a new coaching staff, a rookie WR alongside Terry McLaurin can provide intriguing value in the later rounds of fantasy drafts, similar to how Deebo Samuel Sr. did in 2025.

NO - The Saints are my personal favorite, especially considering I believe they will be underestimated. Do I believe Tyler Shough is a top QB? No, but I do believe Kellen Moore’s offense makes up for it in fantasy football. Their fast pace, WR-friendly offense led Chris Olave to being the overall WR8 in FPPG, even with Spencer Rattler beginning the year as the starting QB. After ranking fourth in targets per game, Olave can co-exist with a rookie WR2 that can elevate this Saints offense, looking for more weapons for their young quarterback.

Kirk Cousins is all but gone and Michael Penix Jr. is coming off a third torn ACL, adding to his never-ending list of injuries. Kevin Stefanski enters Atlanta with loads of talent, except for a glaring question mark at the quarterback position. Even when healthy, Penix struggled heavily in accuracy, shown by his NFL high in “off-target” throws. The issue for Atlanta is that its options are severely limited. They don’t have draft capital and the free agent list is slim. ​

Because of last year’s trade on the first night of the NFL Draft, the Falcons will be without their first-round selection this season. The rumored options in free agency then become Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco or Carson Wentz, nobody that is providing much hope for the franchise. As a result for fantasy managers, some of the best players in the NFL will come with extreme risk. Bijan Robinson, Drake London and even Kyle Pitts Sr. (if he’s re-signed) have a shaky situation with Penix, counting on there being no regression coming back from injury. And if he gets re-injured for the sixth time in nine years? The likelihood of a major bust increases drastically.

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