Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels among notable injured QBs — Here's what it could mean for fantasy football in 2026

Injuries are the worst part of football. No one wants to see players get hurt and have to go through grueling recoveries in order to get back on the field. Unfortunately, it’s an unavoidable byproduct of an incredibly physical sport.

When it comes to fantasy football, you have to be adaptable because injuries are difficult to foresee. However, you can give yourself an advantage in drafts if you’re able to accurately predict when injured stars will return to action. While some players are ahead of schedule and should be back to form in time for Week 1, others are facing more challenging rehabs that could keep them sidelined well into the season.

Let’s start by taking a look at the fantasy quarterbacks who are working their way back from serious injuries and what it could mean for their outlooks in 2026. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Injury: ACL and LCL tear (December) Boone’s redraft ranking : QB15 Fantasy Outlook: Mahomes’ injury creates some uncertainty around his Week 1 status and the addition of Justin Fields seems like the Chiefs’ way of preparing in case their franchise quarterback isn’t ready. Even if Mahomes suits up in September, he could experience a dramatic decline in rushing production, which was a big reason for his bounce-back in 2025.

After finishing as the QB11 and QB12 the previous two years, Mahomes found himself back among the elite producers at the position thanks to career highs in rushing yards (422) and rushing touchdowns (five) in just 14 games. He was averaging the second-most fantasy points per game among quarterbacks through 15 weeks before getting hurt. However, most passers coming off serious knee injuries aren’t as aggressive running the ball the following season.