The quarterback position is one of the most flexible in NFL DFS. You can go in a variety of different ways. Do you pay up for one of the top studs or try to save some money with a value option? Do you eat the chalk or look for a low-owned option with upside? There’s no 100% one-size-fits-all answer, so each slate and contest type is going to require thought and consideration.
In this piece, I highlight quarterbacks who stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.
As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.
And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options
Trevor Lawrence ($6,100 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
Has the prince who was promised finally arrived? Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, it seemed like a matter of when, not if, Lawrence would become one of the league’s best quarterbacks. He was considered a can’t-miss prospect, which made his first four seasons feel pretty disappointing. He showed minimal signs of improvement, and it seemed as though he’d never live up to his lofty expectations.
However, Lawrence has started to change the narrative. He’s played some of the best football of his career in recent weeks, and he’s helped propel the Jaguars to seven straight wins and the top of the AFC South standings. For fantasy purposes, he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, including two straight massive outings. He racked up 47.3 DraftKings points vs. the lowly Jets, and he followed that up with a masterful performance against the Broncos’ elite defense. He went into Denver and tallied 279 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions against the presumptive No. 1 seed in the AFC.
If Lawrence can do that vs. the Broncos, there’s no reason he can’t do it vs. the Colts. Indianapolis is reeling, and its defense surrendered 440 yards and 48 points to the 49ers last week. They’re 28th in pass defense EPA since Week 10, and while they’re expected to get back top cornerback Sauce Gardner this week, the Jaguars are still expected to do plenty of scoring. They’re currently implied for 27.0 points, which is the third-highest mark on the main slate.
Lawrence leads all QBs in projected Plus/Minus on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He has seen a pretty sizable price increase in recent weeks, but there’s no reason he can’t continue to provide solid value.
Jacoby Brissett ($5,700 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel)
Things finally went a bit sideways for Brissett in his last outing. He finished with just 11.62 DraftKings points vs. the Falcons, tallying just 203 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was the first time that he failed to return value as the Cardinals’ starting QB, snapping a streak of nine straight games with a positive Plus/Minus and at least 20.04 DraftKings points.
The good news is that Brissett looks poised to start a new streak this Sunday. He’s taking on the Bengals in what is the clear-cut top game of the week for fantasy purposes. It leads the slate with a 53.5-point total, and Brissett should be forced into a pass-heavy game script as a seven-point underdog. The Cardinals haven’t needed a ton of excuses to have Brissett throw the ball at will, ranking first in the league in Dropback Over Expectation since taking over as the starter in Week 6.
Before last week’s outing, Brissett had attempted at least 40 passes in seven of nine starts. That is a ton of volume, and a lot of his best performances have come as a large underdog. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.83 in five starts as a dog of at least seven points (per the Trends tool).
Brissett is slightly cheaper than Lawrence across the industry, making him a solid alternative if you can’t afford the Jaguars’ QB.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
Joe Burrow ($6,500 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel)
Burrow will be on the other side of Brissett in that matchup, and the Bengals stand out as the top team target on the slate. They lead all teams with an implied team total above 30 points, and Burrow erased any cause for concern with his performance last week vs. the Dolphins. Burrow carved them up for 309 yards and four touchdown passes en route to 31.96 DraftKings points.
This week’s matchup is even better. The Cardinals are 31st in pass defense EPA since Week 10, and they’ve surrendered plenty of big performances for fantasy purposes. They’ve allowed at least 40 points in four of their past seven games, and even Kirk Cousins and the Falcons managed 26 points against them last week.
Burrow is priced at a massive discount on DraftKings, where his $6,500 salary comes with a 95% Bargain Rating. He stands out as the clear top tournament option at the position on that site, leading all passers in Sim Labs optimal lineup rate.
Drake Maye ($6,800 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel)
On FanDuel, Maye gets the top spot for tournaments. He’s slightly cheaper than Burrow on that site, but he possesses a slightly higher ceiling projection in our NFL Models.
The big difference between Maye and Burrow is that Maye can do some damage with his legs. He’s not truly elite in that department, but he’s averaged 25.8 rushing yards per game while adding four touchdowns. Add that to his production with his arm – 3,947 yards and 25 scores – and he’s been one of the best QBs in fantasy all season. He’s averaged the fourth-most fantasy points per game at the position, trailing only Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, and Patrick Mahomes.
Maye should be able to keep the good times rolling this week vs. the Jets. Their defense has struggled for most of the year, and the Patriots’ 28.0 implied team total ranks second on the slate. The Jets have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to opposing passers, giving Maye an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.2 on FanDuel.
He leads all QBs in optimal lineup rate on that site, and he’s No. 3 on DraftKings. Maye, Burrow, and Lawrence stand out as the clear-cut top three options at the position, with one of the three showing up in the optimal lineup sims nearly 60% of the time.
Jaxson Dart ($5,400 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel)
Dart has had an up-and-down rookie season. When he’s been on the field, the results have typically been good. However, he’s spent a lot of time in the blue tent on the sidelines, and he was forced to miss two games with a concussion. There has been a lot of talk about Dart’s longevity if he continues to take big hits as a runner.
The Giants have tried to rein Dart in a bit since returning from his concussion, but a tiger can’t change his stripes. He was back up to a 13% designed rush rate and 14% scramble rate in his second game back, and rushing production has always been a massive driver of fantasy scoring for quarterbacks. Dart finished with 23.14 DraftKings points in that outing, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of 10 games as a starter overall.
Dart’s rushing production took a step back last week vs. the Vikings, and he turned in easily his worst game as a professional. He was on the field for every offensive snap, but he finished with just 13 pass attempts, two rush attempts, and 1.02 DraftKings points. The Giants are clearly tanking and trying to make it to the finish line before cleaning house this offseason.
It gives Dart a pretty wide range of outcomes this week against a team that is trying just as hard to lose. The Raiders will be without stud pass-rusher Maxx Crosby in what is essentially a battle for the No. 1 overall pick. If Dart goes back to using his legs a bit more, he could put together a big day against a team that ranks 26th in pass defense EPA. He trails only the “big three” options this week in optimal lineup rate at QB, and he’s projected for significantly less ownership than each of them.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Sam Darnold ($5,900 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
The Seahawks are in control of their own destiny for the top spot in the NFC. If they can beat the Panthers this week and the 49ers in the last game of the regular season, they’ll have homefield advantage until a potential appearance in the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks earned that advantage with one of the wildest wins you’ll ever see last week vs. the Rams. That wasn’t exactly due to Darnold. The team had some huge breaks in that contest, but Darnold ultimately came through when he needed to. He led the team on a huge touchdown drive in overtime and finished the game off with a successful two-point conversion.
Darnold’s matchup this week vs. the Panthers is far from ideal, but he stands out as undervalued in Sim Labs. He has the sixth-highest optimal lineup rate on DraftKings, and he has the second-largest discrepancy between projected ownership and optimal lineup rate. Only Lawrence is expected to be more underowned.
Tyler Shough ($5,200 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)
Shough was a bit of a shock as the Saints’ second-round pick in 2025. They needed a quarterback, but Shough was considered far from an elite prospect. He spent seven years in college, transferring from Oregon to Texas Tech before finally wrapping things up at Louisville. He impressed enough in his seventh season to make it to the NFL, and he has exceeded expectations since earning the starting spot in New Orleans. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he had the first 300-yard game of his career last week vs. the Jets. Shough has also led the team to three straight wins, including victories over the two top teams in the NFC South.
Shough has ultimately played the Saints out of contention for a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he has likely secured his starting status heading into next season. Still, a few more positive performances down the stretch wouldn’t hurt. He has a great opportunity to build on his success vs. the Panthers, who have been an excellent matchup this season. Shough owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.0 on DraftKings, which is the second-best mark on the slate.
Shough also remains very affordable at $5,200 on DraftKings, resulting in a 92% Bargain Rating. He has played much better than his current price tag suggests, and he’s another player whose optimal lineup rate exceeds his projected ownership in Sim Labs.
Baker Mayfield ($5,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
It’s impossible to have any degree of confidence in Mayfield at the moment. He has not looked like the same quarterback he was in 2024-25 and the first half of this season. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, and he hasn’t been particularly close to returning value in most of them. He had just 145 yards and one touchdown last week vs. the Panthers, and the only reason his fantasy production wasn’t truly horrific was his 49 rushing yards.
Still, the Buccaneers are fighting for their playoff lives, and Mayfield is expected to have his full complement of weapons available at his disposal. His matchup this week vs. the Dolphins is also his friendliest in weeks, with Miami allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. A matchup vs. the Dolphins helped Burrow break out of his slump last week, so perhaps it can help do the same for Mayfield.
This game also stands out because of its location. On a slate that should be full of suboptimal weather conditions, this game will take place in sunny Miami. The forecast currently calls for roughly 80-degree temperatures, and the Bucs have the fourth-highest implied team total of the week. It makes this a solid bounce-back opportunity.
Pictured: Trevor Lawrence
Photo Credit: Imagn Images
