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.

I’m projecting Mahomes outside of the top-12 until we get a more clear timeline for his recovery, but regardless you should be lowering your expectations for him in 2026.

Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Injury: Elbow dislocation (December)

Boone’s redraft ranking: QB5

Fantasy Outlook: Daniels’ elbow shouldn’t be a problem in 2026, but his thin frame and aggressive running style will continue to add risk to his fantasy profile.

The 25-year-old is coming off an injury-riddled season where he only played the majority of the snaps in six games and didn’t have any huge fantasy performances. He was the QB13 in fantasy points per game in the first half of the season and didn’t top-23 fantasy points in any games.

Compare that to his rookie year when he was the QB4 overall and had six outings above 28 fantasy points, including four of his final five appearances.

So, were his 2025 results all injury related or did defenses begin to figure him out?

We’ll have some changes in the Commanders’ offense with a new coordinator in David Blough and the departure of some veteran starters like Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz, but I expect Daniels to reestablish himself as a top-five fantasy quarterback — as long as he can stay healthy.

Bo Nix, Broncos

Injury: Ankle fracture (January)

Boone’s redraft ranking: QB12

Fantasy Outlook: Nix is projected to be ready to go when OTAs get underway, so there’s no concern about his availability for the season.

After starting his career with back-to-back campaigns as a top-10 QB in fantasy points per game, Nix will have his best supporting cast yet thanks to the arrival of wideout Jaylen Waddle.

That should generate improvement on the passing front, to go along with his impressive rushing production (786 yards and nine rushing TDs over two seasons).

Nix is firmly ranked as a mid-to-low-end fantasy QB1 with the potential to be a league-winner if Waddle shines in Denver.

Kyler Murray, Vikings

Injury: Lisfranc foot sprain (October)

Boone’s redraft ranking: QB13

Fantasy Outlook: Murray’s time in Arizona came to an end long before he left in free agency, so there was little reason for him to try and rush back from his early-season foot injury.

Now, he’ll have plenty of time to get right before stepping under center for a fresh start in Minnesota.

Don’t let last season’s disappointing production from Murray (failed to post a top-15 weekly finish in any of his five games) deter you from drafting him this year. Prior to 2025, Murray was a top-12 fantasy QB on a per game basis in five separate campaigns.

With the Vikings, he’ll benefit from an upgraded environment in terms of coaching and his supporting cast. When you pair Murray’s rushing ability with Kevin O’Connell’s past success with veteran passers, it will give Murray an excellent chance to become a fantasy starter once again.

Daniel Jones, Colts

Injury: Achilles tear (December)

Boone’s redraft ranking: QB23

Fantasy Outlook: Jones has indicated that he expects to be ready for Week 1, but recognizes the difficult road ahead of him in order to make that a reality.

However, the bigger worry from a fantasy perspective isn’t whether Jones will be back for the opener, it’s how much the injury will impact him this season.

After all, Jones was the eighth-highest scoring fantasy quarterback before suffering the season-ending injury. His 164 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns were an important aspect of him hitting that mark.

Sadly, he’s unlikely to be as much of a factor in the run game in his first year after an Achilles tear and you have to wonder whether it could impact his success on deeper throws as well.

Prior to getting hurt, Jones helped the Colts to an 8-2 record with their offense being near the top of the league in several categories. Following the injury, they failed to win a game and their offense struggled most weeks.

With Michael Pittman Jr. gone, there will be a period of adjustment for the passing attack, but if Jones isn’t as much of a threat on the ground it will turn him back into an unappealing fantasy QB2.

Michael Penix Jr., Falcons

Injury: ACL tear (November)

Boone’s redraft ranking: QB30

Fantasy Outlook: Penix is the least exciting fantasy quarterback on this list and has yet to prove himself worthy of the top-10 pick the Falcons used to draft him in 2024. Entering his age-26 season, Penix has a tough path in front of him as he attempts to get back to peak form after his third ACL tear (two suffered in college during the 2018 and 2020 campaigns).

Atlanta’s front office clearly wasn’t sure if he’d be ready for Week 1, which led them to add Tua Tagovailoa as an insurance policy. Penix is a pocket-passer, so we don’t need to worry about the ACL tear impacting his rushing production. We do have to monitor his recovery process and how it might affect his ability to get comfortable in the system implemented by new head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who will be the playcaller.

If Penix misses valuable reps in OTAs and possibly even training camp, it will almost guarantee that Tua is under center in September.

Though Penix did finish as a top-12 fantasy QB three times despite only playing half the season, he’s in the midst of an uphill battle to become fantasy relevant in 2026.

Redraft managers can stay away entirely, while dynasty managers should be very concerned about his declining value. Hopefully we’ll see Penix recapture the starting job and finish the season strong, but there’s a real chance the Falcons will be back in the QB market in 2027.

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