2026 Rookie Quarterbacks: Gems and Landmines (Dynasty Fantasy Football)

by Samwise · Featured
2026 Rookie Quarterbacks Dynasty

It’s time to round out the Gems and Landmines series with the most important position on the field: quarterback. We’ll highlight three 2026 rookie quarterbacks that you will want to know when that time comes for the NFL draft and your subsequent dynasty fantasy football rookie draft. On to the signal-callers! Two “gems” to target and one “landmine” to fade.

For this exercise, I’ve left presumptive No. 1 pick and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) and cool-as-a-cucumber Ty Simpson (Bama) off the list. With Mendoza expected to kick off the draft and Simpson likely to go late in Round 1, these are slam-dunk must-draft players in all dynasty formats. What if you’re QB-needy and don’t have the capital for those two? Let’s get into it.

For more “Gems and Landmines,” bang it here: Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends

PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out.

Dynasty Rookie Quarterback Gems

Trinidad Chambliss (RS Senior), Ole Miss

Chambliss came seemingly out of nowhere, and really, he did. Div. II Ferris State to be exact, where the school is as well-known as the city that houses it in Big Rapids (not Grand Rapids), MI. The quarterback from Grand Rapids enrolled in the school in 2021, where he ended up being the “big fish in a little pond” while leading the Bulldogs to the Div. II Championship in 2024, where he racked up five total touchdowns. With nothing more to prove at that level, Chambliss entered the transfer portal with his sights set on a step up to a competitive program in Division I.

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss came calling. Expectations were not through the roof for a kid making a jump to the big leagues, and Chambliss finished his collegiate career with just one Div. I season under his belt. But what a season it was. All Chambliss did was lead the SEC with 3,937 yards passing, with 22 touchdowns through the air to a measly three interceptions. He tacked on another 527 yards with his legs and found paydirt in that manner another eight times. The 23-year-old finished his only top-flight season eighth in Heisman Trophy balloting and led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals as the No. 6-ranked team.

If you thought that the Justin Fieldses and Anthony Richardsons of the world have soured the salivating of NFL general managers over elite dual-threat playmaking ability, you’re sorely mistaken. Chambliss is cool and accurate in the pocket, but his awareness and escapability are already pro-level, as well. He has that “can’t teach it” ability to extend the game and allow receivers to find gaps on broken plays, which is very much key to his success. Further, he’s not limited to the “tuck-and-run,” instead finding every way to make plays as a quarterback first. Lastly, Chambliss typically utilizes his legs only on designed keepers and for immediate survival against heavy pressure.

The clock for the NFL is ticking loudly. The redshirt senior is fighting for another year at Ole Miss, presumably hoping to finish the journeys that he started in his lone season. Feb. 12 is the date his preliminary injunction will be heard in court. Given the landscape of the draft class, he would be better coming in now with a Day 2 grade from teams in a lackluster QB class than trying his luck against a bevy of signal-callers in 2027. Win or lose, he has time to make the final decision … but not much. Fantasy managers would need to target him at the top of the second round once Mendoza and Simpson go off the board. Depending on the 2026 Combine results, he has a shot to leapfrog Simpson thanks to his athletic ability.

Sawyer Robertson (RS Senior), Baylor

There are several quarterbacks ticketed to come off the board before Robertson at the 2026 NFL Draft. Garrett Nussmeier, Taylen Greene, and Drew Allar are a few expected to find homes first. However, we can’t talk about fantasy football “gems” without a couple of names that will fly under the radar in your league. Enter Robertson. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it might just be the next big thing amongst waterfowl that can drop a pass into the breadbasket of a wideout 50 yards downfield.

Robertson isn’t a duck, though. He finished his career in college as a Baylor Bear, and he has all of the prototypical quarterback traits to back it up. At 6’4″ and listed at 220 pounds (conservative), he’s big. He has the arm strength to match the profile, routinely being near the top in completions over 20-plus yards, and he trusts his pocket rather than bailing out when things get dicey. Instead, he utilizes pro-level footwork to reset for throws and is rarely caught on his back foot. That said, for a pocket-passer, he can get rid of the ball lightning quick— something that NFL scouts love to see from a young quarterback. He reads pressure at the line and has already made a decision, best of all, anticipating routes and releasing the ball while trusting in his receivers.

22 years old yesterday, the Lubbock, TX native has the strength and pocket presence that scouts value dearly. Robertson came up playing in the Air Raid offense under Mike Leach, which depends on deep passes and accuracy. To that end, his average air yards/attempt is a silly 17.8 yards. He also posted an impressive exit velocity of 76.6 MPH at the Senior Bowl. After a year under Leach’s tutelage, he took his knowledge of the Air Raid to Baylor, which has run a wide-out spread offense since the days of Art Briles.

Robertson’s sophomore season resulted in a lot of warming the bench, save for a few spot starts due to injury. An injury to the starter in 2024 led to Robertson running away with the gig. In his final two seasons, he put together passing totals of 3,000 yards in each (leading the Big 12 in 2025), along with 59 touchdowns. He added seven more on the ground, though he cannot be counted on for that at the next level.

Robertson, like others, can only improve his stock at the combine by showing off what he does best. Currently projected to go around the middle of Day 3 at the draft, he’s not bound for a team desperate for a starter now, but there’s little issue with targeting him in rookie drafts in the fourth round. If he is put in the right situation because an organization moves on or because of injury (*cough* Minny *cough*), he could do real damage in a system that values the deep ball and become a fantasy boon.

Dynasty Rookie Quarterback Landmine

Garrett Nussmeier (Senior), LSU

Many fantasy managers probably expected to see this name a bit higher on the page. The boring stuff first, for those in the camp that measurables are of utmost importance: Nussmeier is 6’1″ on a phonebook. 200 pounds soaking wet, and that’s very generous. He has 8 6/8″ hands (that’s under 9″, folks) and an arm length/reach of under 31″. There are NFL defensive backs who are bigger. To Nussmeier’s credit, he sometimes played much bigger than he appears. However, the operable word here is “sometimes.” Nussmeier has proven to be a bit streaky in his career, which will simply not do when tasked with leading a team of men.

Nussmeier is everything you want in highlights and electricity. A highlight reel of impressive gunslinging plays and epic wins from the edge of defeat. Heading into the 2025 draft process, Nussmeier was routinely being talked about as a pick on Day 1. All he had to do was cement his athleticism at the combine. Then, he surprised many by returning to Baton Rouge for a fifth season.

That turned out to be an error. Yes, Nussmeier was fighting through an oblique injury that eventually ended his season four games early. One would think a nagging injury like that to a potential first-round pick would be worth fighting through. The season that put him on the radar as a first-round pick, Nussmeier’s stats were jaw-dropping. Or were they? Sure, there were some very exhilarating performances, and he threw for over 4,000 yards. 29 touchdowns? A conference-leading 12 picks over 13 games? Wrong direction. For all the good things people had to say, maybe a return to LSU was because he still felt unproven. Nevertheless, it was not the best-laid plan. He returned last season, played through injury to the tune of 214 yards per game and 12 touchdowns over nine contests. Just like that, his draft stock pulled an Amber Heard.

Even his most successful 4,000/29/12 season would not cut it on the big stage. Be careful what you read. Watch the tape for yourself and don’t let the emotions of the games cloud your judgment. Nussmeier fans are talking him up like he’s still a first-rounder. Especially after cashing in with the Senior Bowl MVP (no longer injured) because he went five of nine for 57 yards, a rushing touchdown and his signature interception. Speaking of rushing, if you think that’s part of his game, think again. Nussmeier finished his five-year career with 70 attempts for negative 134 yards (college rushing stats include yardage lost to sacks). Fantasy managers will race for Nussmeier at the end of the second round in rookie drafts. Let them.

Quantity Over Quality

There is both good and bad news across the board at the quarterback position for the 2026 NFL Draft. The bad news is that there are precious few guaranteed starters on Day 1. Two, possibly. The good news is there is a wealth of guys worth stashing in superflex leagues. Many of them could be backups from the jump. However, as everyone in fantasy knows … you’re just an injury away from a youth movement. Happy hunting.

For more articles from PlayerProfiler, check out the fantasy home page – NFL Fantasy | PlayerProfiler – Fantasy Football News & Media

More fantasy content (all formats) from Samwise can be found on X. Light him up @BuyAndSellYou!