Drake Maye

Drake Maye enters the 2026 fantasy football season as one of the safest high-end quarterback picks in the pool. He followed up his breakout with a QB2 fantasy finish last year, averaging 21.1 points per game while throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he also added 450 rushing yards and four rushing scores, which gives him a strong weekly floor and ceiling combination.

The biggest reason to buy into Maye is that his fantasy value is built on more than just passing volume. He led the NFL in completion rate at 72.0%, posted 8.9 yards per attempt, and finished as one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks, while also contributing enough on the ground to stay among the elite fantasy options. CBS Sports expects him to be drafted among the first three quarterbacks off the board in many leagues, and the addition of A.J. Brown, along with Romeo Doubs and better offensive-line depth, only strengthens his outlook.

There are a few real factors that could keep him from repeating last year’s pace. New England’s 2026 schedule is significantly tougher, with more matchups against strong defenses, and that alone could trim some of the efficiency that helped fuel his 2025 breakout. The good news is that recent reports say Maye is fully healthy going into 2026 after a shoulder issue did not require surgery, so there is no current injury concern dragging down his fantasy stock.

For fantasy drafters, Maye profiles as a top-five quarterback with overall QB1 upside, especially in superflex and two-quarterback formats. In one-QB leagues, he is still worth a fairly aggressive pick because the rushing production gives him a stable weekly path to big scores, and the upgraded receiver room raises the chance that his passing numbers climb again rather than regress sharply.

Updated 06/08/2026