Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson enters the 2026 fantasy season still carrying elite overall quarterback upside, but the big story is health. He was limited by hamstring, back, ankle, and toe issues in 2025, missed four games, and his rushing production fell well below his usual standard, which dragged him down to a QB20 finish in fantasy despite his top-end talent.

The encouraging part for drafters is that the bounce-back case is strong. Multiple recent fantasy previews point to Jackson being fully healthy again, and that matters because his fantasy value is driven by his rushing ceiling as much as his passing efficiency. In his healthier stretches, he still looked like the Lamar fantasy managers know, and analysts expect a return to high-end QB1 production if he can keep the lower-body injuries behind him.

There are also a few setup factors working in his favor for 2026. Baltimore has a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle, which could mean a more aggressive passing approach and a better overall offensive environment, and the team has added new wide receivers to help the passing game. The Ravens also restructured Jackson’s contract to create cap space, which reinforces that he remains the clear franchise quarterback in Baltimore and is not dealing with any trade, release, or team-change uncertainty.

For fantasy drafts, Jackson remains one of the best ceiling plays at quarterback because his rushing workload can separate him from nearly everyone at the position when he is healthy. The risk is that 2025 showed how quickly his production can dip if injuries limit his legs, so he is best viewed as an elite but not completely safe QB1 target in 2026. If you want upside at quarterback and are comfortable with a little volatility, Lamar should still be near the top of your board.

Updated 06/08/2026