Geno Smith returns to where it all started. A decade ago, the New York Jets gave up on Smith after four underwhelming seasons. 10 years and four teams later, Smith has come full circle, entering the 2026 season as the unquestioned QB1 in New York. We know he will be better this time around, but will he return to fantasy relevance after a down 2025 season?
Should You Draft Geno Smith in Fantasy Football?
Smith’s first stint with the Jets was quite forgettable. He made 29 starts across his first two seasons before losing the job and threw more interceptions than touchdowns while completing fewer than 60% of his passes. When the Jets made the decision to move on after the 2016 season, no one faulted them.
From 2015-2020, Smith made a grand total of two starts. It wasn’t until the final month of the 2021 season that he got a chance to audition for the Seattle Seahawks to be their starter, with the team having decided it was moving on from Russell Wilson. Smith played well enough over that span to earn a full-season audition in 2022. In what would go down as the best year of his career, Smith parlayed that into establishing himself as definitively one of the 32 best QBs in the NFL.
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There’s no debate over whether Smith currently deserves to be a starter. The question is whether he can produce QB1 numbers again.
In 2022, Smith averaged 17.9 fantasy points per game behind career numbers across the board. He actually led the NFL in completion percentage at 69.8%. The man had his breakout season at 32 years old.
Smith’s next two seasons in Seattle were indicative of a player who is clearly a starting-caliber NFL QB, but nowhere near as good. He averaged 15.2 and 15.6 PPG before moving to Las Vegas in 2025. That…did not go quite as well. He averaged 11.6 PPG, which was more reminiscent of his early-career struggles during his first stint with the Jets.
The thing with Smith is that his 2021 breakout does still seem legitimate. Even in a disaster year, he completed 67.4% of his passes. The interceptions have gone up over the past two seasons, but there are certainly reasons to forgive them in 2025.
The problem for 2026 is that the Jets’ coaching staff isn’t much better. It’s pretty surprising that Aaron Glenn was brought back. But there are reasons for optimism, most notably a better-than-you-think supporting cast.
Smith will have the likes of Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and two first-round rookies in Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq at his disposal. The Jets’ offensive line was No. 18 in PFSN Impact Score and should be even better this season.
Smith posted two games of 26+ fantasy points last season, proving that the upside still exists.
Smith’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
It goes without saying that no one is drafting Smith in 1QB leagues. He has a QB30 ADP. He’s not even a fantasy QB2. But would it be a total shock if he emerged as a viable QB2 in Superflex formats by October? Not entirely.
Smith is a fine pick late in Superflex drafts for teams that need a QB3 they know will start games. He will get at least half the season, likely more, to prove he deserves to be the Jets’ QB for the next couple of seasons. There is a risk of a December benching, though.
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Even if Smith plays reasonably well, if the Jets head into December with four wins, there will be little incentive to trot out a 36-year-old Smith anymore. Cade Klubnik is probably not their QB of the future, but much like last year with Brady Cook, why not see what you have? If you have Smith in Superflex, this is something you need to consider throughout the season. In 1QB leagues, he will be a matchup-based streamer.
Preseason Fantasy QB Rankings
- Josh Allen | BUF
- Drake Maye | NE
- Lamar Jackson | BAL
- Jayden Daniels | WAS
- Joe Burrow | CIN
- Jalen Hurts | PHI
- Caleb Williams | CHI
- Justin Herbert | LAC
- Jaxson Dart | NYG
- Trevor Lawrence | JAX
- Dak Prescott | DAL
- Bo Nix | DEN
- Brock Purdy | SF
- Patrick Mahomes II | KC
- Matthew Stafford | LAR
- Jared Goff | DET
- Kyler Murray | MIN
- Jordan Love | GB
- Malik Willis | MIA
- Tyler Shough | NO
- Baker Mayfield | TB
- C.J. Stroud | HOU
- Sam Darnold | SEA
- Daniel Jones | IND
- Bryce Young | CAR
