When the New York Giants drafted Jaxson Dart, it felt much more like them taking a shot at a franchise QB than confidence in him being the answer. After a very encouraging rookie season, Dart sure looks like their QB of the future. With a starting job secure, the question shifts to whether Dart can translate that into fantasy football success. Here’s why all signs point to yes.
Should You Draft Jaxson Dart in Fantasy Football?
Since 2011, 56 quarterbacks have appeared in at least eight games as a rookie. Dart’s 17.3 fantasy points per game ranks 13th. He is one of just 16 rookie QBs to average 17+ PPG. That’s an average of just one per season. Last year, Dart was that guy.
In reality, Dart’s season was even better. If we remove Weeks 2 and 3, when Dart didn’t start and scored a combined 0.0 fantasy points, as well as his anomalous Week 16 game when he scored one fantasy point, Dart was at 22.3 PPG. Even counting that Week 16 disaster, he was still at 20.5 PPG in games he started. Those are elite QB1 numbers. Dart hit 19+ PPG in nine of his 12 starts.
What’s even more impressive about Dart’s rookie season is he did this while throwing to Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton as his top two receivers, after losing his RB1 Cam Skattebo in Week 8.
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Dart is built in the mold of the modern NFL QB. He is not a true rushing QB in the mold of Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, but he is far from a pocket passer. Dart is your modern hybrid QB who can make plays through the air and with his legs, similar to Drake Maye.
Last season was probably as good as it’s going to get on the ground, though. A whopping 40.9% of Dart’s fantasy points came via rushing. He racked up 487 yards and scored nine times. New head coach John Harbaugh has spent the bulk of the last decade ensuring Jackson protected himself when running. Expect to do the same with Dart, who seemed to have a personal vendetta against sliding or running out of bounds as a rookie.
With that said, Harbaugh is not going to prevent Dart from running. It’s a big part of what makes him effective. He just needs to protect himself better.
We will almost certainly see a reduction in Dart’s fantasy production on the ground. However, there’s plenty of room for growth through the air.
Dart only threw for 189 yards per game and 15 total passing touchdowns. That’s 24 total. There’s no reason to think Dart doesn’t have a 30-35 TD season in him.
The Giants improved their offensive line and will be getting Malik Nabers back, hopefully early in the season. The addition of Isaiah Likely should help make up for their lack of a WR2. All of this to say, Dart is well-positioned to be a fantasy QB1 in 2026.
Dart’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
In recent seasons, it’s been more viable to spend premium draft capital on a quarterback than during the 2010s. The rise of the mobile QB has resulted in the elite fantasy quarterbacks not only having higher ceilings, but being more predictable year over year.
We know having an elite QB matters in fantasy. It’s just so much better if you can get that elite production without paying for it.
Two years ago, Jayden Daniels was the elite QB1 who didn’t cost anything in fantasy drafts. Last year, it was Maye. Dart’s price looks eerily similar to Maye’s last year. And the parallels don’t stop there.
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Both Maye and Dart flashed as rookies but didn’t get a chance to showcase their true potential. Both dealt with poor coaching staffs who were replaced by significant upgrades ahead of their sophomore seasons. Maye had a receiving corps without a clear alpha. Dart had the same thing as a rookie, but has a better situation as a sophomore with Nabers returning at some point.
As reassuring as it is to have a guy like Allen or Jackson as your QB1, the true difference-maker last year was Maye because he gave you similar production while allowing you to draft a highly productive running back or wide receiver with the pick you would typically use to get that production. There’s a ton of merit in waiting on a quarterback this year and targeting a guy like Dart in the late single-digit rounds.
Dart’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
Dart has so much going for him in dynasty. He’s only 23 years old. He displayed elite QB1 traits as a very unpolished rookie. For Dart to do what he did last year, being nowhere near his prime, the upside over the next few years is tantalizing.
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We have Dart at QB10 in our dynasty rankings, but that feels low. It’s just that the QB position is in a really good spot, at least from a fantasy perspective.
For now, we have Dart behind the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams. It should not be surprising if he passes multiple of them after this year. Dart can be the cornerstone quarterback of any dynasty Superflex roster.
