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Caleb Williams vs. Jalen Hurts: Which Dual-Threat Quarterback Should You Target in Fantasy Football?

Should you target Caleb Williams or Jalen Hurts in your 2026 fantasy football drafts?
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass the ball during training camp at Halas Hall.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass the ball during training camp at Halas Hall. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dual-threat quarterbacks have become a cheat code in fantasy football. This is due to dual-threat quarterbacks possessing a mixture of a solid floor and lofty ceiling because of the various paths they have to achieve a crooked number in the fantasy points department.

Entering the 2026 NFL season, both Caleb Williams and Jalen Hurts have the skill sets and environments to finish as a QB1 in fantasy football. Which one should you target in your drafts?

All stats used in this article are from Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. The average draft position (ADP) for each player in this article is from FantasyPros’ consensus ADP for half-PPR formats.

The Case for Caleb Williams

FantasyPros’ Consensus ADP: 74.0 (QB7)

The Ben Johnson effect didn’t take long to have a positive impact on Caleb Williams, as the second-year quarterback of the Chicago Bears threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in 2025. As a result, Williams was tied with Dak Prescott as the QB8 in fantasy points per game (19.0) last season.

While Williams went from having the third-worst sack rate (10.0%) as a rookie in 2024 to the fourth-best sack rate (3.8%) among QBs with 250-plus pass plays in 2025, he completed only 58.1% of his passes. This could be viewed as a positive or negative for Williams, with there being room for Williams to drastically improve his fantasy production if his accuracy inches closer to average.

Besides Williams entering his second year playing in Johnson’s offense, he has a talented trio of pass-catchers in Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, and Colston Loveland. It also doesn’t hurt that Williams has compiled at least 375 rushing yards on 75-plus carries in back-to-back years, which – at the very least – raises his floor in fantasy football.

The Case for Jalen Hurts

FantasyPros’ Consensus ADP: 60.3 (QB6)

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles, 2026 Fantasy Football
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws a pass during training camp at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since 2021, Jalen Hurts has finished no worse than QB7 in fantasy points per game. Even with the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense being an unrecognizable unit in 2025 under offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, Hurts still managed to conclude the year as QB7 in fantasy points per game (19.1).

Although Hurts has his qualms as a passer like Williams, his goal-line rushing role on the ‘tush push’ play consistently raises his floor and ceiling. Hurts has found the end zone at least eight times in five consecutive seasons, and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion revealed that he’ll continue to ‘lean into’ using the tush push this season.

Following a 2025 campaign where Hurts posted the fewest rushing attempts (105), rushing yards (421), rushing touchdowns (8), and scramble rate (7.6%) since 2020, the veteran signal-caller appears to be in better shape entering the 2026 season. Could a leaner version of Hurts get him back into the QB1 conversation in fantasy football?

Final Verdict: Draft Williams or Hurts?

When comparing the situations that Williams and Hurts are in, Williams gets a slight edge. Along with having a proven playcaller like Johnson, the Bears have a loaded offense and a much-improved offensive line.

On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine Mannion won’t at least be a slight improvement over Patullo, right? At the same time, Hurts has lost A.J. Brown as a No. 1 option, though DeVonta Smith is capable of making the leap to WR1 in 2026. Hurts also continues to play behind a reliable offensive line unit.

When deciding between Williams and Hurts, Hurts does possess the safer floor due to his red-zone role in Philly’s rushing attack, and his ceiling could rise if the passing game takes a step forward from last year. While I’ll have shares of both Williams and Hurts at their ADPs, Hurts gets the slight edge here.

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Skyler Carlin
SKYLER CARLIN

Skyler Carlin is an experienced sports writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and soccer for FanDuel Research and USA Today. Outside of writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and playing video games.

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