Malik Willis’ fantasy outlook is admittedly tough to gauge. He has spent the majority of his NFL career as a fantasy football curiosity rather than an asset. His rushing ability ensures he’s worth holding onto in dynasty leagues, and also makes him a viable late-round target in redraft leagues.
But how safe is he as a long-term option, and is he actually a trap as quickly as this season? That’s the big question fantasy owners need to figure out. The sample size for top-shelf production out of Willis has been tiny. Has he shown us who he can really be, or is there untapped ceiling worth investing in?
Find out in my full Malik Willis fantasy profile, where I asses his redraft value, as well as his dynasty appeal beyond this season.
Malik Willis Fantasy Football Outlook for 2026
Malik Willis can be an exciting player and there’s no denying he has potential. However, he flamed out with the Tennessee Titans and his sample size with Green Bay is small.
If you’re considering drafting him, make sure you think about his limitations and long-term viability before clicking his name (or accepting a trade).
What’s the Appeal in Malik Willis?
The appeal with Willis is that he looked very good with the Packers. The sample size is quite small, but he showed a lively arm, sound decision-making, and elite rushing ability.
We saw how good that can look in week 17 of last year, where he put together an absolute gem with 288 passing yards, two rushing scores, 60 rushing yards, and 33.5 fantasy points.
It’s tough to know what to expect out of Willis on a weekly basis, but the spike week potential and overall ceiling is obvious.
In addition, Willis just earned a starting gig with the Miami Dolphins, who paid him starter money.
If Miami actually believes in Willis and he thrives in a full-time role, we could be looking at a potential top-15 fantasy quarterback, if not much better.
Why Malik Willis Could Fail
There is clear downside here, of course. Willis simply has not played much. What he did in Tennessee was mostly bad, while we only saw him for snippets in 11 games with the Packers.
Green Bay’s system and supporting cast were also fantastic. He’s looking at sharp downgrades for both in South Beach.
Miami could also very well view Willis as a stop-gap passer that plays a role in landing them a superior franchise passer in next year’s NFL Draft.
Even if that isn’t the case right now, Willis has yet to prove himself as a pure passer at a high level. He’s also surrounded with mediocre weapons in Miami’s offense, and early reports have not been encouraging.
The Dolphins didn’t really set Willis up to succeed. Their OC hire was questionable, they got rid of Tyreek Hill, and they traded away Jaylen Waddle. If Willis does succeed, it will be against tough odds.
Maliks Willis’ Redraft Fantasy Value
Considering the looming 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class, I will admit I’m a tad hesitant to go all-in with Willis in dynasty. I have zero restraint in redraft leagues, however.
Should You Draft Malik Willis in 1QB Leagues?
I am of the rare variety that thinks punting on quarterback and waiting very long into drafts is a great way to load up elsewhere. That fantasy football strategy does lose it’s luster with smaller leagues (10 or fewer teams), but starting with 12-team leagues I like it a lot.
Tyler Shough is another guy I am high on that you can get late, but Willis hasn’t gotten steamed up as much. In fact, early reports out of Miami OTAs might actually see his draft stock drop a bit.
The rushing floor is what is exciting, plus the lack of risk involved regarding his draft capital. We can’t really put a ton of faith in his previous numbers, but if we simply use his production in Green Bay, he averaged 22.7 fantasy points across the four games where he played more than 60% of the snaps.
Ignore that if you want, but that average would have him ranking as QB1 overall.
Now, I’m not saying that rate is sustainable or that he’s going to be even in the top 5. But he costs nothing and clearly possesses the type of upside that could allow him to flirt with that type of production.
If I draft Willis late I’ll get a second quarterback (like Shough) to pair with him, but love his upside and think he’s a guy you can win with in standard leagues in 2026.
What is his SF or 2QB League Outlook?
While I am singing praises for Willis in regular fantasy leagues, the sales pitch is obviously easier to stomach in leagues where you can (or flat out have to) roster two quarterbacks.
That rushing floor and overall upside are way more appealing in SF and 2QB formats, but the general usefulness of that second passer will naturally inflate his draft value by comparison.
The Best-Case Scenario for Malik in 2026
The best case for Malik Willis is everything goes great, the weapons around him are better than expected, and he runs as much as he probably needs to in order to deliver top shelf production.
The big reason why there’s actually a chance of this happening? Willis has some wheels, and he’s not afraid to use them. The guy rushed for 800+ yards in both of his seasons at Liberty, and he regularly generated 40+ rushing yards in most of his career starts.
Stringing together his games from Green Bay and Tennessee and extrapolating his production doesn’t get us anywhere on a concrete level. But if he runs the ball as much as he has in the past, there’s a real ceiling here.
Malik Willis’ Dynasty Fantasy Outlook
Buying Malik Willis in redraft isn’t hard, no matter the format. He’s the ultimate punt in 1QB leagues and he absolutely has to be rostered in 2QB and SF formats. But what do we do with him in dynasty fantasy football?
Is Malik Willis a Long-term Stash?
I think there’s a very real ceiling for Malik Willis in 2026, and if he actually shows well as a passer and holds this gig beyond this year, Miami may have something here. I’m down for banking on the rushing and overall fantasy value, but there are some major concerns when assessing Malik Willis’ dynasty outlook.
First, Malik Willis is a total unknown. He got handed $45 million in guaranteed money, but that’s largely because the Dolphins wanted badly to move on from Tua Tagovailoa and really didn’t have any other option.
Secondly, the 2027 quarterback class is next level. Willis may need to put up insane numbers and/or lead Miami to a much better season than expected to convince the Dolphins brass that sticking with him is the right play.
Lastly, Willis is not young. Given the question marks about his viability and supporting cast, betting on him beyond 2026 is not a great idea. He’s already 27 years old, and if he doesn’t show he can be “the guy” in Miami this year, it’s a fairly safe bet this is the only legit shot he’ll ever get.
Is Malik Willis a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
For dynasty purposes, I think Malik Willis is a definite sell in non 2QB leagues. Unless you literally have no other quarterback or need a second passer in your lineup, he’s a great guy to sell high on now.
In SF and 2QB leagues I’m okay with holding, but if you can get a first round pick, I think selling now is probably the right move.
The only way I am buying Willis in dynasty leagues is if he’s way cheaper than expected, or if you’re one decent quarterback away from making a strong push.
Should You Invest in Malik Willis in 2026?
Evaluating Malik Willis’ fantasy value isn’t easy because he’s a nuanced player. He definitely flashed elite passing ability, and we know what he can do as a rusher. But can he put all of that together and play winning football consistently? Only time will tell.
That’s not a risk I really want to take in an aggressive manner in dynasty. I’m okay sitting on him for a year if I already own him, and acquiring him for cheap (anything beyond a future 1st) could also be fine. But overall, I’m not high on Willis as a long-term quarterback option.
In redraft, however, I love rostering Willis for almost zero cost and hoping his rushing ability turns him into a weekly starter I can use on a stacked roster. He is going to have his lows in 2026, but the rushing floor and big-play ability should make him a force to be reckoned with for at least one season.
Where are you at on Willis in redraft and dynasty? Let me know in the comments below!
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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