Fantasy Football Sleepers: 5 Best Late-Round Quarterbacks
Winning your fantasy football league starts in the draft. More importantly, your fantasy football draft prep. While it is easy to hit on early picks, the real way to win your league is to find late-round gems, which are also called fantasy football sleepers. In the end, some of these players could turn into league winners.
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Best Late-Round Quarterbacks
Hitting on fantasy football sleepers late-round quarterbacks is one of the ultimate fantasy football cheat codes. These five late-round quarterbacks can allow you to wait on your second quarterback in superflex leagues, or even allow you to stack up on wide receivers and running backs in your single-quarterback leagues.
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels is going off the board as the QB13 in redraft fantasy football leagues at the beginning of the eighth round. Daniels was the number two pick in the NFL Draft for the Washington Commanders. The Commanders had an easy decision with the number two pick, as Daniels was the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner at Louisiana State.
Washington moved on from Sam Howell this offseason, trading him to the Seattle Seahawks in March. Howell was inefficient in 2023, but he ended the season as the QB12 overall. Howell rushed for only 263 yards on the season, which is a far cry from Daniels’ 1,134 yards in his senior season at LSU.
If you are new to fantasy football, rushing yards and touchdowns are a cheat code! The best rookie quarterbacks for fantasy have been rushing quarterbacks. Among those are Deshaun Watson, Cam Newton, and, of course, Robert Griffin III. Griffin is remembered as one of the best rookie running quarterbacks in recent history, yet he only rushed for 699 yards in his senior season at Baylor.
Furthermore, Griffin finished as the QB5 overall in his rookie season, which is where I could see Daniels finishing this season. In his rookie year, Griffin rushed for 815 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns in the air. While these stats are great, Daniels can recreate them.
The Commanders have veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin and third-year wideout Jahan Dotson to take pressure off of the rookie. Best of all, the Commanders are projected to have one of the worst defenses in the league. Expect lots of garbage-time touchdowns for the Commanders, which bodes well for Daniels. More importantly, it bodes well for your fantasy football squads.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert has never finished lower than QB17 in fantasy football. That QB17 season happened last year when he only played 13 games. Guess what Herbert’s redraft ADP is this year? That’s right…QB17!
We all know Herbert is losing his top three pass catchers Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and Austin Ekeler. However, that does not scare me off of Herbert. There is no denying that he is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league.
Jim Harbaugh will be taking over this season as the Chargers’ new head coach. While Harbaugh is known for wanting to run the football, the Chargers are not equipped with an elite running back room. If you think Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins are going to take away Herbert’s fantasy value, you are massively mistaken.
While Herbert probably won’t be throwing the ball 40+ times a game, the offense should be very efficient. With the Chargers’ over/under win total at nine and a half games, there is enthusiasm from Vegas about that Chargers team. While a top-five finish might be out of the picture, Herbert’s QB17 ADP is drafting him at his floor.
Deep Fantasy Football Sleepers: Late-Round QBs
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith burst onto the scene in 2022, leading the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs out of nowhere. In 2023, the expectations were high for Smith and the Seahawks, but they fell just short of the playoffs, finishing with nine wins and eight losses.
After finishing as the QB5 overall in 2022, Smith fell to the QB19 in 2023. Now his ADP is QB23, which is absurd. Smith was the most accurate quarterback in the NFL in 2023, having the highest catchable pass percentage in the league. His drop in 2023 came down to one thing: touchdowns.
In Smith’s QB5 overall season, his touchdown percentage was at 5.3%, good for eighth in the league. In 2023, that number fell to four percent, which was 21st among qualifying quarterbacks. If Geno can even finish halfway between those numbers, expect him to massively outperform his QB23 ADP.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis was one of the stories of the 2023 NFL draft. Levis fell to the second round when many expected him to be a top-ten pick. In his rookie season, Levis started behind former Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill eventually got injured, leading to Levis being the Titans’ starter from week eight on. Levis averaged a pitiful 13.4 points per game in his starting stretch from weeks eight to 15. So you might be asking, why is Will Levis undervalued at his QB24 ADP? Let me tell you!
The Titans had a huge offseason, adding wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, along with running back Tony Pollard. These additions should take a big load off of Levis’s back.
It is no secret that Levis loves to air the ball out, which will fit perfectly in new head coach Brian Callahan’s offense. If you forgot, Callahan was the offensive coordinator for the Bengals for the last five years. While there is some risk with Levis, his potential upside in this offense is worth his QB24 price tag.
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson has been one of the most hated quarterbacks in the entire NFL since his signing with the Denver Broncos in 2022. Wilson was given a new start this offseason when he was cut and signed to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers used this offseason to revamp their quarterback room, which consisted of Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph in 2023. Besides the Wilson signing, the Steelers went out and traded for former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields is a darling in the fantasy community but has yet to show the ability to be an NFL starting quarterback. That is why the Steelers have flat-out said that Wilson was signed to be the starting quarterback. Despite his starting status, Wilson is slotted as the QB28 and is going undrafted in most single-quarterback formats.
QB28 is way too low for a guy who finished as the QB14 overall in 2023. Wilson was a top-15 fantasy quarterback with Courtland Sutton as his number-one wide receiver. Now he upgrades to George Pickens, who wants to build off his 1,140-yard 2023. There is no risk with Wilson at his QB28 price, making him the perfect best-ball dart throw or a late-round QB3 in superflex leagues!
Fantasy Football Sleepers & Late-Round Quarterback Draft Strategy
Drafting fantasy football sleepers offers a significant advantage, especially when it comes to hitting on your late-round quarterback picks. By waiting to draft a quarterback, you can use early picks for top-tier running backs and wide receivers, strengthening your overall team. The QB position is deep, so you can find productive starters in later rounds without sacrificing quality.
Furthermore, this strategy also allows for a streaming approach, playing favorable matchups each week to maximize points. Moreover, it gives you flexibility to react to the draft and prioritize other positions, ensuring a balanced roster. Late-round QBs often include targeting fantasy football sleepers and breakout candidates who can exceed expectations and provide excellent value. Adopting this strategy can help you build a stronger, more competitive fantasy football team.
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