Startups. Startups. Startups. It is dynasty startup SZN! I know we all return to redraft fantasy football in the summer months, and the best ball streets are blazing, but this is also the time for dynasty startups. There are wonderful values to be had right now in startups, so let’s kick off the discussion of the best dynasty fantasy football sleepers at the quarterback position.
Before you enter another dynasty fantasy football startup, read up on my top quarterback sleepers and run a handful of startup mock drafts with our fantasy football mock draft simulator.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Simulator
- DBro’s Dynasty Rookie Draft Primers
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings
Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers
Let’s dive into my best dynasty startup draft sleepers among quarterbacks.
J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN) | ADP: QB20 (44.2 Overall)
I get why J.J. McCarthy is ranked so low, but I think it’s incredibly wrong. If you’re waiting to “see it,” aka see proven production with a player, you’ll likely be left behind. McCarthy is a player I’ve been high on since analyzing him as a prospect. Nothing has changed about that.
The infrastructure for Minnesota is about as good as it gets, with a proven offensive mastermind in Kevin O’Connell, excellent receiving options and an improved offensive line. We just saw Sam Darnold produce a QB9 season in fantasy points per game. And we are worried about McCarthy and are drafting him as a QB2 in dynasty? Naw, it won’t be me.
McCarthy is a more talented player and was a better prospect than Darnold. In his final collegiate season, McCarthy ranked inside the top 12 in passing grade, adjusted completion rate, yards per attempt, adjusted completion rate with deep passes, and when pressured, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). McCarthy is a screaming buy in every dynasty format.
Jaxson Dart (QB – NYG) | ADP: QB24 (74.5 Overall)
Jaxson Dart is getting drafted as a basement-level QB2, and I don’t understand why. He got the first-round capital that many said he wouldn’t. He posted excellent numbers in his final collegiate season, and he has rushing upside, but the dynasty community is loudly saying…”Naw, we’re good. We don’t want to believe in Dart.”
OK, well, have fun with that. I won’t fade Dart. Instead, I’m investing everywhere I possibly can. In his final collegiate season, Dart ranked inside the top 12 of collegiate quarterbacks in passing grade, adjusted completion rate, yards per attempt, big-time throw rate and nearly every clean pocket efficiency metric you can find, per PFF. Across his last three collegiate seasons, Dart averaged 499 rushing yards. Dart is free money in dynasty. Enjoy.
Justin Fields (QB – NYJ) | ADP: QB26 (87.2 Overall)
If you are like me and you play dynasty in a 2-3 year window, you should love the value you’re getting with Justin Fields in startups. He’s a QB3 right now, per average draft position (ADP), which is insane. With his new contract with the New York Jets, I’ll be shocked if he isn’t their locked-in starter (assuming health) for the next two years.
Fields carries a $22 million dead cap in 2026. This team isn’t moving away from Fields unless he is objectively horrible. He has been a locked-in QB1 whenever he has been on the field over the last three seasons, finishing as the QB7, QB9 and QB5 in fantasy points per game.
We know about his rushing ability, but Fields also took some positive steps as a passer last season. Last year, among 47 qualifying quarterbacks, Fields ranked 10th in highly accurate throw rate and had the 13th-lowest off-target throw rate, per Fantasy Points Data. Getting QB1 production at a QB3 price tag in dynasty with a two-year starting window… sign me up.
*All data utilized in this article courtesy of FantasyPros, Fantasy Points Data, Pro Football Focus and PlayerProfiler unless otherwise specified. All ADP cited per DLF May Superflex ADP.
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