As the 2025 fantasy football season draws closer, there are as many quarterback drafting strategies as there are quarterbacks in the NFL. While every fantasy manager would love to have a Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts, unless you play in a lot of four-team leagues, securing an elite quarterback is not always going to work.
Often, the late-round quarterback strategy must be deployed. The good news, however, is that it still works all these years later.
In 2024, quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Bo Nix came out of nowhere to be no-doubt-about-it starters for fantasy football teams. Was the fact that neither was taken among the top 20 quarterbacks in any draft just bad analysis? Of course not, this is just the way the fantasy football world works.
Sometimes, quarterbacks hit the perfect trifecta of scheme, coaching and offensive personnel, which allows them to thrive when we least expect it. Here’s a look at late-round QB fantasy football draft strategy, including picks and targets for 2025.
- Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Late-Round Quarterbacks to Draft
Drake Maye (NE)
Drake Maye might not have moved the needle for fantasy in his rookie season, but his performance over 12 starts was impressive considering how terrible his supporting cast was. From Week 6 of last season, when Maye made his first start, through Week 17, Maye averaged a respectable 16.8 fantasy points per game. The third overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Maye has immense potential as a passer, but it’s his rushing that should make him attractive to fantasy games. Maye had 421 rushing yards last season, and there’s potential for much more. As a sophomore at the University of North Carolina, Maye had 698 rushing yards in 14 games. Bear in mind that college quarterbacks’ sack yardage counts against their rushing yardage, and Maye lost about 200 yards from his rushing total that year. Maye should have it a little easier in the passing game this year, with New England beefing up its offensive line in the offseason and adding WRs Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams. It’s possible we get a Drake Maye breakout in 2025.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Jordan Love (GB)
Expectations were high for Jordan Love in 2024 after he went nuclear down the stretch in 2023 and bounced the Cowboys from the playoffs with a masterful performance. But Love sprained his MCL in the 2024 season opener against the Eagles and missed two games. Green Bay also became one of the run-heaviest teams in the league. The Packers were one of only three teams to run the ball on more than half of their offensive snaps last year. Love finished with 3,389 passing yards, 25 TD passes and 11 INTs. He averaged 16.3 fantasy points per game, ranking QB17 in that category. Love figures to play much of the 2025 season without Christian Watson, who tore his ACL late last year, but the Packers spent a first-round pick on WR Matthew Golden to give their offense a dose of speed. Love profiles as a high-end to midrange QB2 in fantasy.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
Yes, I know we haven’t seen J.J. McCarthy play outside of an abbreviated preseason sample last year, but I’ll be targeting him everywhere this season. This should remain a pass-happy offense after ranking eighth in neutral passing rate and third in pass rate over expectation last year (per Fantasy Points Data). The Vikings remain loaded with skill players and added to the offensive line this offseason to give their new signal caller all the time in the world to dice up opposing pass defenses in 2025. Sam Darnold (yes, that Sam Darnold) finished as the QB9 in fantasy points per game last year, continuing a long history of Kevin O’Connell’s quarterbacks finishing as QB1s. I believe McCarthy will keep that streak alive. He was a stellar prospect who has been airdropped into the perfect situation. In his final collegiate season, McCarthy ranked inside the top 12 FBS quarterbacks in passing grade, adjusted completion rate, yards per attempt, adjusted completion rate with downfield throws, and against pressure (per PFF). It’s wheels up for McCarthy in 2025.
– Derek Brown
Bryce Young (CAR)
Bryce Young’s second NFL season was a roller-coaster ride, but it ended on a high note. Benched after two poor games to start the season, Young returned as Carolina’s starting QB in Week 7 and gradually showed improvement. Over his final three starts of the season, he completed 64.8% of his passes for 612 yards, with seven TDs, zero INTs, and a QB rating of 111.6. Young also has five rushing touchdowns in his final six games. Panthers head coach Dave Canales has a good track record with young quarterbacks, and his continued work with Young could pay off in 2025. Pass-catching weaponry has been an issue for Young, but the Panthers spent the eighth overall pick of the NFL Draft on highly regarded WR Tetairoa McMillan.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Geno Smith (LV)
The Raiders traded a third-round draft pick for Geno Smith in March and gave him a two-year contract extension worth $85.5 million. Smith will helm an intriguing Raiders offense that will be guided by new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who likes to run his offense at an uptempo pace. TE Brock Bowers was a revelation as a rookie, WR Jakobi Meyers is a dependable veteran, and the Raiders added RB Ashton Jeanty and WR Jack Bech in the draft. Smith finished QB13 in fantasy scoring last season, averaging 16.5 fantasy points per game. He completed 70.4% of his passes last season for 4,320 yards, with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Smith will be drafted as a low-end QB2 or high-end QB3 but could once again finish as a high-end QB2.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
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