The high-end elite quarterbacks have started to separate in recent years with some of the league’s best passers just as lethal with their legs, scoring at a much higher rate than the field. As a result, the “Late Round” QB approach has become less viable in fantasy football drafts, pushing the position up the board. However, the strategy is not completely dead as long as you know which players and archetypes to target.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Sleeper Quarterbacks to Target
Justin Fields (QB – NYJ)
ADP 117 (QB14)
Justin Field threw for less than 160 yards in four out of six (66.7%) starts last season and although volume was low, he posted a career best marks in completion rate (106-of-160, 66.3%) and 93.6 passer rating, tossing 10 touchdowns compared to two interceptions, averaging 184.3 yards on 26.7 pass attempts and finishing top five among signal callers in fantasy points per drop back (0.56). Even with the lack of production through the air, Fields finished as a QB1 in three out of his last four (75%) games before getting benched in favor of Russell Wilson, scoring five rushing touchdowns during that span. From Weeks 1-6, Fields handled 27.6% of the Steelers’ rushing attempts, first among all signal callers in 2024, averaging 38.5 yards on 9.2 carries. Unlike last season, his stranglehold on the starting gig is much more secure, getting scooped up by the Jets early in free agency and signing a two-year $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. Fields fared well in his preseason debut, completing three out of four (75%) passes for 42 yards to go along with a 14-yard rushing score. However, he was far less efficient in the second game, completing only one pass on five dropbacks (20%) for four scoreless yards. Fields won’t ever be a prolific passer, with up-and-down weeks, but his limitations through the air are negated by his rushing upside, raising his floor and ceiling. He also has the “shower narrative” in his favor, reuniting with his college teammate Garrett Wilson.
Drake Maye (QB – NE)
ADP 121 (QB15)
Drake Maye spent the first five weeks of the season backing up Jacoby Brissett, but won the job in convincing fashion as soon as he got the nod, scoring over 20 fantasy points and finishing as top a 10 quarterback in each of his first two starts. He played only 20 snaps before leaving with a concussion the following week but still scored over 15 fantasy points thanks to his production on the ground, rushing for 43 yards and a score. In 11 games as the starter, including Week 8’s early exit, Maye averaged 4.7 carries for 37.2 yards, trailing Jalen Hurts (42.0) for the fifth among all signal callers in rushing yards per game. Maye flashed in spurts as a rookie but he’s set up significantly better in year two, playing under new head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, both of whom have a long history with the team and a track record of success in the NFL. The Patriots also overhauled and revamped the offense, adding Stefon Diggs in free agency, followed by back-to-back Day 2 picks in second round running back TreVeyon Henderson (No. 38) and third round wide receiver Kyle Williams (No. 69).
Joe Flacco (QB – CLE)
ADP Undrafted
Joe Flacco fared well in his one-year stint with Indy, winning over the locker room and outplaying the 2023 No. 4 overall pick, Anthony Richardson. Even at his advanced age, Flacco let it rip when given the opportunity, averaging over 250 (251.6) yards on 35.4 dropbacks, ranked inside the top eight in both categories among all starting quarterbacks. The Browns faced a similar dilemma as the Colts last offseason, however, with Deshaun Watson suffering a setback and landing on the injured reserve (IR) list, still recovering from a ruptured Achilles, they re-signed Flacco to a one-year deal. Although Cleveland selected two quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel (No. 94) and Shedeur Sanders (No. 144) in the third and fifth rounds of the 2025 draft, Flacco has already been named the starter and is set to take on the Bengals in Week 1. It wasn’t long ago that Flacco was a top-five quarterback in fantasy, averaging over 20 points (20.4, QB4) in his last season under Kevin Stefanski, leading the NFL in dropbacks (40.3), passing yards (323.2), and passing touchdowns (2.6) per game in 2023.
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