3 sleeper quarterbacks fantasy experts love right now
It's still early, but there are enough opinions out there already on which quarterbacks will be steals in 2024 fantasy football drafts.
If you read enough fantasy football advice articles on sleeper picks, you’ll end up coming across almost every NFL starting quarterback at one point or another. OK, that isn’t entirely true, but one's definition of what a sleeper is varies so much that it can be difficult to come away with a good sense of who to truly focus on if you’re looking for a late-round value at quarterback.
So I literally read as many articles from experts on their favorite QB sleepers as Google could find me, and here are the consensus top 3 from my little research project. It’s still early, and opinions may change as we get closer to the season, but here’s where the experts stand as of right now.
ADP source: fantasypros.com, 12-team PPR drafts
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (ADP: 102, QB11)
No quarterback was cited as a fantasy sleeper as much as the Commanders’ rookie, even though, as Pro Football Network’s Jason Katz writes, “Daniels may not be a true sleeper in the purest sense of the term, but he’s very likely undervalued.”
I already hyped him up quite a bit a few months ago in one of my bold rookie predictions, and I’m far from alone. “Given his elite rushing instincts, the rookie could end his inaugural campaign inside the top 15 fantasy producers at the position,” writes ESPN’s Liz Loza. The team at FantasyPros.com is even more bullish, writing that “If Daniels starts every game this season, his rushing equity alone will push him into the top 12 of fantasy quarterbacks.”
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (ADP: 190, QB25)
Some hyped rookie quarterbacks take a year to land in fantasy’s sleepy town, and that’s where we find the 2023 top overall NFL Draft pick, who had a disappointing rookie season.
“Being selected as the number one pick overall in an NFL Draft typically is not a fluke, so the improvements to the system,” which include a new QB-friendly coach in Dave Canales, an upgraded offensive line, and new weapons like Diontae Johnson and first-round pick Xavier Legette, “hopefully meet with what Young’s talent should be and equals minimum streaming Fantasy weeks in 2024,” writes fantraxHQ’s Nick Skrip.
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (ADP: 178, QB24)
Like Young, Levis will have a new head coach known for pass-heavy attacks in Brian Callahan. As PFF’s Nathan Jahnke writes, “Callahan spent the last five seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals‘ offensive coordinator, where the team ranked in the top five in pass rate. So, Levis’ fantasy value should increase this year simply from throwing more passes.”
The Titans also were busy this offseason improving the offense, bringing in Tony Pollard, one of the league’s better pass-catching backs, and Calvin Ridley, who will form a formative 1-2 punch at receiver with DeAndre Hopkins.
Could there even be some untapped rushing upside for Levis? As DraftSharks’ Jared Smola points out, despite only averaging 7 yards per game last year, he did put up impressive rushing numbers in college. “If nothing else, the 229-pounder should be an option near the goal line, especially with RB Derrick Henry gone,” he writes.
More QB sleeper takes I like
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 119, QB14) — “Last year Lawrence was drafted as a surefire QB1, with top-five upside. This year he's being drafted as an afterthought, if he's being drafted at all. While the perception of Lawrence has changed plenty, I mostly view Lawrence the same I did last year, a borderline QB1.” — Heath Cummings, CBSSports
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (ADP: 130, QB16) — “If you like drafting high-upside weekly scorers and piecing the position together, as I do, Tagovailoa delivers great value among that group of candidates.” — Tristan H. Cockcroft, ESPN
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (ADP: 196, QB28) — “While Jayden Daniels is the name that comes to mind when we think of a running quarterback among the rookies, Maye put up over 1,100 rushing yards and 16 rushing scores in his last two collegiate seasons. He’ll be worth a late-round selection in most drafts.” — Michael Fabiano, SI.com