Over the years, the strategy of waiting to draft a fantasy football quarterback has really gained momentum. 

A lot of this has to do with the natural evolution of the position and the resulting impact of fantasy ADP at the position. QBs that are going early in drafts are those with rushing upside or the elite of the elite passing quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Late Round Quarterbacks 2024

With all that said, the emphasis of drafting elite skill position players has pushed legitimate starting QBs into the depths of late round fantasy football. 

For the sake of this article, I’m going to be looking at a 12-team, single-QB format in this late round draft guide. I’ll be breaking down some of the best late round QBs to target for those of you who are waiting to draft your first quarterback this season.

So, below is my 2024 list of late round quarterbacks and fantasy sleepers!

2024 Best Late Round QBs & Sleepers

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (QB13)

Let’s start with a QB that could find himself going among the top 12 quarterbacks off the board but, at least for right now, he is QB13 with an average ADP of 96. Tua led the NFL in passing yards last season, and the year before that, if not for injuries, he was on pace for another season of nearly 4,600+ passing yards. The knock on Tua and what is keeping down his ADP is the lack of touchdowns. 

Despite the Dolphins averaging the second most points per game, Tua failed to crack 30 touchdown passes thanks in part to the Dolphins elite rushing attack. The upside with Tua lies in the fact that he is extremely accurate, will throw for a lot of yards and touchdowns are unpredictable. If this season, he goes out and throws for 35 touchdowns instead of 29 while leading the league in passing yards, we could find ourselves with a top 10 fantasy QB.

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (QB14)

This is definitely a boom or bust play and one that I would strongly recommend pairing up with another QB in this article so you can mix and match or have a fallback plan in case Daniels struggles. That said, Daniels has ELITE rushing upside, and in fantasy football, that gives him a great floor and ceiling for fantasy production. 

Most out there project Daniels for 600+ rushing yards which would put him right up there among the leaders at the quarterback position. We also know that with rushing yards come rushing touchdowns, so that potential will also help boost his fantasy value. 

The downside is the passing. Yes, the offense for the Commanders is looking to push the ball downfield and he certainly has the weapons, but can he throw the football enough? That is something we are going to find out early.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (QB17)

It’s funny to think that Williams is widely considered the best QB prospect coming out of the draft and was the number one overall pick for a reason yet in fantasy football we see Daniels going a full round before him in drafts because of the rushing upside.

Now, Williams is a mobile quarterback and should rack up some rushing yards of his own, but the Bears also went out and loaded up on the offensive side of the football as they brought in Keenan Allen and D’Andre Swift as veteran players and added another first round wide receiver in Rome Odunze to join DJ Moore.

If Williams is as good as everyone thinks he is going to be, then we could be looking at a C.J. Stroud-esque rookie season, which would mean you are drafting a top 12 QB at QB17 off the board.

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons (QB18)

Honestly, no one's ADP has been more confusing to me this offseason than that of Kirk Cousins. I guess I understand the concern as he comes back from an Achilles injury, but by all accounts he is 100% ready to go. This is a man who averaged 4300+ yards and 33+ touchdowns during his time with the Vikings and last season, before his injury, he was QB8 in fantasy points per game.

In 2022 he finished as QB7 and in 2021 he was QB12 in fantasy points per game, and yet, he is coming off the board as QB18 as he joins an offense with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson and Darnell Mooney at his disposal. I’m drafting Cousins in a lot of leagues where I’m waiting on a quarterback and he is the perfect pair-up with someone like Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams who carry some risk.

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (QB23)

I was out on Geno Smith last season at his ADP because I was skeptical about whether or not he was going to repeat his incredible 2022 production and I was proven right as Smith struggled and ultimately was injured to end his season. That said, I’m happy to take some shots on him now that he is coming off the board as the QB23 with an ADP of 146.

This Seattle offense still has DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and what most are expecting to be a breakout season from Jaxon Smith-Njigba in his second NFL season. Smith finished as a top 10 fantasy quarterback in 2022 and if he can get close to that production again he will easily outproduce his current ADP.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (QB24)

We talked about teams surrounding their QB with weapons and the Titans have done that with Will Levis as this offseason they went out and signed Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Tony Pollard to help bolster their scoring.

Levis had some growing pains as a rookie last season, but we saw glimpses of what can be with his strong arm and with new coaching, a new offense and the team around him, there is definitely some upside here.

The one question is going to be whether or not Levis himself can develop as a quarterback in his second season where he goes into training camp as the unquestioned starting QB. I’m willing to bet on the kid with an ADP of 153.

Best Late Round Quarterback Picks: 2024 Fantasy Football

Here’s a well-structured and easily readable list of my top late round quarterbacks for 2024 fantasy football drafts:

This list does NOT represent a ranking of any sort regarding my favorite late round QBs from best to worst, but rather follows the fantasy football ADP from highest to lowest. 

Best of luck with your fantasy football drafts this year, and if you select any of my late round quarterbacks, here’s to hoping they propel your team to the top!

2024 Fantasy Football: Related Draft Guide Articles

Be sure to explore our additional 2024 fantasy football draft guide articles for supplementary advice and direction as you prepare for the upcoming campaign: