Fantasy: QB sleepers to target late in your draft
Fantasy Sleepers
QB | RB | WR | TE
Quarterbacks
For a typical fantasy football owner, a cursory look at position rankings is enough draft preparation. More serious owners might do some additional reading about each position group. But for truly dedicated owners, the cravings for information aren't satisfied so easily. Those of us who live and die by our fantasy teams know that finding one or two key sleepers late in drafts can make the difference between hoisting the trophy and the shame of losing.
Below, we run down our favorite late-round quarterback sleepers, deep sleepers and one super deep sleeper for the coming season. These are players worth stashing on your bench or, if you like to live dangerously, drafting as starters after you load up on other positions.
(Note: all average draft position (ADP) data in this article is courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator.com and based on 12-team leagues with standard scoring.)
Priority Sleepers
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
ADP: Late 8th round/early 9th round
Jay Cutler is going off the board as QB13 on average, which means he isn't being drafted as a starter in 12-team leagues. That's nuts. Cutler's cumulative 2013 numbers aren't impressive because he played in only 11 games due to injury and was hobbled in some of those. Combine his total numbers with those of backup Josh McCown, however, and you get a quarterback tandem that ranked among the league's very best.
McCown is in Tampa Bay now and there's no reason to believe Cutler is any more injury-prone than any other quarterback. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery compose the NFL's most talented wide receiving duo. Matt Forte remains an elite receiving option out of the backfield. What's not to like? Cutler has legitimate top-three upside.
Cutler is an ideal target for owners who prefer the late-round quarterback approach. Load up on high-end receivers and rushers, take Cutler after everyone else has a starting quarterback, and get excited for the prospect of him vastly outperforming his draft position.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
ADP: 11th round
Perennially undervalued in fantasy football, Roethlisberger represents tremendous value as his current ADP. The Steelers' offense quietly transformed into one of the NFL's most dangerous in the second half of the 2013 season, thanks in large part to Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley finally getting on the same page. Roethlisberger is as good a bet as Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo and Colin Kaepernick (all players who are being drafted ahead of him) to post top-ten numbers this season.
Roethlisberger is a perfect fit for the no-huddle scheme the Steelers are preparing to use as their base offense this year, and the weapons around him are significantly better than many people realize. Antonio Brown is an elite high-volume YAC eater, Heath Miller is a reliable (and finally healthy) chain-mover and youngsters Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant offer significant upside.
Roethlisberger makes an excellent back half of a QB-by-committee approach. Try pairing him with a riskier option with higher upside, like Ryan Tannehill.
Deep Sleepers
Josh McCown, Buccaneers
ADP: 14th round
Did everyone forget that Josh McCown was a viable fantasy starter when filling in for Jay Cutler last year? Do people not see that he's moving from the luxury of throwing to dual big-bodied receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery to ... dual big-bodied receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans?
There are legitimate concerns about McCown, including his age (he's 35, though still shockingly athletic) and the weak offensive line he plays behind, but his ADP doesn't make a lot of sense. If he resumes the pace he was on last season, he'll finish as a top-five fantasy quarterback. Yet, he's being drafted in the second-last round of standard leagues (if at all).
Draft McCown as your backup and don't be surprised if he starts some games for you this season.
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins
ADP: 14th round
The case for Tannehill as an undervalued fantasy asset is that he is a converted wide receiver who entered the NFL as a raw top-ten pick in 2012. He has progressed slowly, but if he reaches his full potential in his third season as a pro he will vastly outperform his ADP.
And there are reasons to believe Tannehill might finally put it all together, the most notable of which is new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Lazor joins the Dolphins from Chip Kelly's staff in Philadelphia, and reports suggest he brought many of Kelly's revolutionary offensive concepts with him. The ultra-athletic, big-armed Tannehill is a great fit for a scheme predicated on read-option looks, and shot plays downfield. The Dolphins' offensive weapons are underrated: Mike Wallace remains a fearsome deep threat, Charles Clay is an emerging tight end talent, and Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno have skill sets that complement each other nicely.
Tannehill was a disaster down the stretch a season ago, scaring off most fantasy owners. That's largely attributable to the Dolphins' awful offensive line, however - a line that is completely revamped this season. Tannehill is an ideal high-upside fantasy backup.
Super Deep Sleeper
Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings
ADP: Undrafted
The disappointing seasons turned in by 2013 rookie starters EJ Manuel and Geno Smith could turn Teddy Bridgewater into a valuable fantasy asset.
Bridgewater is going undrafted in most fantasy leagues, but it's not out of the question that he becomes a worthy starter in deep leagues this season (assuming, of course, he ascends to the top of the Vikings' depth chart). He certainly has the talent around him: Adrian Peterson remains the best running back on the planet, Cordarrelle Patterson is poised to break out in a big way, and Kyle Rudolph provides a big, reliable outlet for a rookie passer finding his way.
Recall that Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck both posted top-ten fantasy numbers as rookies, and Russell Wilson landed just outside that elite group. Johnny Manziel may be slightly more likely than Bridgewater to achieve that mark thanks to his superior rushing ability, but Manziel will cost you a 12th-round pick to acquire.
Put a star next to Bridgewater's name and consider making a waiver wire claim on him in early September if he start for the Vikings and looks good.