Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers: Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye (2024)

Welcome to our 2024 Fantasy Football Sleepers series! Savvy managers and players are searching for underrated players who can have huge impacts as the new season approaches. In this piece we will explore some hidden gems that could be the difference in your fantasy team. From unnoticed first-year players to veterans ready to break out, we provide expert insights that can help you make the best choices when it comes to finding sleepers for your league. Are you ready to find the young talents of tomorrow and increase your chances of dominating your fantasy football league? We’ll start with the quarterback sleepers to target.

Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers: Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS)

Let’s get this out of the way. If Daniels starts every game this season, his rushing equity alone will push him into the top 12 of fantasy quarterbacks. In his final season at LSU, Daniels rushed for 1,134, and now he’s paired with an offensive coordinator who is quite familiar with game planning with a mobile quarterback. Kliff Kingsbury’s offense will feature play-action and deep passing, which are two of Daniels’ stand-out strengths.

At the height of Kyler Murray‘s powers under Kliff Kingsbury (2021), he ranked fifth in deep ball rate and 11th in play-action dropback rate. In 2023, Daniels led all collegiate passers in deep passing grade and deep adjusted completion rate while also ranking fourth in play-action passing grade. Daniels is the best argument for waiting on a quarterback in your drafts.

J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN)

The Vikings have tabbed McCarthy as the successor to Kirk Cousins, trading up one spot to select the University of Michigan product with the No. 10 pick in the draft. McCarthy has a strong arm, good mobility and an impressive track record of success that includes a national championship last season and a 61-3 record as a starter since high school.

McCarthy steps into a good situation, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as wide receivers and T.J. Hockenson at tight end (though Hockenson sustained a major knee injury late last year). Rookie struggles may be inevitable, but McCarthy has a chance to provide QB2 fantasy value as a rookie.

Drake Maye (QB – NE)

The former Tar Heel tied a bow on his collegiate career with 62 passing TDs and 16 interceptions. Even after taking a slight step backward in 2023 compared to his elite sophomore campaign, Drake Maye didn’t wait very long to hear his name called, with scouts comparing his outlook to franchise QBs like Justin Herbert and Josh Allen. The Patriots selected him 3rd overall.

In Maye’s first year as a starter at UNC (2022) at 20 years of age, he finished with a top-5 PFF passing grade in the nation while leading his team in rushing yards. He averaged nearly 56 yards per game on the ground through his two years as a starter. He has a top-tier ceiling as an NFL quarterback and will ask to carry the load when he draws the staring nod in New England amid a lackluster supporting cast.