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.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
5 Quarterback Sleepers to Target
After a triumphant 2022 season in which he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, completing an NFL-high 69.8% of his passes, Geno Smith floated back down to earth in 2023. Despite working with the WR trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Smith finished QB25 in fantasy scoring last year, averaging 15.3 fantasy points per game.
So … will the real Geno Smith please stand up? With Seattle’s ample pass-catching weaponry, a return to the heights of 2022 is certainly possible for Smith. But the 33-year-old Smith has only had one good NFL season, so it’s not inconceivable that he could play his way out of a starting job.
Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAC)
Fantasy managers were hoping to see Trevor Lawrence take a major step forward in 2023 after a promising 2022 season. Much of Lawrence’s third NFL season was a disappointment in that regard, but a strong finish raises hopes for 2024. Over the first 10 weeks of the 2023 season, Lawrence was QB19 in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks with at least four starts, averaging 235.6 passing yards and 1.0 TD passes per game.
From Week 11 on, Lawrence was QB7 in fantasy points per game, averaging 270.9 passing yards and 1.7 TD passes a game. The former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft was able to ramp up his production late in the year despite losing WR Christian Kirk to a core injury that kept him out of the last five games of the season. Lawrence has a fabulous toolkit that includes abundant arm talent and above-average rushing ability. Consistency is the missing ingredient, and maybe we’ll finally get it from Lawrence in his fourth year in the league.
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.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
