5 Quarterback Sleepers for Fantasy Football: Undervalued Draft Targets (2026)

May 13, 2026

Dan Fornek's quarterback fantasy football sleepers for the 2026 NFL season. His undervalued QBs and late-round targets for fantasy football drafts, including Tyler Shough and more.

The 2026 NFL offseason keeps chugging along. Rookie minicamps are officially underway as teams figure out how to incorporate their 2026 NFL Draft selections.

The regular season is still several months away, but fantasy drafts have already started in dynasty and best ball formats. It is never too early to understand ADP movement and identify value positions.

This article will break down five quarterback sleepers for the 2026 NFL season, based on early ADP data from Underdog Fantasy best-ball tournaments. They have ample amounts of draft data to give us a good idea of ADP, but that ADP could be a bit extreme, given the scoring formats. Let’s dive in.

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

ADP: 98.0, QB14

Brock Purdy will be underrated as a fantasy quarterback for the third straight season. Purdy is currently being drafted as QB14 even though he has been a top 10 finisher in fantasy points per game in each of the last three seasons.

Purdy was limited to just nine games in 2025 thanks to injuries, but still posted 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was the QB5 in points per game (20.8), a total that includes a 6.2 point effort in Week 18. He also flashed a high-end fantasy season after the team’s Week 14 bye, scoring between 26 and 38 fantasy points in three straight games.

More importantly, Purdy continued to utilize his legs after plays broke down. The veteran quarterback showed solid rushing ability in 2024 (66 carries for 323 yards and five touchdowns) and was trending toward similar production in 2025 (33 carries for 147 yards and three touchdowns) when healthy.

The San Francisco 49ers worked to upgrade the talent around Purdy in 2026 during the offseason after adding Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and 2026 second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling. Those moves, along with the return of contributors like Christian McCaffrey and Ricky Pearsall, give Purdy plenty of firepower. A quick return from George Kittle (Achilles) could also elevate his ceiling.

On the surface, Purdy has the tools to produce his fourth straight top 10 fantasy in 2026. He is an ideal target for fantasy managers who want to wait on a quarterback in 2026, thanks to his QB14 price tag.

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

ADP: 105.8, QB17

The Kyler Murray experience in Arizona came to an end this offseason after several seasons of injuries and inconsistent play. Those reasons have also made Murray extremely frustrating for fantasy managers. However, Murray landed in a fantastic spot this offseason when he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. That pairing makes him very intriguing in fantasy football once again.

The veteran quarterback has been limited to just 30 games over the last three years, completing 67.8% of his passes for 6,612 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Despite the injuries, Murray has still been willing to run, averaging 50.3 attempts, 329.7 yards, and three touchdowns per season.

Murray was efficient as a passer in his five-game sample in 2025, posting a 76.4% accurate pass rating and a 2.5% turnover-worthy play rate, according to FTNFantasy’s Stats & Charting. Unfortunately, that was due to a lack of risk-taking based on his yards per attempt (6.0, QB25) and explosive play rate (4.3%).

Landing with the Minnesota Vikings gives Murray a new opportunity to operate with arguably his most talented supporting cast since 2020. Not only has head coach Kevin O'Connell had success over the years with veteran quarterbacks, but the weapons Murray will have at his disposal (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and T.J. Hockenson) will hopefully allow Murray to be more aggressive attacking downfield.

A fully healthy Murray finished as the QB12 in fantasy points per game in 2024 with eight 20+ fantasy point efforts while playing with a rookie WR1 (Marvin Harrison Jr.). If Murray can stay healthy in 2026, he could match or surpass that output and is going off the board as QB17.

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

ADP: 114.8, QB20

Tyler Shough got an opportunity to start the final nine games of the 2025 season for the New Orleans Saints. The results were largely positive.

During that nine-game stretch, Shough completed 69.2% of his passes for 2,256 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions while adding 42 carries for 174 yards and three touchdowns. That production is even more impressive, considering his top target earners were Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson, Devaughn Vele, and Kevin Austin Jr.

Shough was the QB10 in fantasy during his time as a starter, averaging 17.6 points per game with three 20+ fantasy point games. That performance gave New Orleans the confidence it needed to spend the offseason building up the offense around Shough to see if he can be the quarterback of the future.

Tyler Shough 63-yard completion to Chris Olave!

NOvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/OlVRsH6aHF

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

New Orleans prioritized adding impact players at guard (David Edwards) and running back (Travis Etienne Jr.) with big contracts in free agency. However, the team also used the NFL Draft to add a high-end pass catcher in the top 10 (Jordyn Tyson), a solid two-way tight end in the third round (Oscar Delp), and explosive upside options on Day 3 of the NFL Draft (fourth round pick Bryce Lance and sixth round pick Barion Brown).

Shough showed that he could provide fantasy managers with consistent QB1 play to close out his rookie year. He now enters his second season as the unquestioned starter in New Orleans with upgrades at every position around him. His QB20 price appropriately accounts for the risk (given his lack of experience and college injury history), with plenty of upside to be a home run for fantasy managers.

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

ADP: 141.1, QB24

Cam Ward could not overcome his environment with the Tennessee Titans as a rookie after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward completed just 59.8% of his passes for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while taking a league-leading 55 sacks.

It’s hard to blame him when three of his top four target earners in the offense were drafted as fourth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite that, Ward still showed flashes of talent that justified his selection as the first pick in the NFL Draft. He also began to elevate his play from Week 14 to Week 17 (766 passing yards with eight touchdowns and one interception) before suffering an injury in the final game of the season.

Cam Ward is a magician 🪄

NOvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/3xKTWruCgB

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

The Titans worked hard to improve the infrastructure around Ward heading into his second season. The team brought in Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator with new head coach Robert Saleh and invested in pass catchers in both free agency (Wan'Dale Robinson) and the NFL Draft (2026 first-round pick Carnell Tate).

Those additions should raise the floor for Ward in his second season, assuming that he heals properly from his Week 18 shoulder injury.

Ward is currently being drafted as the QB24 in fantasy drafts, which is fair given his inconsistent rookie season and lack of rushing upside. However, a new offensive scheme, combined with upgrades among the pass-catching group, makes it likely that Ward can outpace that ADP in his second year.

Geno Smith, New York Jets

ADP: 172.3, QB29

2025 was an absolute disaster for Geno Smith with the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran quarterback completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, but threw just 19 touchdowns with 17 interceptions while taking 55 sacks. Smith struggled in a disjointed passing offense with a terrible offensive line, an inconsistent run game, and a lack of pass catchers.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if Smith failed to find a landing spot as a 35-year-old quarterback coming off an abysmal season. Instead, the New York Jets traded for Smith to be their bridge quarterback. New York opted to avoid drafting a quarterback early in a subpar 2026 draft class with the hopes that it could leverage its three first-round picks for a long-term solution.

On paper, the offense around Smith in 2026 should be vastly better than what he played with in Las Vegas last season. The Jets have invested heavily in their offensive line and have a strong running back room. Garrett Wilson is a legitimate WR1 and has interesting supporting weapons with Adonai Mitchell, Mason Taylor, and 2026 first-round picks Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr.

More importantly, the Jets have just 2026 fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik behind Smith on the depth chart.

Smith is being drafted as the QB29 in early drafts, which may seem early given his terrible 2025 season. But the Jets do have a strong environment around him on offense, and if he can limit mistakes and let his young pass catchers make plays for him, he could be a quarterback who can be a fantasy factor in 2026.

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