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Five quarterback (QB) fantasy football sleepers, value picks to target late in 2026 drafts. These are undervalued QB sleepers to draft in the later rounds.
August will be over soon, Week 1 is around the corner, and we are in the thick of the fantasy football draft season. We have recently published late-round running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Today we wrap up the late-round series with our late-round quarterback fantasy football draft values and sleepers for the 2026 season.
Regardless of the format, it's vital to have at least a handful of sleeper targets at each position heading into your fantasy football drafts. Below, you will find some late-round quarterbacks for you to consider drafting this season. Tyler Shough, Cam Ward, Fernando Mendoza, Malik Willis, and Sam Darnold are a few quarterbacks to consider in the later rounds, especially in leagues where you can start two quarterbacks.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific NFL players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2026 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 300+ of our 2026 player outlooks, along with many other premium articles and tools available exclusively in our 2026 Draft Kit.
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Malik Willis, Dolphins, Fantasy Football Outlook
It's an exciting time for Malik Willis. The former Packer completed 78% of his passes for over 900 yards in reserve duty across two seasons, impressing general managers across the league with his progression as a quarterback. That made him the cream of the crop in the free agent quarterback class. The Miami Dolphins rewarded the backup to Jordan Love with a three-year, $67.5-million contract to be the team's starter this upcoming season. With his rushing abilities (174 yards in three starts with the Packers), Willis is the type of quarterback that fantasy managers love. He doesn't necessarily need strong passing numbers to rack up fantasy points, which is good, because his receiver corps may be the weakest in the league.
Still here, hyping up Malik Willis https://t.co/ko3j9ZrorF pic.twitter.com/g35i9n92YH
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) August 10, 2026
The Dolphins traded Jaylen Waddle to Denver this offseason, and Tyreek Hill is no longer part of the team. That leaves Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and three middle-round rookies atop the depth chart. If Willis and running back De'Von Achane can keep the offense humming, he'll outplay his mid-to-low-end QB2 ranking. Otherwise, the lack of skill position talent could keep the former third-round pick from enjoying a breakout campaign.
Tyler Shough, Saints, Fantasy Football Outlook
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough finished 2025 with 2,384 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and a 67.6% completion rate across 11 games. He also produced one of his best games late in the season, throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns in a comeback win over the Titans. He was so good down the stretch, in fact, that he was QB5 in overall fantasy points from Weeks 12-18. The fantasy appeal for Shough comes from the possibility that he is still undervalued despite his rushing ability, improved offensive weapons, and a head coach who plays at the league's fastest pace.
Tyler Shough has completed 76.5% of his passes (115 attempts), and is 6-of-10 on throws of 20+ since Day 12 of camp, per @nick_underhill.
This includes the joint practices against the Cowboys and Rams.
Shough is on a roll! #Saints pic.twitter.com/A1jqaPlrkS
— SleeperSaints (@SleeperSaints) August 27, 2026
His accuracy, rushing, and weapons give him a strong foundation, and his late-season surge showed that his ceiling may be much higher than we originally thought. If the Saints continue building around him in 2026, with new weapons in rookie Jordyn Tyson and running back Travis Etienne Jr., Shough has the potential to become one of the best quarterback values in fantasy drafts because his cost will likely remain outside the top 100 picks. Even though Tyson is set to miss the opening two months, Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Etienne provide Shough with high-end talent to keep him as a prime late-round sleeper.
Fernando Mendoza, Raiders, Fantasy Football Outlook
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza enjoyed a stellar final collegiate season at Indiana, tallying 3,535 passing yards, 48 total touchdowns, and just six interceptions en route to a Heisman Trophy Award, undefeated season, and College Football National Championship. He was the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, but his fantasy floor and ceiling are question marks in Year 1 as a pro. For one, Mendoza is a tactical scrambler, but he's unlikely to make a big impact on the ground at the next level.
Experience is the best teacher ✏️
Thursday was exactly the kind of night the No. 1 overall draft pick needed for his continued development ⤵️https://t.co/Vp9VJrL3DK
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 28, 2026
Without offering much rushing upside, he'll need to be a prolific and efficient passer to be a starter in Single-QB formats, which would be a surprise in 2026 with a wide receiver room consisting of Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Jalen Nailor, and Dont'e Thornton Jr. Tight end Brock Bowers is fantastic, but there isn't much to be excited about among pass-catchers otherwise in Las Vegas. Combine the worst wide receiver room in the NFL with a typical rookie learning curve, and it's tough to imagine consistent fantasy success for Mendoza right away.
He could also sit out a significant amount of his rookie season behind Kirk Cousins. All in all, he's a fine but not ideal QB2 option in Superflex leagues, but he's best left for the waiver wire in most 1QB setups. In dynasty setups, his value is much stronger, and hopefully, the Raiders will surround him with talent in the years to come.
Sam Darnold, Seahawks, Fantasy Football Outlook
The Seattle Seahawks took a chance on Sam Darnold after the Minnesota Vikings told him "no thanks" after 36 total touchdowns in 2024. That decision was one of the biggest reasons Seattle hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February, as Sam Darnold played an entire postseason without a turnover and led his team to a massive win over the New England Patriots for the title. However, in the regular season, Darnold had 20 total turnovers and threw 10 fewer touchdowns than his excellent 2024 season.
"I think you can expect that maybe (Sam) Darnold will get even better."@michaelbumpus5 & @StacyRost asked The Athletic's Mike Silver for his NFC West outlook. pic.twitter.com/sbnsyuSQH4
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) August 27, 2026
He will look to clean that up as the offense is likely to skew more pass-friendly with the departure of Kenneth Walker III and the emergence of Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Last season, Darnold threw for the highest yards per attempt of his career (8.5 yards), so what he might sacrifice in yards will likely be gained back with better efficiency and fewer touchdowns. Darnold is currently being drafted as the QB22 overall, but there is a strong case to be made that Darnold could creep into the top-12 before 2026 is over
Cam Ward, Titans, Fantasy Football Outlook
Cam Ward's rookie season, when seen as a whole, was an abject disaster. The number one overall pick had a league-low 5.9 yards per attempt, threw fewer than one touchdown per game, and had 14 turnovers, including seven lost fumbles. He had one of the worst supporting casts in the league and was running a system that often looked like it was stuck in the mud. However, Ward scored at least 15 fantasy points in all weeks of the fantasy playoffs, something only seven quarterbacks were able to do.
Cam Ward vs Bears Joint Practice:
- 19/30
- 3 TDs
- 1 INT(Stats via @nicksuss) pic.twitter.com/WqoSSY9QIm
— SleeperTitans (@SleeperTitanUp) August 27, 2026
In 2026, the Tennessee Titans overhauled their coaching staff with Robert Saleh as head coach and Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator. They also drafted Carnell Tate fourth overall and signed Wan'Dale Robinson, a favorite of Daboll. Calvin Ridley is returning from a broken leg, and rookie Elic Alymanor showed flashes last year.
With all these weapons, this will be the season where fantasy managers start to see if Cam Ward has top-12 quarterback potential. For now, his ADP as QB24 is probably the safest bet, but there is absolutely room for him to grow and outpace that rank.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Looking for more draft values and sleepers? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who Should I Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Cam Ward, Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, Sam Darnold, and Fernando Mendoza. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free!
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