Drake Maye, Bryce Young, and Three More Quarterback Sleepers to Target

Since the definition of “sleeper” differs from person-to-person, I did a quick AI search to come up with a shared definition. Here’s what one robot friend came back with: “In fantasy football, a sleeper is a player who is expected to significantly outperform their average draft position (ADP).”

And here’s what another robot friend came back with as examples: “A rookie with a lot of upside, a player on a new team with a better offensive scheme, or a player with a clear path to more playing time are all examples of potential sleepers.”

While I could quibble with some of that, I figured our new AI overloads at least gave us a standard way that we can all talk about sleepers moving forward. And with that, there are five quarterbacks who I think will fit the sleeper definition this season. And we need to talk about them.

QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Full disclaimer, I am a Patriots fan (I know, I know. Boooo. Hisss.), so I admit this one might be a bit aspirational. But if I take off my Patriots footie pajamas and think about this rationally, Drake Maye fits our AI definition perfectly in that he’s a second-year player with upside, in a new Josh McDaniels scheme, and has some fun new weapons in Stefon Diggs, TreVeyon Henderson, Kyle Williams, and more. Maye had his ups-and-downs last year, but he has a high ceiling that is boosted by his rushing ability (he put up 421 rushing yards in 13 games last season). While there is some bust potential here, Maye has the upside to blow away his preseason QB18 ranking and finish the year as a top-10 fantasy quarterback.

QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Just when you thought he was almost out of the league, Bryce Young came off his mid-season benching for Andy Dalton and showed why he was the first overall pick in 2023. Young averaged close to 20 fantasy points per game after Week 8 last season, and began to thrive in head coach Dave Canales’ offense. His receiving options are still a bit lackluster, but the Panthers invested a first-round pick in Tetairoa McMillan so help is on the way. Young is currently sitting at QB22 in our preseason rankings and has the opportunity to finish as a top-15 fantasy quarterback this season.

QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

I’m admittedly a tad dubious of J.J. McCarthy considering his very limited college resumé (and the fact that he’s coming off a major injury), but there are a lot of things to like about the situation over the player here. McCarthy will be playing in a Kevin O’Connell offense that resurrected the career of Sam Darnold, and he’ll also have a star-studded supporting cast featuring Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison (once he comes off a three-game suspension to start the season). McCarthy is currently QB16 in our preseason rankings and could easily have himself a Bo Nix-type season where he puts up QB1 value for the Vikings.

QB Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons

I promise I’m not just picking 2024 first-round quarterbacks out of a hat here. Penix is lower on my sleeper list, but he has a lot of room to grow as he’s currently QB24 in our preseason rankings. While Penix didn’t look great in his three starts last season, he wasn’t awful either. He also finished with a 312-yard passing effort, so he ended the year on a high note. With a cast of high draft picks around him led by Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts Sr, there’s a very realistic path for Penix to exceed his quarterback draft position by 10 spots.

QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

I realize Love isn’t a traditional “sleeper” because he busted out two seasons ago (I could write a very similar paragraph for C.J. Stroud, for the record), but he fully qualifies as one based on his current ranking and draft position. Love has consistently been drafted as a QB2 and is currently QB20 on our preseason rankings. While Love took a step back in 2024, he finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in 2023, and will have a solid arsenal of weapons around him that includes first-round draft pick Matthew Golden. Love’s upside might be a tad limited in the Packers run-first attack, but he has a proven track record and could easily get back to QB1 territory.