Shedeur Sanders, Kirk Cousins and 3 Other Deep Sleeper Quarterbacks for 2025

Quarterback is not typically a position where deep sleepers are needed. But in fantasy football, it's always much better to be over prepared.

Deep sleepers behind center should cost little to almost nothing to acquire in fantasy football. Most can be added after the draft as a waiver wire addition upon placing a drafted player in an IR spot.

If a deep sleeper quarterback pans out, the reward can be tremendous.

Here are five potential deep sleeper signal-callers for the 2025 season. Keep in mind, no current starting quarterback qualified as a "deep sleeper" for my list.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Of all the rookie quarterbacks not named Cam Ward, Dart probably has the best chance for significant playing time in 2025.

Dart played well in his first preseason game, completing 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. He is expected to play behind Russell Wilson in Week 2 of the preseason.

Wilson is also projected to begin 2025 as the Giants starting quarterback. But if New York falls out of contention, expect Dart to take over, and he could have immediate upside as a 2025 first-round pick.

Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

There might not be a more popular sleeper in fantasy football than Sanders this season. He's currently the fourth quarterback on the Browns depth chart, and he was just a fifth-round pick this past spring.

However, a lot of pundits still believe he was severely undervalued as a Day 3 selection. The Browns have a lot of quarterbacks but no obvious choice as a starter other than the short-term option of Joe Flacco.

If the Browns fall out of contention, Cleveland could try Sanders behind center to see what happens. His star potential gives him fantasy intrigue as a deep sleeper.

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

Cousins is heading in the opposite direction on his team's depth chart than Dart and Sanders. Cousins lost his starting job to Michael Penix Jr., and fellow backup Easton Stick is playing well for the Falcons this preseason.

It's possible the Falcons feel comfortable with Stick as their backup instead of Cousins, who has been a trade candidate since March.

If that's the case, Cousins could be traded to another team, where a starting opportunity could arise. Should that occur, the veteran will return to fantasy relevancy.

Cousins led the NFL in interceptions last season, but he told NFL personality Kay Adams in February that he played through a significant elbow injury beginning in November.

With another starting opportunity, Cousins could return to his October form from last year when he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice.

Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers

41-year-old Aaron Rodgers gave the Steelers a bit of an injury scare this week when he sustained an ailment to his shin.

Fortunately, Rodgers didn't miss any practice. But the shin issue should work as a reminder to fantasy managers that Rodgers is on the last leg of his career and could be a liability this season.

Overall, Rudolph has posted pedestrian statistics in his NFL career. Those types of quarterbacks are typically not worth considering even as a deep sleeper.

But in his last three Steelers starts of 2023, Rudolph threw for 716 yards while averaging 10.1 yards per pass with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford is dealing with a back issue this preseason. The Rams still expect the Super Bowl-winning signal-caller to be ready for Week 1. But the longer he is sidelined, the more Garoppolo will be considered a deep sleeper option in fantasy leagues.

During his last season as a full-time starter, Garoppolo severely struggled with the Las Vegas Raiders. But he's always done well in a quarterback-friendly system.

In his only start with the Rams last season, Garoppolo threw for 334 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He averaged 8.1 yards per pass. During 2021 with the 49ers, Garoppolo led the league with 12.7 yards per completion.

Rudolph and Garoppolo should both go undrafted in most fantasy leagues this year.