Every year, there’s a cluster of guys sitting outside the top 10 who get overlooked in the dynasty markets, and every year, a few of them end up winning leagues for the people who actually did their homework. This year, that cluster is loaded because there is a former MVP, a couple of veterans in fresh situations, and a sophomore or two who flashed enough last season to make you a believer.
Some of these names you already respect. Others, you’re sleeping on. One or two are just straight-up bargains if you’re patient. Let’s break down why each quarterback falling into that category deserves a longer look than their current draft slot suggests.
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Draft It, Set It, Forget It
The Lone Ranger: Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys, QB14
Dak Prescott quietly finished as QB9 last season on a points-per-game basis, which tells you the raw talent and volume were both there, even if the ADP doesn’t reflect it. Dig into the advanced numbers, and it gets even better. He ranked fifth in QB EPA and fifth in QBR, both signs that he was playing efficient, winning football.
Not even Dak Prescott? pic.twitter.com/JC8SyLhGti
— Keyser Söze’s drunk uncle (@PfizerSoze1) July 9, 2026
The one thing holding him back was touchdown luck. He actually generated more expected fantasy points than he actually scored, which is usually a sign of positive regression to come. Add in the fact that he’s still throwing to a great group of weapons, and QB14 starts to look like a steal.
Mr. Consistency: Jared Goff | Detroit Lions, QB17
Jared Goff finished as the overall QB8 in 2025, and he did it with one of the best offensive lines in football protecting him and a solid group of pass catchers to throw to. He ranked fourth in true completion percentage, which is as good a marker as any that he’s still one of the more accurate passers in the league.
People love to write Goff off as a game manager, but he can still push the ball down the field when he needs to. He is currently riding a wave of four-straight seasons in the fantasy QB top 10, 4,000-plus yards in each of those, and accounting for at least 30 touchdowns in all four, as well. At his current price, you’re getting a top-10 quarterback for a mid-tier cost.
C Boogie Nights: Cam Ward | Tennessee Titans, QB18
Cam Ward is the kind of pick that gets fantasy managers excited about upside. Tennessee brought in Brian Daboll as the new offensive coordinator, and this front office backed that up by drafting Carnell Tate (Ohio State) with the No. 4 overall pick to give him a new, dangerous target.
Rookie Cam Ward. pic.twitter.com/nEKdzdXIfo
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) July 4, 2026
He has already shown flashes as a rookie that hinted at real starting-caliber talent, and now he’s got both the coaching and the weapons to build on it. This is a classic buy-low situation on a guy who could be a completely different player in Year 2.
Go Marching In… to the Playoffs: Tyler Shough | New Orleans Saints, QB20
New Orleans didn’t mess around this offseason. I mean, the front office invested heavily in the offense as a whole, which is exactly what you want to hear about a young quarterback’s supporting cast.
Tyler Shough brings a genuinely big arm to the table, ranking 10th in air yards per attempt, so the deep-ball juice is real. On top of that, the Saints have historically been among the more pass-heavy offenses in the league, so volume shouldn’t be a concern. Put those pieces together, and you’ve got a sneaky QB2 with real weekly upside.
Called to Duty: Kyler Murray | Minnesota Vikings, QB22
This is the landing spot that should have Kyler Murray truthers fired up. He’s now playing for Kevin O’Connell, a coach with a well-earned reputation as a “quarterback whisperer” who knows how to scheme guys into big fantasy weeks.
Vikings QB named among those who could be a value in fantasy
📸 David Berding, Getty Images https://t.co/w2qEmfQ1x1 pic.twitter.com/mNsnrIqhC9
— TheVikingsWire (@TheVikingsWire) July 16, 2026
Murray has been a top-5 fantasy quarterback multiple times in his career and hasn’t lost the mobility that makes him a weekly rushing floor. Throw in the fact that Minnesota is stacked with multiple Black Ops-level high-end weapons, and you’ve got the recipe for a major fantasy bounce back.
“You Shall Not Pass!”: Matt Stafford | Los Angeles Rams, QB24
Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP and finished as the overall QB3 in 2025. Full stop. That’s it. That’s the resume, and man, it’s good. His analytic profile hasn’t slipped either; the underlying numbers still paint the picture of an elite, high-level passer.
Given where he’s actually going in drafts relative to where he finished last year, the odds that he provides a better ROI (return on investment) than a typical QB24 are extremely high. This is about as safe a value pick as you’ll find at the position.
Bonus Bargain Bin!
Buy Six Get Tua Free: Tua Tagovailoa | Atlanta Falcons, QB29
Save a late-round dart throw for Tua Tagovailoa. He’s now playing for Kevin Stefanski, a head coach with a strong track record of getting the most out of his quarterbacks. There’s also a real chance Michael Penix Jr. loses his job in Atlanta, which would open the door for Tua to take over an offense that already has legitimate weapons in place.
According to the Athletic, Tua Tagovailoa is the early favorite for the starting job in Atlanta.
Both Tua and the Falcons are hopeful that a change in scenery will offer a fresh start with the QB receiving a one year prove it deal.
With Michael Penix still recovering from an… pic.twitter.com/j8ubwCuDys
— The Goal Line Grind (@theGLgrind) July 11, 2026
He’s proven before that when he’s healthy and surrounded by talent, he can be a genuinely useful fantasy starter, and at QB29, the cost to find out is basically nothing.
Final Word
Here’s the bottom line: quarterback depth runs deeper than ever, and that means the guys sitting in this QB14-29 range are where leagues get won by the managers paying attention.
You’ve got proven vets in Dak, Goff, and Stafford, who are being drafted well below their actual production. You’ve got situational upside plays in Ward and Shough, young arms stepping into offenses that are investing real resources around them. Finally, you’ve got a pair of change-of-scenery bets in Murray and Tua, both now playing for coaches who have a history of making quarterbacks better.
Don’t let the ADPs fool you; there’s real value sitting in this tier, and it’s the kind of value that wins fantasy championships.
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