Late-Round Quarterback Strategy | Values that can Finish QB1 Overall

by Wyatt Bertolone · Featured
Late-Round Quarterback Strategy

2026 fantasy football drafts are full of great quarterbacks. Recent draft classes have added several starters with high-end fantasy scoring ability, alongside the usual stalwarts at the position. This influx of fantasy quarterbacks has created deep depth at the position, meaning late-round quarterback strategy is back. Here are some of my favorites.

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Drafting the Late-Round Quarterback

Tyler Shough | New Orleans Saints

Tyler Shough was 2025’s version of the old rookie quarterback who few expected to translate well to the NFL. Shough spent seven years in college while dealing with multiple injuries. Normally, older players entering the NFL are bad bets because if they were good, they would already be in the NFL. 

Instead, when Shough got his chance to start, he ran with it and played better than most could have imagined. In his 10 starts, he averaged 14.9 fantasy PPG, but he really took off at the end of the season. Over the final six games, that number was 20.1 FPPG, boosted by adding 25.5 rushing yards .5 rushing touchdowns per game.

Looking forward to the 2026 season, Shough finds himself in an enviable position. He plays for a great offensive coach in Kellen Moore who loves to play at a high pace; he’s got a talented pair of wide receivers in Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson (despite missing time early), and the backfield got an upgrade this offseason with Travis Etienne Jr. The Saints are a popular pick to be a breakout offense in 2026, and that can’t happen without their gunslinger having a breakout as well. If he can keep his surprise rushing prowess and improve as a passer, the sky is the limit in this Saints’ offense.

Kyler Murray | Minnesota Vikings

2025 was a year to forget for Kyler Murray. He played in only five games, scoring 16.2 fantasy PPG, before being sidelined for the rest of the season with a foot injury. The injury didn’t seem serious enough to be season-ending, but the Cardinals wanted to go with Jacoby Brissett and keep Murray sidelined. It was clear his time with Arizona was over. 

This offseason, Murray was let go, and he set out on finding a new home for 2026. After having multiple suitors, the former Heisman Trophy-winner signed with the Vikings. For a while, the Vikings claimed there was a battle between him and J.J. McCarthy. Murray would never sign with the Vikings to compete with McCarthy for the starting job, and Minnesota recently ended the charade by naming Murray the starter. 

Now, he finds himself in what might be the best situation he’s ever been in. Kevin O’Connell has a history of turning even bad quarterbacks into good fantasy players. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and T.J. Hockenson are a great set of pass catchers. The Vikings also have a solid offensive line. In every season but 2025, Murray has finished as a top-12 quarterback in fantasy PPG. He has a great chance of a career resurgence with the Vikings and his best season yet. 

Jordan Love | Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love had to wait his turn to play, but when he did, he looked the part. In his first season as a starter, Love passed for over 4,000 yards, threw for 32 touchdowns, ran for another four, and finished as the QB5 in fantasy PPG with 19.4. The next two years, however, didn’t go quite the same for Love. In 2024 and 2025, his fantasy PPG dropped to 16.3 and 16.1, respectively.

During those down seasons, Love still played well. He finished fifth and sixth in Adjusted Yards per Attempt (AY/A) during those seasons, as well as second and fourth in QBR. He also kept top-end passing touchdown percentages of 5.9% and 5.2%. The problem for Love was that the Packers signed Josh Jacobs heading into the 2024 season, and the offense became one of the more run-heavy situations in the league.

In 2026, we could see the Packers lean back into Love’s arm more —  for a couple of reasons. First, Jacobs could still face a suspension from the league for his legal troubles this offseason. Second, Jacobs could be on the down slope of his career. He will be in his eighth season in the league and has handled an astounding 2,109 touches in his career thus far. It shouldn’t be a surprise if we see his play drop and the Packers rely more on their quarterback.

Malik Willis | Miami Dolphins

Malik Willis went from a toolsy, overhyped prospect to a left-for-dead washout to one of the most efficient quarterbacks we’ve seen in small sample sizes. Willis is an exceptional athlete for the position and has always been a dynamic runner, but his passing ability was in question. Through his four seasons in the NFL, we’ve seen two vastly different levels of play.

In his first two seasons, Willis attempted just 66 passes, didn’t throw a single touchdown, completed only 50% of those passes, and had 4.5 yards per attempt. He was awful. With the Packers, however, he was fantastic. In his last two seasons with Green Bay, Willis flashed immense potential. During that time, on 89 pass attempts, Willis completed 78.6% of his passes and had a ludicrous 10.9 yards per attempt.

This offseason, the Dolphins gave Willis a decently sized contract to be their starter at least through 2026, and hopefully beyond. Now it’s up to him to continue his dynamic play. There’s worry that the Dolphins don’t have the requisite weapons around Willis for him to succeed, but in fantasy, he’ll be fine. Willis’ development as a passer has looked real, and he can always fall back on his running. Willis will be one of, if not the top rushing quarterbacks in fantasy, and that will lead him to a high finish.


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