With this being my second year as QB List’s Lead Analyst, it’s also my second year writing some of your favorite preseason series, starting with Post-Hype Sleepers. I’m well aware I tend to buck the trends of preseason consensus, and with that being said, I think it’s only fair to take a look back at last preseason and hold myself accountable. The results were mixed, but the exercise did produce one genuine smash.
2025 Post-Hype Sleeper Quarterbacks in Review:
Jordan Love validated the efficiency argument, improved to a 66.3% completion rate, posted a 101.2 passer rating, and cut his interceptions from 11 to six. But the Packers didn’t require Love to air things out, which capped his fantasy ceiling. Love finished modestly ahead of his ADP while remaining a low-end weekly option, not enough to consider him a hit or a miss in my opinion.
Verdict: Push
Justin Fields was the big whiff. When he was on the field, his rushing still produced usable stretches, but the passing limitations proved more significant than the hoped-for coaching bump.
Verdict: Miss
Daniel Jones was the clear victory. Drafted around QB31 (if at all), he won the Colts’ starting job and was a weekly fantasy starter until a season-ending Achilles injury. Indiana Jones completed 68% of his passes, averaged 8.1 yards per attempt and set career highs in completion percentage, yards per attempt, yards per game, passer rating and QBR, all while chipping in five rushing touchdowns. But more important than stats, the success materialized for the reasons identified: better protection allowed Jones to operate from clean pockets and Shane Steichen‘s offense suited him, to name a few. If you want to take a look at last year’s article and check out the rest of my reasoning, click…………not here……………or here……….but here.
Verdict: Hit
I’ll take a 1-1-1 record through the first go-round. Let’s see if we can’t improve that hit rate in 2026.
Here are my 2026 Post-Hype Sleeper Quarterbacks.
Cam Ward – Tennessee Titans
(The “Oh, play to a guy’s strengths” sleeper)
Cam Ward struggled mightily early in his rookie season, but the flashes seen over the final six weeks of the season gave a new hope for the young padawan. It took until Week 14 for Ward to have his first multi-touchdown game, but he did so in four straight games before leaving Week 18 early with a shoulder injury suffered from diving for a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. Good things happen when you let a quarterback known for the deep ball actually throw the ball deep. Through Weeks 1-13, Ward had the sixth-lowest deep throw % of quarterbacks with at least five starts at 7.8%. Those final four games he completed? The sixth-highest deep throw rate at 15.2% (minimum three starts) and an 8-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The Titans cleaned house from nearly top to bottom, and along with new head coach Robert Saleh is former Giants head coach Brian Daboll. The guy who turned around the career of Josh Allen and turned Daniel Jones into chicken salad with an offensive line that was chicken……..anywho. Daboll has a reputation for developing quarterbacks and molding offenses to his players’ strengths (what a concept).
Along with Daboll came Wan’Dale Robinson, coming off a career year and a perfect complement to fourth overall pick Carnell Tate out of Ohio State, giving Ward actual weapons instead of the ghost of Calvin Ridley, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor atop the depth chart. Ward is currently coming off the board as the QB27, behind the likes of CJ Stroud, Malik Willis, and Bryce Young. Ward’s a zero-risk pick who could pay off tenfold if it clicks.
Tua Tagovailoa/Michael Penix Jr. – Atlanta Falcons
(The “ride the fence” sleeper(s))
Alright, it’s probably cheating, but I am all in on whoever claims the starting gig in Atlanta. There is a clear pattern with my post-hype sleeper picks this year: quarterbacks who have flashed real potential, teamed up with head coaches or coordinators celebrated for their offensive creativity.
Atlanta now has Kevin Stefanski, the Case Keenum whisperer and the coach who led the Browns to the playoffs twice. The Falcons are loaded with talent: Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and rookie Zachariah Branch (oh, don’t overlook Olamide Zaccheaus, either). I hadn’t planned on targeting Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, but with the coach and supporting cast he landed with, plus a system tailored for a lefty quarterback, it’s an ideal setup. Michael Penix Jr. is only cleared for individual drills and seven-on-sevens so far, and Stefanski has made it clear the starting job is truly up for grabs. We probably won’t know the Falcons’ starter until deep into the preseason, but whoever wins the job is worth a late-round flyer. It’s more about the situation than the players, but in fantasy, points are all that matter.
Kyler Murray – Minnesota Vikings
(The “low-profile” sleeper)
With three top 10 finishes in his first three seasons, Kyler Murray appeared to be headed for perennial fantasy stud status. But between shoulder sprains, hammy strains, and that dang ACL tear that ended his 2022 season, Murray has just one QB1 season in the past four. Maybe the player in most dire need of a chance of scenery this offseason, Kyler couldn’t have wound up with a better view than Kevin O’Connell on the sideline.
KOC is THE QB Whisperer, credited with maximizing the talents and reviving the careers of the likes of Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Joshua Dobbs, and Nick Mullens. While KOC has publicly stated it’s an open competition between Murray and J.J. McCarthy, Murray is the heavy favorite to start under center in Week 1. If that is indeed the case, KOC isn’t the only reason Kyler in purple and gold gets the juices pumping. While Murray did get the tail end of Larry Fitzgerald‘s career overlapping with the prime of DeAndre Hopkins, there’s an argument to be made that the trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and newly acquired Jauan Jennings are the most complete set of weapons in Murray’s career. TJ Hockenson is still hanging around as well (and is a favorite bounce-back candidate of mine). Whether you agree that these guys are the best Murray’s gotten to play with or not, it’s exciting to hear what KOC had to say about it:
“I call it the Justin Jefferson program. If they’re playing man coverage, they’re absolutely not playing Justin 1 on 1… what that means if you’re going to try and play those coverages, and have a spy for Kyler Murray, or for that matter any of our other QB’s, you’re leaving yourself a 3-man rush… so you have to ask yourself, what do you have to take away. If the answer is Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison, there’s going to be some opportunity (for everyone else on offense).” – Kevin O’Connell on how teams may approach defending the Vikings’ new look offense.
Murray is still just 28 years old; he hasn’t finished outside the top 10 quarterbacks or scored fewer than 24 total touchdowns in a season in which he played at least 14 games. If he can stay healthy (and officially wins the job), Murray could easily find himself on a whole lot of championship rosters.
Photo by David Berding | Adapted by Parker McDonald (@CarbonFoxGFX on Twitter/X)