Sleepers at the Quarterback Position (2022)
Last week we discussed Three Tight End Sleepers to grab in 2022, and if you like to wait to draft Tight Ends and Quarterbacks, we have just the article for you this week!
This week we will talk about some of the sleepers at the Quarterback position. Quarterbacks, like Tight Ends, tend to fall into two scoring categories for fantasy: the top three guys…and everyone else. If you aren’t ready to pony up for guys like Josh Allen, then it may be in your best interest to grab a Quarterback late in the draft that has top-10 potential.
Here are the rankings for the Quarterback position. We will be looking at some Quarterbacks who are being drafted in the later rounds but have the best potential to vastly outperform their ADP.
ADPs come from our 12-team half-PPR ADP .
If you aren’t mocking yet, you have about a week left before the season starts.
Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 10.01, QB15)
Kirk Cousins just can’t seem to crack the top 10 Quarterbacks in fantasy scoring, and it has led to some hesitancy in drafting him in recent years. Cousins finished as a QB1 the past two seasons but was the QB11 in scoring both times.
So, you may wonder, what’s different this year? Well, the Vikings bring in a new Head Coach, Kevin O’Connell, who supposedly is much more of a pass-friendly coach than Mike Zimmer. O’Connell ran the offense for the Rams last season, which culminated in a Super Bowl win and a top-five finish for Matthew Stafford in fantasy.
Cousins has the weapons around him to be successful, with star Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson, veteran Adam Thielen, and up-and-coming KJ Osborn all capable of producing. Having Dalvin Cook as a solid run and pass-catching option also helps.
Cousins is pretty much a lock to finish in the top 12 again, but this season he has a real shot at vastly outperforming his ADP. Top five is a stretch, but he could easily finish in the QB6-10 range, which most fantasy players would be happy with.
Davis Mills – Houston Texans (ADP: Undrafted)
Probably the biggest Quarterback sleeper I’m willing to mention, but Davis Mills was quietly solid in a few games as a rookie in 2021. He had four games with over 300 yards passing, and in the last five games in a row he recorded at least one touchdown pass.
Mills was very up and down all season as a starter, but to be fair he had quite a difficult schedule. He faced the Bills, Colts, 49ers, Chargers, Rams, Patriots, and Titans…all of which have top defenses in the league. So we have to cut him a little slack, especially since the Deshaun Watson news thrust him into the starting role very suddenly.
The Texans haven’t necessarily added a ton of talent to the roster, but they are returning Wide Receiver Brandin Cooks and hyped-up second-year Nico Collins. The Texans also spend a first-round pick on Kenyon Green, so their offensive line should be a bit better than last year.
The biggest thing here is that the Texans will probably still be pretty bad, but that means that they will have to throw the ball a lot to keep up. If Davis Mills made strides this offseason, he could easily be a weekly starter or at least a good streaming option some weeks. The Texans also have a much easier schedule this year, only facing the Colts and Titans that could give their offense some fits.
I wouldn’t necessarily spend a draft pick on Mills, but you should keep him on your radar for a potential pickup if he has some big weeks to start the season.
Jameis Winston – New Orleans Saints (ADP: 12.09, QB19)
Jameis Winston seemed to have matured after leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead of throwing for 5000 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions, he took way better care of the ball and limited the turnovers as a New Orleans Saint.
Last year Winston threw for 1170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions before missing the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Winston returns for the 2022 season not only healthy but with a ton of offensive weapons back on the field. Wide Receiver Michael Thomas should be back for the first time in two years. Running Back Alvin Kamara should continue to be a huge pass-catching threat, and the Saints drafted one of the best Wide Receivers in the 2022 class in Chris Olave.
With so much going for him, Winston has a great chance to finish as a QB1 if he can stay healthy and limit turnovers. He also isn’t afraid to scramble, rushing for 166 yards and one touchdown in his limited time last season.
Winston is a great late-round grab if you miss out on the other Quarterbacks, or if you feel like he would be a solid backup. Who knows, you may be surprised that you are starting him a few weeks into the season.
Filed under: Free Articles
