When Pigs Fly: Late-Round Fantasy Sleepers Who Could Smash Their ADP- QB Edition
Many a fantasy football league is won by having a late round grab far outperform their draft position. Last year we saw Matthew Stafford, drafted on average as the 24th QB off the board, finish as the NFL MVP and a QB4 finish. George Pickens finished as WR3 after being drafted as WR29. Landing a top ten player at their position in the later rounds is fantasy gold. So grab your coffee, your rankings, and perhaps a completely unjustified amount of confidence, because we’re about to uncover the players who could turn your late-round gamble into a season-winning jackpot. Players that could be your MVP “when pigs fly”.
Today we start with QBs…
QUARTERBACK
Jared Goff (DET). In the early draft season, Jared Goff is continuing to be disrespected by being selected as QB16. This aligns exactly with where he was being drafted last year: QB16. Goff finished last year as QB9. In 2024 he was QB6. 2023: QB7. See a pattern here? He is in the same, highly explosive offense as last year with St. Brown, Williams, Gibbs and LaPorta. The offensive line has been improved by adding Cade Mays (who allowed zero sacks last year) and drafting OT Blake Miller in the first round. To top it off, Detroit has the easiest strength of schedule in 2026. All of this adds up to another, easy top 10 finish that you can grab in the double digit rounds. So in the early rounds pass on QB, load up on your WR and RB and then grab Goff and…
Kyler Murray (MIN). Don’t laugh. He has finished as a top-10 QB in every season that he’s played a full slate, including a QB3 finish his sophomore year. Even in his injured years he never finished lower than QB12 in points per game. So, as long as he stays healthy, he’s a starting QB in most fantasy leagues. He’s averaging being drafted as QB17 this year. Murray has, what is almost certainly, his best supporting cast with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, TJ Hockenson and one of the best pass catching backs in Aaron Jones. None of his injuries are recurring (ankle, hamstring, ACL, foot), so he has about the same chance of getting injured as everyone else taken in front of him. There is always the ghost of JJ McCarthy looming, but after two years we know that’s not really a thing.