2025 Fantasy Football: Late-Round Quarterback Targets

What!? Your fantasy football league wasn’t hosted on Fantrax last season!? Once you see how Fantrax stacks up to the competition, we think you’ll be singing a different tune in the 2025 season.

Late-Round Quarterback Targets for 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts

Sure, you might see names like Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, or Bo Nix go in the middle rounds. But here’s the secret: the gap between those guys and the quarterbacks you can snag in the double-digit rounds is way smaller than most people think. By waiting, you get nearly the same production at a fraction of the draft cost.

If those big-name quarterbacks don’t fall to you at a screaming value, keep pounding the RB/WR well. Maybe lock down a tight end you love. Then scoop up one of these late-round quarterbacks. Do it right, and you’ll end up with a beefed-up stable of skill players carrying your team while your “bargain-bin” QB keeps pace with the mid-tier options. Your league mates will call it luck—we’ll call it strategy.

Note on ADP Cutoff: In this article, “late-round QB” refers to quarterbacks drafted outside the top 12 at the position and after pick 125 overall in a standard 12-team redraft league—typically Round 11 or later. Each player listed includes their current Average Draft Position (ADP) by position and overall, based on FantasyPros consensus data from major league platforms. These numbers reflect the draft landscape at the time of publication and are intended as a guide for planning your late-round strategy.

The quarterbacks featured here are ones I’m targeting after the following players are off the board:

• Lamar Jackson – BAL (ADP 24)

• Josh Allen – BUF (ADP 23)

• Jayden Daniels – WAS (ADP 30)

• Jalen Hurts – PHI (ADP 40)

• Joe Burrow – CIN (ADP 36)

• Patrick Mahomes – KC (ADP 58)

• Baker Mayfield – TB (ADP 75)

• Bo Nix – DEN (ADP 79)

• Kyler Murray – ARI (ADP 91)

• Brock Purdy – SF (ADP 115)

• Justin Fields – NYJ (ADP 120)

• Dak Prescott – DAL (ADP 105)

• Justin Herbert – LAC (ADP 110)

• Caleb Williams – CHI (ADP 104)

You can find a look at my quarterback rankings for the 2025 season HERE.

“WHY SPEND BIG ON A QUARTERBACK WHEN YOU CAN DRAFT LIKE THANOS AND COLLECT ALL THE INFINITY STONES AT RB AND WR?” – EVERY #ZEROQB MANAGER EVER

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Drake Maye, QB New England Patriots (ADP: QB16 | OVR: 126.7)

If you’re executing the #ZeroQB plan, Maye is the kind of double-digit round swing you take for upside. He’s a rookie on a team without an elite receiving corps, but his advanced metrics point to a sneaky fantasy floor with legit week-winning potential.

Let’s start with the rushing. In an article I wrote earlier this summer on the Power of the Mobile QB, I explained why QBs who scramble for first downs and keep the chains moving with their legs are a fantasy football cheat code. Maye fits that mold perfectly. He ranked 2nd among all quarterbacks in Rushing Explosive Rating (117.5), piled up 421 rushing yards (9th), and showed efficiency as a runner with 32.4 yards per game. These numbers aren’t fluff — they’re the exact traits that make mobile QBs valuable in fantasy, even when their passing situation is less than ideal.

Maye’s upside isn’t just about his legs. He flashed downfield ability with 13 money throws (11th) and ranked top-five in pressured completion percentage at 64.1%. This shows poise in chaotic pockets. His Production Premium (+4.5) ranked 7th, meaning he performed above expectation given his situation — a great sign in a new offense where he’ll be asked to make plays.

The cherry on top? His 93.7 Explosive Rating (25th) shows he can produce chunk plays through the air and on the ground — a huge bonus for spike weeks in fantasy.

If you wait on QB, Maye checks all the boxes for a late-round swing: rushing floor, big-play upside, and a role that will likely have him starting from Week 1.

C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans (ADP: QB18 | OVR: 132.0)

It’s rare for a rookie quarterback to light up the league like C.J. Stroud did in 2023. He threw for over 4,100 yards with 23 touchdowns, ranked top-three in Yards Per Attempt (8.2), and finished as QB7 in fantasy points per game — all while showing elite poise and efficiency for a first-year passer.

But 2024 told a different story. Stroud’s passing yards dipped to 3,727, his yards per attempt fell to 7.0, and his fantasy output slid to QB28. The drop wasn’t all on him — injuries across the offensive line and a revolving door of receivers made life harder.

Heading into 2025, Stroud is a bounce-back candidate. His ceiling remains capped compared to elite fantasy QBs. He offers modest rushing ability (career-high 233 yards in 2024) and is more of a high-volume pocket passer — think poor man’s Joe Burrow. That means he’s unlikely to single-handedly win weeks with his legs, but his arm talent and volume should keep him in the QB1 conversation most weeks, especially when Houston is behind.

If the Texans’ offensive line stabilizes and his weapons stay healthy, Stroud could return low-end QB1 or solid QB2 value at a fraction of the top passers’ draft cost. In the late rounds, that’s low-risk, high-reward.

Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers (ADP: QB24 | OVR: 165.0)

Labeled a bust after a rough rookie campaign, Bryce Young’s sophomore year didn’t start smoother. He was benched by Week 3 in favor of Andy Dalton. Through seven weeks, he averaged just 117.1 passing yards, 0.6 touchdowns, and nearly an interception per game. Carolina’s offense looked lifeless, and many fantasy managers had written him off.

From Week 8 on, Young looked like a different QB. He regained the starting job, processed faster, pushed the ball downfield, and made plays with both arm and legs. Over the final six weeks, he averaged 226.1 passing yards, 1.6 touchdowns, and 25.4 rushing yards per game. That was good enough for QB6 in that span with 21.2 fantasy points per game.

Even those numbers undersell his improvement, since they’re weighed down by his early struggles. The eye test told a different story. Young was confident, decisive, and showed the poise of a seasoned veteran.

He’s carried that poise into the preseason, which should be a sign of things to come. Or, as The Dark Knight says, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” Young’s second half of the season defined him as a QB ready to prove doubters wrong.

Carolina’s front office backs him, too. They drafted Tetairoa McMillan, who has the tools to be a true WR1. They also kept steady Adam Thielen and first-rounder Xavier Legette. With one of the friendliest passing schedules and a defense projected to be among the worst, Young should be throwing often. When plays break down, his scrambling adds a fantasy safety net.

He’s the ultimate no-risk, high-reward dart throw in the late rounds. If his second-half surge continues, he could finish as a low-end QB1.

Final Thoughts

Rolling with the #ZeroQB strategy isn’t about ignoring quarterbacks — it’s about playing the board better than everyone else. Once the top-tier signal-callers are gone, the production drop-off isn’t steep enough to justify premium draft capital.

By sticking to your guns, stockpiling elite RBs and WRs early, and pouncing on value QBs late, you build a roster stacked where it matters most. The beauty? While opponents take “safe” mid-round QBs, you add another weekly difference-maker at skill positions and get comparable QB points for a fraction of the cost.

It’s not gambling — it’s calculated advantage. When your “bargain-bin” QB keeps pace with pricey picks, you’ll know you played the long game perfectly.