Quarterbacks miss time and have BYE weeks, which will force managers to pivot to fill in that starting slot in their Fantasy Football lineups with the intention to win their matchup. This is why you will see a lot of Fantasy Football content focused on “streaming” quarterbacks through the year. When I push content about sleepers or streamers for a week, my criterion will typically be in the combination of a quarterback’s skillset, their weapons, their offense in general, their Fantasy Football potential upside, and the matchup at hand.
For the purpose of this article, I will give you a list of quarterbacks who are being drafted late for their position, who can fill your need of depth for streaming purposes. I do not typically draft multiple quarterbacks in single-starting quarterback Fantasy Football leagues, but sometimes stashing guys towards the end of your draft is beneficial. Below are six quarterback sleepers who can serve as streaming options for you in 2025. We Play 2 Win here.
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5 Sleeper Quarterback Streamers
1. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa missed time in 2024, playing just 11 games, which greatly impacted the ceiling of the Dolphins’ offense. Per game, he averaged 36.3 passing attempts (great volume), 260.6 passing yards (solid passing upside), and 1.27 passing touchdowns. 17.1 Fantasy PPG (points per game) ranked 13th, and Tua finished four straight weeks with over 23 Fantasy Points, Weeks 11-14. The year prior in 2023, Tua may not have averaged elite Fantasy PPG (16.7), but he did lead the league in passing yards (4,624), finished second in yards per attempt (8.3), and finished fifth in passing touchdowns (29). Upside as a passer has been evident.
For 2025, while the Dolphins did lose tight end Jonnu Smith via trade to the Steelers, they still have elite weapons. Tyreek Hill produced over 1,700 receiving yards in both 2022 and 2023 (seven then 13 touchdowns), Jaylen Waddle produced 1,358 receiving yards (eight touchdowns) in 2022, and De’Von Achane just led the position in receptions (78) and receiving yards (592) last year. Darren Waller also came out of retirement, and if he is even a fraction of his former self (two seasons over 1,100 yards), he can be an asset. High volume passer with yards/touchdown upside paired with high-speed playmakers translates well for Fantasy.
2. Cam Ward, Titans
The Titans spent the first overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Cam Ward out of Miami. Ward was a Heisman finalist in 2024 who finished second in the FBS in passing yards with 4,313 and led the FBS in passing touchdowns with 39. This man is a gunslinger, which is what Head Coach Brian Callahan has been waiting for, who was the former Offensive Coordinator for a Joe Burrow-led Bengals offense prior to Tennessee.
Cam Ward as a rookie reminds me of Bo Nix last year as a rookie, and I say this situationally, not their skillsets. Bo Nix was overlooked for Fantasy Football, especially with his situation at hand along with weapons. Nix ended up being a strong Fantasy asset and had a very strong connection to his veteran WR1 in Courtland Sutton. The same could happen for Ward periodically, who should have a strong connection to his veteran WR1 in Calvin Ridley. If Callahan lets Ward rip it rookie season, there can be weeks where he is a true asset, especially with game scripts and garbage time as factors.
3. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 NFL Draft was the Falcons selecting Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington with the eighth overall pick despite handing Kirk Cousins the bag prior to that. Penix was a gunslinging prospect who finished his college career with 13,741 passing yards, 96 passing touchdowns, 34 interceptions, 265 rushing yards, and 13 rushing touchdowns. Penix had five appearances as a rookie for the Falcons last season, but finished the final three weeks as the starter:
- Week 16: 18/27 (66.7%) for 202 passing yards, an interception, and 7.4 Fantasy Points (QB30)
- Week 17: 19/35 (54.3%) for 223 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception, and 12.2 Fantasy Points (QB25)
- Week 18: 21/38 (55.3%) for 312 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception, one rushing touchdown, and 26.0 Fantasy Points (QB7)
There was a clear progression in the Fantasy production, and Penix was allowed to let it rip, evident by the passing attempt volume. Penix will open up 2025 as the Falcons’ starter, with playmakers around him to elevate his ceiling. Penix had a strong connection to Drake London during his three-game run as the starter, who is coming off of a breakout 1,271 receiving yards and nine touchdown season. Bijan Robinson was another major breakout last year, rushing for 1,456 yards, catching 61 balls for 431 yards, and scoring 15 touchdowns. There is still hope for Kyle Pitts, who caught Penix’s first passing touchdown and produced 1,026 receiving yards as a rookie. Darnell Mooney is a solid receiver as well, who finished with 992 yards in 16 games last season. We may all be sleeping on the potential of Penix in this offense.
4.) Bryce Young, Panthers
The Panthers made a blockbuster trade in March of 2023, sending DJ Moore, the #9 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the #61 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick to the Bears in order to select Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Young’s rookie season was disappointing, throwing for 2,403 yards with a 11/10 touchdown to interception ratio. Young did show signs of improvement through 14 games in 2024, improving that TD/INT ratio to 15/9 but most importantly his end-of-year rise. From Weeks 12-18 in 2024 (seven games), Young for the position ranked:
- #7 in passing attempts
- #11 in passing completions
- #7 in passing yards
- T#8 in passing touchdowns
- #9 in rushing yards
- #2 in rushing touchdowns
- #6 in total Fantasy Points
- Averaged 21.1 Fantasy PPG
Great signs for Young to finish the year. For 2025, veteran Adam Thielen showed continued juice when healthy last year, and there is hope for the young core of Xavier Legette (2024 first-round wide receiver), Ja’Tavion Sanders (2024 fourth-round tight end), Jalen Coker (2024 undrafted wide receiver). Hunter Renfrow was signed this offseason, but most important was the selection of Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. McMillan has alpha WR1 DNA and should be Young’s favorite target as a receiver with upside in yardage and touchdown scoring. The Young to TMac connection is going to be slept on for 2025.
5.) Sam Darnold, Seahawks
In 2024, Sam Darnold pulled a Geno Smith / Baker Mayfield in the sense that he completely turned his career around with opportunity. The opportunity was enhanced via a rookie JJ McCarthy season-ending injury, but Darnold’s 2024 deserves respect:
- #8 in passing attempts (545)
- #5 in passing yards (4,319)
- #6 in yards per attempt (7.9)
- #5 in passing touchdowns (35)
- #9 in Fantasy PPG (#9)
The Seahawks replaced Geno Smith with Sam Darnold this offseason via a three-year, $55 million deal. While Darnold loses an elite trio in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson, he unites with two elite route-runners in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. JSN had a breakout season last year, catching 100 balls for 1,130 yards. While Kupp is aging and has dealt with injuries the last few seasons, he still averaged 8.3 targets, 5.6 receptions, and 59.2 receiving yards just last season. Darnold was a huge Fantasy asset last year, but has now been completely faded in Fantasy drafts for 2025.
6. Anthony Richardson, Colts
The Colts have a camp battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones for the starting role in 2025. I would not be shocked if both of these guys get time as starters this coming season, and while I actually believe Daniel Jones will start more games, I do recognize the Fantasy Football upside AR has had in the windows we have seen him in the NFL. AR has played the majority of 12 games across the last two seasons, and in half of those games, he finished with 21+ Fantasy Points. In three of those six games with 21+ Fantasy Points, he scored 27+ Fantasy Points.
Michael Pittman Jr. is looking to bounce back to his 2023 form after dealing with back injuries that almost landed him on the IR last year. Josh Downs has grown as a reliable slot receiver with upside. Alec Pierce has a connection to Richardson as a big-play threat. I loved the Colts’ selection of tight end Tyler Warren via the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Warren had elite receiving numbers in his final college season and can grow to be the safest outlet for Richardson. This take may backfire, but if Richardson is on the field, he has dart-throw upside that either explodes for Fantasy Football or falls short. Sometimes, upside is worth taking a shot on in a matchup you need heavy points.
For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
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