BYE Weeks, injuries, and a lack of production force Fantasy managers to stream quarterbacks every year. In some cases, those quarterback streamers turn into weekly starters. Looking at the current ADP, where players are being drafted, I found five quarterbacks being drafted outside the Top-24 quarterbacks that have sleeper value this year. Guys who could factor into your lineups as streamers, and deliver more than the market feels they will be able to.
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5 Sleeper Quarterback Streamers for 2026 Fantasy Football
1. Fernando Mendoza (Raiders)
Fernando Mendoza had the perfect college season in 2025: Heisman Trophy Winner on top of various other awards as well as an undefeated, National Championship-winning season. Mendoza’s 41 passing touchdowns led the FBS, and he finished with 3,535 passing yards. Mendoza has a great combination of leadership, maturity, and football IQ. Mendoza has great fundamentals, anticipation, accuracy, and efficiency in the red zone. The Raiders selected Mendoza with the first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, which was well deserved.
Kirk Cousins was also brought in by the Raiders, who can serve as a veteran to mentor Mendoza, but also may start for a few weeks to open up the year. While the wide receiver room is gross, the combination of Brock Bowers at tight end and Ashton Jeanty at running back more than compensates for that, as two elite playmakers. The Raiders signed center Tyler Linderbaum and wide receiver Jalen Nailor this offseason as well.
Mendoza, for me, is very Jared Goff in that he can be an extremely competent passer and make the right throws, which may not feel super sexy but can still translate well for Fantasy Football. I am thinking about CJ Stroud’s rookie season and how Mendoza can replicate such a Fantasy impact.
2. Geno Smith (Jets)
The Jets sent a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for Geno Smith this offseason. Ironically, Smith was a second-round selection by the Jets back in 2013. In recent years, we have seen some solid production from the veteran, including 4,320 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns in 2024, as well as 4,282 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns back in 2022. Both with the Seahawks. Last season with the Raiders was simply one to forget, but it did not help that he was missing Brock Bowers for a chunk of the season and also throwing to arguably the worst wide receiver room in the NFL.
Garrett Wilson is a true alpha WR1 talent in the NFL, who could have his biggest season to date in 2026. Adonai Mitchell showed promise while he was a Jet last season, as a guy who can rack up yards. The Jets drafted both freak athlete tight end Kenyon Sadiq and yards-after-catch specialist Omar Cooper in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. Breece Hall is a very talented, dual-threat running back. Dylan Parham (left guard) was also added this offseason.
Smith could have some sneaky upside, as we saw in Seattle, with this group of Jets, depending on how the young guys look. Geno averaged 18.5 Fantasy PPG back in 2022, which was inside the Top-10 for the position.
3. Jacoby Brissett (Cardinals)
Jacoby Brissett was a great waiver wire pickup for Fantasy Football in 2025. Brissett finished four weeks with over 300 passing yards, 10 weeks with multiple passing touchdowns, and six weeks with 20+ Fantasy Points. The Cardinals threw the ball the most times in the NFL last season, which was partially due to game script and a lack of a run game. Trey McBride had a record year, Michael Wilson looked like Ja’Marr Chase at times, and Marvin Harrison Jr. flashed despite some injuries.
The Cardinals added to their offensive line this offseason, adding Isaac Seumalo, Matt Pryor, Elijah Wilkinson, and Oli Udoh. Chase Bisontis was also drafted in the second round this year to compete on that OL. Tyler Allgeier was signed in Free Agency, then elite prospect Jeremiyah Love was selected with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Gardner Minshew was brought in via Free Agency, and Carson Beck was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft for the quarterback room.
Brissett should hold the keys to the QB1 job. I do see a world where Beck gets a look to see if he is the future or not at quarterback, which could mean the last X number of games this year if the Cardinals are not competitive. Beck could also be a sneaky streamer in this system. If Brissett is the guy, we can see continued Fantasy Football impacts, even if the run game gets more implemented this year, which I project it to.
4. Tua Tagovailoa (Falcons)
The Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year veteran minimum contract after the Dolphins released him this offseason, and the Dolphins will still be paying him. Tua had a rough ending to his Dolphins tenure and has a history of games missed throughout his career. What many will forget, though, is that Tua led the league in passing yards back in 2023 with 4,624 yards. He tossed 29 touchdowns that year. His one full season. That season, Tua ranked second in yards per attempt and ranked in the top seven in all of true completion percentage, deep ball completion percentage, play-action completion percentage, and clean pocket completion percentage (Playerprofiler). Tua also averaged 18.4 Fantasy PPG back in 2022 through 13 games, which ranked inside the Top-10.
I do project Tua to beat out Michael Penix Jr. for the starting gig in Atlanta and to retain that starting job. Drake London is a proven elite wide receiver in the NFL, Kyle Pitts is coming off a strong season, and Bijan Robinson might just be the best running back in the NFL. Whoever else factors in is just icing on that trio’s cake.
Tua has proven the ability to efficiently get the ball into his playmakers’ hands. That is what he will do in Atlanta. Pass the rock effectively to your guys, let them create, and rack up the Fantasy Points from it. There has been a stigma about Tua by a majority of Fantasy Football managers, but I would bet he is effective in Fantasy this season to be impactful in ways nobody will rank him.
5. Deshaun Watson (Browns)
Deshaun Watson has played in 19 total games from 2021 to 2025. It has been some time, but people will forget Watson’s Fantasy Football impact from the past. Watson has finished two seasons with over 4,100 passing yards, with a high of 4,823 back in 2020 with the Texans. Watson tossed over 25 touchdowns three times, with 33 in 2020. Watson also has three seasons with over 400 rushing yards, with the high being 551 in 2018. Watson has finished three seasons with over 21 Fantasy PPG, which is “nuff said” for his impact back then.
The Browns hired Todd Monken and Travis Switzer as their new Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator this offseason. The Browns added multiple pieces to their offensive line as well, including Tytus Howard, Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson, and Spencer Fano. KC Concepcion was selected in the first round, and Denzel Boston in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft at wide receiver by Cleveland.
Watson will have receiver Jerry Jeudy, who had a great 2024 season, and tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who had a great 2025 season, back for 2026. Then you add all of these positive coaching, protection, and weapons changes for 2026. Quinshon Judkins looked solid as a rookie last year and will bounce back from his injury. While the Browns continue to be viewed as a dumpster fire, there is a lot of appeal here around a guy who used to be extremely fantasy-relevant.
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