What is a sleeper? To me, a sleeper is someone who is forecasted lower in the position rankings but can provide tremendous value relative to ADP. It is time to uncover some quarterback sleepers for you to keep an eye on come draft day. Uncovering these hidden gems might be the difference in making the playoffs in your league. Each position has a handful of candidates that can be game-changers for your team amid breakout seasons. In this series, I will be taking an in-depth look at two potential sleepers per position.
Let’s uncover two potential quarterback sleepers that you should keep an eye on. Both hail from the conference of quarterbacks (ACC). and at the very least, can lead their teams to 9-10 win seasons, and produce tremendously on the field.
Quarterback Sleepers for 2022
Sleeper #1: QB Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Fantrax Position Rank: 28th
2021 Stat Line: CMP%: 62.3%, YDS: 2,931, TD: 25, INT: 6, QBR: 80.1
2021 Recap:
When Van Dyke settled in for the back half of the season, he caught the eye of many across the nation. Van Dyke led his team to a 5-1 finish, including two Top 25 upsets, while throwing over 300 yards in each of those final six games. He saw consistent action for the first time in Week 4 as he split reps with fellow freshman Jake Garcia, following D’Eriq King’s season-ending injury. Ultimately, Van Dyke took over the QB No. 1 spot in Week 5 after going 10-for-11, for 270 yards and three touchdowns in Week 4.
Van Dyke hit some road bumps to start ACC play, combining to go 35-for-74 for 467 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions against Virginia and North Carolina. After that, Van Dyke looked unstoppable. He averaged 366 yards, 3.3 touchdowns, 0.5 interceptions, and had an average QBR of 84.85 in the last six games. If you take those averages and compare them to the full season averages across the nation, Van Dyke ranked fourth in yards per game and third in touchdowns per game and his QBR was good for 11th in the nation.
2022 Outlook:
Miami ranks 71st in returning offensive production and among those to depart were leading receiver (by a long shot) Charleston Rambo. However, the Miami offensive line was dominant in 2021, receiving the fourth-highest grade from PFF, and will look to repeat that with its two best pass blockers returning. With all that experience up front, Van Dyke should have plenty of time finding his guys downfield. Though he will miss the tandem of Rambo and Harley, Van Dyke will find a productive duo in tight end Will Mallory and receiver Xavier Restrepo. Miami also returns its leading rusher while also bringing in running back Henry Parrish, an Ole Miss transfer, who had a strong spring showing and strengthens the backfield.
I really do think it is possible for Van Dyke to flirt with 40 aerial strikes and 4,300 yards and be in consideration for the Heisman at the end of the season. With very few questions on offense and an easy schedule, Van Dyke looks primed to pick up where he left off in 2021.
Draft Analysis:
Tyler Van Dyke is the perfect signal-caller to have your eye on. Van Dyke is a Top 10 QB but has the upside to be a Top 5 QB. Expect your opponents to quickly scoop up Stroud, Young, Hooker, Hartman, and Williams, but do not panic, baring a change in the rankings, Van Dyke will be available later on allowing you to not only grab value at other positions but also find a probable Top 10 QB in the nation in later rounds. Sleeper of the year, do not let the rankings fool you.
Sleeper #2: QB Devin Leary, North Carolina St.
Fantasy Position Rank: 24th
2021 Stat Line: CMP%: 65.7%, YDS: 3,433, TD: 35, INT: 5, QBR: 71.9
2021 Recap:
Leary was considered a breakout sleeper last year and is once again being underrated. Leary led his Wolfpack to a 9-3 record last season, including an upset over then 9th ranked Clemson. He ranked 16th in yards, slinging for 3,433 yards, despite his backfield running for more than 100 yards in a game, seven times (200-plus yards twice). With his RB No. 1 and RB No. 2 from last season gone, do not expect a repeat of this stat, giving Leary more chances in the air. Defining consistency, Leary found himself having a completion percentage over 61% in 11-of-12 games with four games being 69% or higher, only throwing five interceptions, and managing to average 2.9 scores a game despite that production from the backfield.
2022 Outlook:
North Carolina State ranks 37th in Offensive Returning Production (75%) with some big losses. Ikem Ekwonu, perhaps the best tackle in college football last year, Bam Knight, and Ricky Person Jr. anchored an incredible backfield as they combined for 1,389 yards and eight touchdowns, leading receiver Emeka Emezie, along with another O-lineman, who was denied a medical redshirt, headline the top departures. Despite being relatively quiet with adding transfers, Darryl Jones being the only offensive transfer (receiver from Maryland, 319 yards and two touchdowns), Leary welcomes back two receivers who had 500-plus yards and combined for 14 scores, but the X-factor will be how his O-line holds after losing two starters from last year’s squad. Despite being passed by Person Jr. last year, running back Jordan Houston is primed to surpass his production from the 2019 season.
One golden stat about Leary is that he limits his mistakes and is very consistent. He may not overwhelm your opponent this season with a top 5 fantasy performance, but there will be little parody and he will consistently see himself in the top 12 week after week. Thayer Thomas will be a top wideout in the ACC this season, and if the transfer, Jones, can step up and be WR No. 3, Leary should have a lot of options this season. Not only does the offense seems to be shaping up for Leary, but the Wolfpack is also projected to have one of the top defenses in the nation, which in turn will give Leary and the NC State offense more chances to get on the field. Expect Leary to get around 3,500 yards and 40 touchdowns while leading the Wolfpack to a potential 10-win season.
Draft Analysis:
Devin Leary will be a Top 15 CFF signal caller and has a ceiling of being a Top 10 quarterback this season; he is severely underrated being ranked 24th on the QB rankings. The best thing about this sleeper, is he will be overlooked on draft day and most teams will project him as a QB No. 2. After a few weeks of strong production, you could find yourself getting a nice haul for Leary if you draft him as a QB No. 2 or have a very safe option if your QB No. 1 gets hurt or underperforms. Keep an eye on this sleeper, he could win you the league.
Van Dyke and Leary are league winners with unreal value being ranked in the mid-20s. With very few question marks with these two, they consistently provide solid numbers. A few others who could be considered sleepers are, Jake Haener (21st), Will Levis (25th), and Casey Thompson (42nd). QB’s to avoid include, Garrett Shrader (14th) and Brennan Armstrong (9th).
Are you on board with Ryan’s 2022 quarterback sleepers? If so, let him know in the comments below, and then check out the rest of our College Fantasy Football content.
Totally agree with both picks!
Great in-depth article Ryan!