Cam Ward, Malik Willis Among Top 2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback Sleepers

We are now halfway through the 2026 NFL offseason (time flies, doesn't it)? Obviously, we've learned a lot about NFL rosters, as the free-agency frenzy, most major trades, coaching changes, and the NFL draft are all in the rearview mirror.

So, now's as good a time as any to start looking ahead to some of the best fantasy football sleepers at each of the four major positions. I'll start off at quarterback, where I honestly don't see a ton of "traditional" sleepers. To me, a sleeper is a player who has never before been a reliable fantasy starter but is on the verge of statistical improvement. However, his final fantasy rank doesn't project him to be a top-10 player (that characterizes a "breakout" player).

For example, Tyler Shough didn't open his rookie season as a starter in New Orleans. Over time, however, he emerged over Spencer Rattler and was a league winner down the stretch.

That's the epitome of a sleeper.

Since I don't see many players who fully fit this description, I've included players who aren't "traditional" sleepers but could turn into draft bargains based on average draft position (ADP).

2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback Sleepers

Cam Ward, Titans: Ward had a mostly forgettable rookie season, though he did score 15 or more fantasy points in each of his three games during the fantasy playoffs. The future looks much brighter, though, as the Titans added Wan'Dale Robinson as a free agent and drafted Carnell Tate with the fourth pick. What's more, the team signed Brian Daboll to be its offensive coordinator. This is all great news for Ward's fantasy appeal.

Malik Willis, Dolphins: Willis will now be the starter in Miami after signing a big contract (three years, $67.5 million) with the Dolphins, so his value is on the rise. While he doesn't have a great group of pass catchers, his potential as a rusher is what drives his fantasy stock. In six career starts, he's averaged 45 rushing yards, which projects to more than 760 over a full 17 games.

Since 1972, signal-callers who have rushed for at least 700 yards have finished in the top 10 over 70% of the time, and not one has finished worse than QB15. That was Lamar Jackson, who would have finished in the top 10 had he not been limited to 12 games (2021). This all makes Willis a very intriguing QB2 selection in the later rounds of 2026 drafts.

Fernando Mendoza, Raiders: I'm on record as saying I don't see Mendoza emerging into a high-end fantasy quarterback in his career. Heck, he might not even open the season as the starter in Las Vegas with Kirk Cousins on the roster. Mendoza is very likely to get his chance to shine at some point as a rookie. However, like Shough, he could become a useful waiver-wire add and matchup-based starter in a best-case scenario during his rookie year.

Now, on to the non-traditional sleepers, and trust me I'm really reaching here!

Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons: Tagovailoa will compete with Michael Penix Jr., who is coming off another knee injury, for the starting job in Atlanta. While he struggled in his final season with the Dolphins, Tua has been a competent fantasy option in the past, and the Falcons have a lot of talent on offense. Playing most of his games indoors is also an advantage, and he could be in many high-scoring games. He could emerge as a viable waiver-wire option.

Deshaun Watson, Browns: If you thought Tagovailoa was a reach, I present to you, Watson. A former fantasy superstar, he'll compete with Shedeur Sanders to be the Browns starting quarterback. Playing in the offense of new coach Todd Monken should be a positive, and the team has plenty of young playmakers in Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. If Watson wins the job, he could bring back some fantasy value.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cam Ward, Malik Willis Among Top 2026 Fantasy Football Quarterback Sleepers.

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 7:56 AM.