Late-Round Fantasy Football QB Strategy: Target Jared Goff, Malik Willis And More

Stop me if you’ve heard this before …

The quarterback position in fantasy football is insanely deep.

Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Guide for Late-Round QB Approach

It’s been the case for years now and a huge reason why waiting on the position in drafts has become such a popular and successful strategy (shoutout to JJ Zachariason). Because the quarterback touches the football on every single play, they have the easiest path to scoring fantasy points. And because streaming the position each week is such a viable strategy, waiting to draft your starter can pay dividends for your fantasy roster, especially if you pass on the early-round stars like Josh Allen. This past season, four of the top-7 scoring quarterbacks on a PPG basis were drafted outside the top-15 signal-callers on draft day:

Matthew Stafford: 20.6 FPPG (QB3), drafted as QB23
Drake Maye: 20.7 FPPG (QB2), drafted as QB16
Trevor Lawrence: 19.8 FPPG (QB5), drafted as QB20
Caleb Williams: 18.7 FPPG (QB7), drafted as QB15

There were also Daniel Jones (QB13, ADP of QB31) and Jaxson Dart (QB14, ADP of QB32), who vastly outperformed their draft positions. Admittedly, this was probably a weaker quarterback season given the injuries/down years from both Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels, but it just shows that a handful of quarterbacks break into the QB1 tier every single year. Sure, having the 40-point ceiling weeks from Allen or Jackson is fun. But when selecting either player in Rounds 3 and 5 of drafts, you are also forgoing some really good wide receivers and running backs. And, of course, if you are in a traditional 12-team format, you are only starting one quarterback each week, which naturally devalues the position compared to wide receiver and running back, where you are starting multiple players.

Streaming also plays a key role when deciding to wait on quarterbacks on draft day. Targeting the weakest defenses each week can provide a solid weekly floor if you simply play the matchups, as even the worst passers in the league can produce against poor defenses. Except for maybe J.J. McCarthy. For instance, if you simply started whichever quarterback faced the Dallas Cowboys each week last season, you’d be looking at a +6.5 point fantasy boost.

Most of the time, if I’m not the first person to select a quarterback, I’d like to be last. Unless I can identify a screaming value on one of the elite signal-callers, which is why using tiers to draft is so important, especially in this scenario. But if I’m really, really waiting at quarterback, I’m more inclined to draft two players very late in the draft to cover my bases—one signal-caller with a rock-solid floor, paired with a quarterback with more volatility, but a serious ceiling. That second quarterback should be someone you can make an argument for as a potential breakout QB1 in fantasy.

So with that being said, which quarterbacks make the most sense as part of a late-round QB approach?

Jared Goff | Detroit Lions

ADP: QB16, 108.3 overall

I get it. He’s not flashy and he doesn’t run. But when it’s all said and done, his numbers are going to be strong.

Jared Goff remains one of the most underrated quarterbacks in all of fantasy.

Goff has now been in Detroit for five seasons, and by this point you should just about know what you’re going to get. Since 2022, Goff has posted fantasy finishes of QB14, QB11, QB7 and QB13. And during that span, Goff ranks:

3rd in passing YPG (267.7)
8th in pass attempts per game (33.9)
2nd in TD per game (1.9)
11th in FPPG (17.5)

Because he hasn’t had a nuclear fantasy season, Goff remains underrated, which continues to make him a very strong value for those who wait at the quarterback position. You always have to love Goff getting eight games in the fantasy-friendly confines of Detroit’s dome, as well as an additional two road indoor games. Since 2022, Goff is averaging 274.5 passing yards, 2.2 touchdowns and 19.3 fantasy points per game indoors. He won’t give you any rushing production, but Goff’s solid floor makes him a perfect quarterback to pair with someone who does.

Malik Willis | Miami Dolphins

ADP: QB21, 131.1 overall

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a segue.

A Goff/Willis combination could be perfect for those who wait on quarterback this season. Goff will provide the safe floor, while Willis has an exciting, undiscovered ceiling. And if his stint with the Packers is any indication, he could be the best quarterback value in all of fantasy football.

Sure, the sample size with Willis is incredibly small. But the upside is too tantalizing to overlook. On 89 pass attempts over the last two years, Willis is averaging 11.1 yards per attempt. And across three starts during that span, Willis is averaging 23.3 fantasy points, 7 rush attempts and 58 rushing yards per game. The difference in environment between Green Bay and this iteration of Miami is vast, and there’s an outside chance I’ll catch one or two passes for the Dolphins this season. But when considering Willis as a fantasy signal-caller, his pass catchers shouldn’t even really be on your radar.

With Willis, we’re chasing elite rushing upside, which can provide such high floors and ceilings in fantasy. Our projections currently have Willis for 122.8 rush attempts (2nd most), and if he hits that mark, it’s a tremendous sign for his fantasy prospects. Since 2020, there have been 16 seasons where a quarterback has recorded at least 120 rushes. The average fantasy points per game of that group is 21.4, which would have been good for QB2 this past season.

Kyler Murray | Minnesota Vikings

ADP: QB17, 110.3 overall

Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs, Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins. All former quarterbacks under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. And all averaged 18+ PPG for either stretches or an entire season.

Once again .. J.J. McCarthy, what the hell?

Although McCarthy and Murray will have a quarterback competition this summer, it feels inevitable that Kyler will win the starting job. And with that job comes legitimate fantasy potential, despite what happened last year in Minnesota. Murray missed most of his final season in Arizona due to injury, but when he was on the field, he still hinted at fantasy upside. He handled 11% of the designed rush attempts to go along with a 9% scramble rate. His 34.6 rushing yards per contest ranked fifth among quarterbacks last season, while rushing for at least 25 yards in all five starts. This past season was the first in Murray’s seven-year career where he failed to finish as top-12 QB on a PPG basis, so he clearly has the track record. And now with a much better offensive infrastructure around him, Murray could easily return to top-12 status in 2026.