5 Late-Round QBs to Prioritize in 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts

Quarterbacks in fantasy football are nowhere near as important as they are in the actual NFL.

With most formats offering just a single starting QB spot, it's less imperative to land a stud at the position, especially compared to running back and wide receiver, where multiple players can be placed in the lineup.

General managers often build their rosters around elite quarterbacks, many of whom are early draft picks. In contrast, fantasy managers typically wait until late in the second or early in the third round before considering a signal-caller.

It can help to get a superstar like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen at that point, but managers who miss out on these high-scoring stars shouldn't fret as there are plenty of viable fantasy QBs to be found in nearly every level of a draft.

Waiting to draft a quarterback can be a smart strategy, allowing managers to strengthen other key positions for the long season ahead.

With that in mind, here's a look at five late-round quarterbacks who you should prioritize landing in your 2025 fantasy football draft.

Fantasy points, rankings and ADP courtesy of FantasyPros.com using PPR data.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

2025 Rankings: QB12 / No. 103 Overall

Dak Prescott is shaping up to be one of the best value picks a manager can make this season.

While the Cowboys as a whole have plenty of questions to answer under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Prescott's ability to pile up numbers shouldn't be in question. The quarterback has never finished below the QB11 spot in any season in which he's been healthy.

Although he only rated as the QB31 in 2024 after missing the entire back half of the campaign with injury, Prescott is only a season removed from posting a QB3 finish. The Cowboys star put up 351.8 fantasy points in 2023, his first season under then-OC Schottenheimer—a testament to the tandem's potential to put up big numbers.

The key offseason addition of George Pickens gives the Dallas signal-caller more weapons, and with an unreliable run game likely making way for more passing, fantasy managers shouldn't hesitate to take Prescott near his current ADP.

Given his strong track record, Prescott is a safe bet for a top-10 QB finish—and even a top-five season is possible, which would represent tremendous value for fantasy managers.

Justin Fields, New York Jets

AP Photo/Gregory Payan

2025 Rankings: QB13 / No. 116 Overall

The Jets are forging into a new era with Justin Fields under center. Although it's uncertain whether he can end New York's long playoff drought, he is poised to return as a viable fantasy starter.

The 2021 No. 11 overall pick is back on the QB1 radar for his running abilities alone. He set the single-game rushing record for his position with a 173-yard burst in 2022 and has averaged over 50 yards per game on the ground for his career.

While he has just one top-18 finish in four NFL seasons, injuries and unfortunate situations have largely led to his inability to achieve consistent results.

In 2024, Fields showed noticeable growth as a passer, completing 66.3 percent of his throws for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception in six games with the Steelers.

Although Fields was usurped on the depth chart following Russell Wilson's return from injury, he's now locked in as New York's starter with only the aging Tyrod Taylor behind him.

With the Jets clearly committed to him, Fields has a fantastic chance at putting up some career-best marks.

With the upside to achieve similar rushing stats to those he put up in 2022—a season in which he averaged 76.2 rushing yards per game and scored eight touchdowns on the ground—while keeping defenses more honest with his arm, he could be one of the best picks a manager can make late in 2025 fantasy drafts.

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

2025 Rankings: QB16 / No. 125 Overall

The New England Patriots finally appear to have found a proper heir to Tom Brady with their selection of Drake Maye in last year's draft.

Although it's too soon to know if the 22-year-old will restore the Patriots' former glory, his standout rookie campaign and this offseason's major acquisitions have set the stage for a 2025 breakout.

Maye had plenty of bright spots during a largely trying 2024 season. After taking over as the full-time starter in Week 6, the UNC product went on to average 15.4 points per game.

He accumulated 185.1 fantasy points from Week 6 to 18, ranking 18th among quarterbacks—a solid performance, especially considering New England's issues with offensive weapons and protection.

Now getting a chance to work with a legitimate No. 1 WR in Stefon Diggs while being supported by a dynamic running back in rookie TreVeyon Henderson (one of the best pass-protecting RB prospects to enter the league in years) and playing behind a revamped offensive line, the sky is the limit for Maye.

Other factors are working in Maye's favor as well. He's coming off his first full offseason preparing as the team's QB1. The Pats have one of the easiest schedules in the league following their disappointing 4-13 finish. The return of Josh McDaniels—the offensive coordinator who coaxed a Pro Bowl season out of Mac Jones—represents a major schematic upgrade from last year.

With all these pieces in place, fantasy managers should be high on Maye's potential to put up a top-10 finish in 2025.

JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Matt Krohn

2025 Rankings: QB19 / No. 133 Overall

The Vikings are handing the reins of their offense to JJ McCarthy this season.

After spending his entire rookie season on injured reserve, the 2024 first-round pick will finally make his anticipated regular-season debut in two weeks, when the Vikings face the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.

While there's been good and bad moments during McCarthy's second training camp, the second-year QB is firmly locked in as Minnesota's QB1—a lucrative fantasy position for much of head coach Kevin O'Connell's tenure in the Twin Cities.

Since taking over the position in 2022, two different starting quarterbacks under O'Connell have posted top-10 finishes. Kirk Cousins, the QB7 in 2022, was the QB6 through the first eight weeks of 2023 before an injury cut his season short. Sam Darnold, stepping into the spotlight following McCarthy's injury last year, notched a career-changing QB9 result in his lone Vikings campaign.

It's reasonable to expect McCarthy could enjoy similar early success. The team has everything a young signal-caller needs to succeed in his first season starting, including a stout offensive line and plethora of high-end pass-catchers to go along with a renowned quarterback whispering coach.

Even with emerging star wideout Jordan Addison suspended for the first three weeks of the season, McCarthy will still have all-world wideout Justin Jefferson and sure-handed tight end T.J. Hockenson to lean on.

Fantasy managers may not want to mirror the Vikings by opening the year with McCarthy as the starting QB of their team, but he's still a fantastic late-round flier (or potential free-agent addition, as he's going undrafted in approximately a third of all leagues) as a backup.

If McCarthy shows out in the opener, he'll become one of the hotter waiver-wire targets for managers dissatisfied with their initial QB choice.

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

2025 Rankings: QB24 / No. 160 Overall

The Atlanta Falcons saw enough development from Michael Penix Jr.—as well as enough poor play from Kirk Cousins—late in the 2024 season to push their marquee free-agency addition aside and thrust the first-round rookie into the spotlight.

The move paid off, as Penix earned valuable reps and kept Atlanta competitive in the waning weeks of a disappointing campaign.

Now ready to take over as the full-time starter in 2025, the 25-year-old looks like a perfect sleeper fantasy pickup on the cusp of a potential breakout campaign.

Although Penix struggled in his first two starts, he showed strong potential in his final outing. He proved he belonged during a Week 18 shootout with the Carolina Panthers, racking up a hefty 26 fantasy points in an eventual 44-38 loss.

Penix accounted for 312 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air while adding another score on the ground to rate as the QB7 in the final week of the season.

The advanced stats look promising for the Washington product as well. Per Derek Brown of FantasyPros, he ranked sixth in deep throw rate and second in average depth of target. With the high level of receiving talent around him and a penchant for being aggressive, the young passer could put up some impressive marks in 2025.

Surrounded by top-tier skill players like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson, Penix has the support needed to deliver strong numbers. If he can play at a high level and the offensive line holds up, he'll easily outperform his QB24 ranking and return dividends for managers who snap him up with a last-round pick or off the free-agent pile.