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Fantasy football quarterback (QB) sleepers, value picks for the middle rounds of 2026 drafts including Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, and Matthew Stafford.
The countdown to Week 1 is on. At RotoBaller HQ, we have more middle-round targets for fantasy managers to consider selecting for their upcoming drafts. Today, we wrap the series with our middle-round fantasy quarterback (QB) sleepers and draft values for the 2026 season. If you miss out on Josh Allen, Drake Maye, or Lamar Jackson, there are a few QB options that could smash value if you miss out on an elite option.
The middle rounds of fantasy drafts are essential, as managers use them to build around their core players. In the middle rounds, managers can afford to take risks on a variety of players, including forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even skilled players with potential playing-time concerns. It's essential to have at least a handful of sleeper targets at each position heading into your fantasy football drafts, no matter the format. Here are some quarterbacks for you to consider during the middle of the draft for this season.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific NFL players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2026 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 300+ of our 2026 player outlooks, along with many other premium articles and tools available exclusively in our 2026 Draft Kit.
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Brock Purdy, 49ers, Fantasy Football Outlook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited to nine games in 2025 thanks to a shoulder injury and a persistent case of turf toe. He finished the year with 2,167 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Over half of Purdy's season-long fantasy production came in Weeks 15 through 17, when he averaged 298 passing yards per game, threw for 11 touchdowns to two interceptions, and ran in two additional scores.
In his other six games, Purdy was held to 200 passing yards or fewer four times and averaged 13.6 fantasy points per game. Question marks surround the state of Purdy's pass-catching corps entering 2026. Jauan Jennings left via free agency, Brandon Aiyuk's discord with the 49ers drags on, and George Kittle's (Achilles) availability for the start of the season is in question. Deebo Samuel Sr. was brought back with Ricky Pearsall Jr. (knee) out for the season. Key offseason acquisition Mike Evans also missed nine games due to injury last year, has a history of hamstring issues, and will be 33 at the start of the season.
The highest-graded individual NFL QB seasons over the last 5 seasons, per PFN's QB Impact metric:
🎯 '23 Brock Purdy, SF - 93.2
🎯 '24 Lamar Jackson, BAL - 91.9
🎯 '22 Patrick Mahomes, KC - 91.8
🎯 '25 Drake Maye, NE - 91.8
🎯 '24 Jared Goff, DET - 88.9
🎯 '23 Dak Prescott, DAL… pic.twitter.com/N4y3Z8z8A8— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 31, 2026
Purdy targeted Christian McCaffrey more than anyone in 2025, and that may be the case again in 2026, which limits Purdy's yardage potential. Purdy is the QB11 in RotoBaller's current rankings, but not much separates him from the other quarterbacks in his tier, which includes Jaxson Dart, Patrick Mahomes (knee), and Matthew Stafford. Fantasy managers who wait to draft a quarterback might want to pass over Purdy for one with a clearer path to success in 2026.
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, Fantasy Football Outlook
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) suffered a torn ACL/LCL in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, ending his season. Before the injury, Mahomes was set to bounce back in fantasy from a mediocre 2024 by throwing for 3,587 yards and a 22:11 TD:INT ratio while rushing for a career-high 422 yards and five scores in 14 games.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Chiefs and Mahomes are on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday, Sept. 14. He continues to progress in training camp as he's been participating in 11-on-11 drills. The Chiefs added Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker, and wide receivers Rashee Rice (knee), Xavier Worthy, and tight end Travis Kelce are all returning.
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, after a stellar training camp, is on track for Week 1. pic.twitter.com/kHUlOSJsHS
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2026
However, Rice is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery but is expected to be ready for Week 1. Mahomes will see a decline in rushing yards this upcoming season with the injury on top of the addition of Walker.
Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout training camp, but all signs point to Mahomes being ready for Week 1. RotoBaller projects the 30-year-old to accumulate 287 fantasy points and throw for 29 touchdowns, while ranking him QB13 heading into upcoming fantasy football drafts.
Mahomes might not be projected to finish as a top-10 fantasy quarterback, but there is no reason to doubt Mahomes as a borderline QB1/high-end QB2 in 2026 given his very successful past.
Jared Goff, Lions, Fantasy Football Outlook
Lions quarterback Jared Goff has finished as the QB10, QB7, QB6, and QB9 across his last four seasons in Detroit, and despite working in an era where quarterbacks of his archetype are starting to play into their late-30s and beyond, the 31-year-old former first overall pick has fallen all the way to QB18 in RotoBaller's redraft rankings.
As one of the more durable quarterbacks in the league, Goff has missed only five games over the past nine seasons, and none since 2021, and his well-documented home/road splits have made his boom games comparatively easy to forecast, making him the perfect platoon quarterback for drafters opting for a two-quarterback or streaming approach to the position.
How did Jared Goff make this throw 😭 pic.twitter.com/B2bIQTVgHv
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) August 27, 2026
In what was considered a down year for the Lions' offense in 2025, Goff threw for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns to only eight interceptions. After a one-year adjustment period without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the Lions hired Drew Petzing to run the unit, fresh off a 2025 season with the Cardinals in which he led journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a QB5 pace across his 12 starts.
With nine of 11 offensive starters returning to a team that has not ranked outside the top five in yards per game since 2021, fantasy managers who forego the position in the early rounds of drafts should be looking to take advantage of Goff's mispricing.
Matthew Stafford, Rams, Fantasy Football Outlook
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off of the best statistical season of his career, throwing for a career-high 46 touchdowns while finishing as the QB3 in fantasy. Stafford won the MVP, playing at the highest level of his 17-year career, yet the Rams remained focused on the future of the position in the 2026 NFL Draft when they selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the thirteenth pick in the first round.
Matthew Stafford says coming to Los Angeles did not just change his career - it extended it.
“I don’t think it, I know it did,” Stafford told Ryen Russillo, crediting the change of scenery, coaching, organization and teammates he found with the Rams. #Rams #MatthewStafford… pic.twitter.com/VcMuYFfsTo
— LAFB Network (@LAFBNetwork) August 28, 2026
The selection of Simpson does not put any immediate pressure on Stafford, but the addition of his eventual replacement does add extra incentive to remain playing at the highest level possible. Los Angeles returns both Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, reuniting Stafford with the lethal receiving duo that allowed him to play at an MVP level.
There are no indicators that his play will fall off this season, and he should be among the top quarterbacks off of the board in 2026 fantasy drafts
Jordan Love, Packers, Fantasy Football Outlook
Since a top-five quarterback finish in 2023, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has finished as the QB17 (2024) and QB15 (2025) in total points. Because of his recent performance, Love is currently being drafted as the QB15 for 2026.
Is it possible Love can return to an elite level after the team lost Romeo Doubs and now faces major legal questions with Josh Jacobs? The good news is that Christian Watson is healthy and now has a massive contract to be their WR1. Matthew Golden finally started looking like a first-round receiver at the end of last season.
Jordan Love is still one of the best QBs in the league in terms of advanced metrics such as EPA per play 👀
At RotoBaller's QB16, he represents tremendous potential value for 2026 fantasy football leagues! https://t.co/jrvuanHDcR
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) July 27, 2026
Tucker Kraft appears to be on track to return from a torn ACL in Week 1. With all of his weapons deployed and ready, Love could vault back into the top 10 on the back of his career 7.6 yards per attempt. If Love can get anywhere close to his four rushing touchdowns from 2024, this could be a career year for the sixth-year veteran.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Looking for more draft values and sleepers? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who Should I Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, and Jordan Love. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free!
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