The 2025 fantasy football season will be remembered for a stunning reversal of expectations at the quarterback position. Two players selected in the middle to late rounds, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, finished first and second in MVP voting and secured the top three spots in overall fantasy scoring.
Their rapid ascent was not an isolated incident. In fact, four of the five best‑performing quarterbacks that year were drafted in rounds traditionally earmarked for backups, underscoring a broader shift in value perception.
Analysts attribute the trend to several factors, including the proliferation of aggressive offensive schemes and the emergence of young signal‑callers who seize unexpected opportunities. The data, compiled from multiple season‑long evaluations, shows that in most years at least half of the top fantasy quarterbacks were selected outside the early draft picks.
Looking ahead, the implications extend beyond a single campaign. Names such as Justin Herbert, Tyler Shough and Kyler Murray are already being circled as potential 2026 breakout candidates who could replicate the late‑round magic that propelled Maye and Stafford to the summit.
What This Means for 2026 Draft Plans
Fantasy managers who traditionally avoided quarterbacks until the middle rounds may now consider targeting players with similar upside. The strategy hinges on identifying offenses that promise high volume and favorable matchups, rather than simply drafting based on preseason rankings.
The conversation is being driven by industry leaders such as FantasyPros, ESPN and Yahoo, who have highlighted the statistical patterns and are publishing updated rankings that reflect the new paradigm. Their analyses suggest that the late‑round quarterback model is not a fleeting anomaly but a sustainable approach for championship contention.