The top-five and top-10 quarterbacks heading into the 2021 fantasy football season are pretty much agreed upon by PFF analysts and the fantasy football community alike. Most fantasy managers will end up happy with their quarterback, but it’s always important to have a backup plan.
Luckily, there are plenty of quarterbacks primed for a breakout season. Some find themselves in better situations this year after their teams added talented skill players. Others are rookies fighting for a starting job who are primed to be top-10 quarterbacks for the next decade once they get on the field.
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The following are five sleeper quarterbacks typically available in Round 10 or later who could be league-winners in 2021 fantasy football leagues. They are perfect for those who wait on a quarterback to double up with a more proven player.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The 2020 fifth-overall pick had a forgettable first season, but several of Tua's problems were out of his control. Two of Miami's top four wide receivers heading into the season opted out, and another, Preston Williams, only lasted a game and a half after Tagovailoa was named the starter before landing on injured reserve.
DeVante Parker played only 60% of the Dolphins' offensive snaps with the rookie quarterback due to injury. Miami trotted out eight other wide receivers throughout Tua’s time as a starter. None played over 50% of snaps or achieved a PFF grade above 70.0.
The Dolphins changed their weakness to a strength this offseason, bringing in Will Fuller from the Texans and drafting Jaylen Waddle. Fuller finished seventh in fantasy points per snap at 0.33 last season, and his four deep touchdowns were more than the rest of Miami’s receivers put together. His 314 deep yards nearly doubled the Dolphins' best deep threat. Miami spent the sixth-overall pick in 2021 on the dynamic Waddle — Tagovailoa’s college teammate led his class in yards per route run over his college career.
Tua was the No. 2 prospect in the 2020 NFL draft according to PFF's big board. He should benefit significantly from a full training camp and more consistency at wide receiver.
While there is some risk to picking Tagovailoa, given the connections being drawn between Deshaun Watson and Miami, the goal with these sleeper quarterbacks is to draft for upside rather than worrying about the risk.
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