There was a time when a fantasy player could find unknown players ready to explode. These unrecognized players were dubbed "sleepers" because the rest of your leaguemates were not yet awake to them.
And we also got our fantasy stats out of the next day's newspaper. Yes, fantasy games used to be scored over a period of days.
Things change.
Today, the stats are instant, and everyone knows about everyone. As such, the definition of a sleeper has evolved. To be clear, we define sleepers as players who we think will perform better than most expect and be undervalued at their average draft position.
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Our staff recently gathered to offer up their sleepers. Four quarterbacks made the list. Here they are.
Sleeper QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Dave Kluge: After seeing Kevin O'Connell breathe life into Sam Darnold last year and pull valuable spot starts from Nick Mullens in 2023, it's hard not to put faith in the system he's built in Minnesota. The Vikings run a clean offense centered around their top playmakers: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.
Despite seemingly having opportunities to bring back Darnold and sign Aaron Rodgers, they put their faith in J.J. McCarthy. There were reports that Daniel Jones took less money to play in Indianapolis, signaling that the Vikings probably made their plans about McCarthy known.
The Vikings took McCarthy tenth overall in the 2024 Draft, but a knee injury ended his rookie season before it started. With the injury behind him, he'll take the reins in 2025. Whether it was Darnold, Kirk Cousins, or Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota's quarterback has consistently flirted with QB1 production.
A 22-year-old and punchy McCarthy should theoretically have a higher fantasy ceiling than his predecessors due to the rushing upside. Of course, it might not work out. And that's why he's being priced toward the end of drafts. However, the uncertainty and potential upside make him a fantastic late-round target.
Jason Wood: J.J. McCarthy is one of the lynchpin players you need to take a stand on this year, because his success or failure will drive the outcomes for a litany of high-value fantasy assets, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.
I'm optimistic about McCarthy for several reasons. He likely would have been the team's starter as a rookie were it not for his injury. Instead, we saw career disappointment Sam Darnold step in and have a surprisingly strong season. Yet the Vikings let Darnold walk this offseason and brought in no credible veteran alternatives.
A team built to contend right now wouldn't leave itself exposed this way unless the organization had full confidence in McCarthy. Add in head coach Kevin O'Connell, who has earned goodwill as a play-caller despite working with a rotating cast of quarterbacks, and there's reason to believe McCarthy can succeed in year one.
Colton Dodgson: After what I saw Kevin O'Connell do with Sam Darnold last season, I think whoever he turns to as his starting quarterback will warrant strong consideration from me moving forward.
McCarthy missed his rookie season with a knee injury but figures to be O'Connell's guy entering 2025. There have been questions about whether he can be Minnesota's short-term, let alone long-term, solution at the position. If McCarthy makes it through training camp and is eventually named the starter, though, that tells me the closest thing we've got to a quarterback whisperer in the NFL saw enough from him. That's a good enough endorsement for me.
Darnold was the QB9 last season. He averaged 18.8 points per game in this offense. McCarthy will have every opportunity to pick up where Darnold left off. The weapons are elite. The running game will continue to be effective with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. I think there's plenty to like here, especially given the likely minimal investment McCarthy will warrant.
If he looks as mobile as he did at Michigan, this could be a situation where McCarthy pushes for startable QB1 status on a week-to-week basis.
Meng Song: Last year, Sam Darnold was the No. 8 quarterback in fantasy points per game (PPG). Now, we obviously can't just substitute Jameis Winston onto the Chiefs and expect the same results, but we're talking about Sam freakin' Darnold here, a perennial backup since having flamed out with the Jets. Plus, Kirk Cousins was the No. 7 quarterback in fantasy PPG in 2023, so there's reason to believe that Darnold's aberrant success in 2024 was more a product of the environment in Minnesota than a sudden breakout.
Enter J.J. McCarthy. A frequent argument circulating is that McCarthy only ever had one 300-yard passing game in college, but who cares? Many college quarterbacks fail in the NFL, and many mediocre college quarterbacks find success at the next level.
The bet on McCarthy this season isn't really a bet on McCarthy at all. It's a bet on Kevin O'Connell, a respected offensive-minded head coach from the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay tree, and Justin Jefferson, the best wide receiver in the league.
Those are the two reasons I'm willing to bet on McCarthy as a top-15 fantasy quarterback with top-10 upside in 2025.
Julia Papworth: Remember that time we all doubted Sam Darnold in Minnesota, and minus a playoff collapse we didn't see coming, he finished as QB8? Darnold finished the year with a career high in completion percentage, yardage, and touchdowns.
Now that Darnold is out of the picture, second-year J.J. McCarthy gets to be the recipient of Kevin O'Connell's quarterback-friendly system. It's plug and play for the young McCarthy, as he gets one of the best receivers in football in Justin Jefferson, not to mention Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson to catch passes. You also have Aaron Jones, one of the best pass-catching running backs in the league.
McCarthy's talent was touted when he was drafted last season, and although he missed 2024 due to a knee injury, recovery from a torn meniscus is relatively straightforward. McCarthy had a 74.3% completion percentage in his final year at Michigan, second only to Bo Nix, not to mention almost 300 yards rushing.
With an ADP in the 20s, the juice is entirely worth the squeeze when drafting McCarthy – if he has a season anywhere close to Darnold's 2024, he is the definition of a sleeper.
Ryan Weisse: J.J. McCarthy is being ignored in most fantasy drafts, but that might be a mistake. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus, but all signs point to him being fully healthy for 2025. He entered the league as a highly touted prospect after leading Michigan to a National Championship, and while his college offense was run-heavy, that's not what he's stepping into in Minnesota.
This offense is tailor-made to support a young quarterback. McCarthy gets to throw to Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in football and someone who has consistently elevated the play of every quarterback around him. Jordan Addison is coming off a strong second season, T.J. Hockenson provides a reliable target in the middle of the field, and Aaron Jones is an excellent safety valve out of the backfield. The supporting cast is outstanding.
We've seen this system produce with lesser talents. Joshua Dobbs flashed here. Sam Darnold finished as a top-10 quarterback in 2024. McCarthy offers more upside than both. At his current draft price, there's little risk and massive potential. He's exactly the kind of late-round flier that can pay off big.
Maurile Tremblay: J.J. McCarthy enters 2025 as a rare late-round fantasy quarterback prospect with a clear path to weekly QB1 spikes. Minnesota invested the No. 10 pick in him last spring, and after a meniscus tear wiped out his rookie season, coaches now feel "very comfortable" with his progress.
The Vikings prioritized protecting their young passer by luring four-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries from Indianapolis, anchoring the interior alongside stalwart tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. This upgrade bolsters an offense that ranked seventh in neutral-situation pass rate under Kevin O'Connell last year.
McCarthy inherits one of the NFL's most fantasy-friendly supporting casts. Justin Jefferson just delivered 103 catches, 1,533 yards, and 10 touchdowns; Jordan Addison compiled 1,786 yards and 19 scores over his first two seasons; and T.J. Hockenson, fully healthy after returning for 10 games in 2024, provides a dependable middle-of-the-field target.
Factor in McCarthy's overlooked rushing upside (632 yards and 10 TDs at Michigan) plus a climate-controlled dome and a staff that encourages aggressive throws, and all the ingredients for a fantasy breakout are present.
At minimal draft cost, you get first-round talent with elite weapons in a pass-first scheme, exactly the profile that swings leagues when a sleeper hits.
Phil Alexander: If you watched Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens put up fantasy-relevant numbers in Kevin O'Connell's pass-friendly offense late in 2023, and that inspired you to take a flier on Sam Darnold in 2024, you were rewarded with one of the best value picks of the season. That same logic applies now with J.J. McCarthy, only this time you're betting on a first-round rookie with long-term upside.
McCarthy wasn't just a prospect who happened to fall to the Vikings — he was O'Connell's hand-picked quarterback after a year of film study and evaluations. He walks into a system that has elevated far worse quarterbacks and features an elite trio of playmakers in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.
The Vikings may not run McCarthy much, but he doesn't need rushing stats to deliver value. Darnold didn't run much either, and turned the same setup into $52.5 million guaranteed from Seattle. McCarthy has better tools, better instincts, and actual job security.
As long as he is healthy, he's firmly in the low-end QB1 conversation. If he puts it all together faster than expected, he could be 2025's breakout star at the position.