One way to gain an edge over your fantasy football leaguemates? Draft players ahead of their breakout seasons! Here, the team at Yahoo Fantasy highlights five of their favorite QB breakout candidates to consider in drafts.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
At this point, we’re so deep in draft season that I’ve hyped Williams as a breakout, a sleeper, a rated rookie and probably six other SEO-friendly terms. The point is, he’s very draftable. His ceiling is unusually high for a rookie quarterback. As we’ve previously discussed, it’s almost unprecedented for a QB selected first overall to be surrounded by as much talent as Chicago’s offense currently offers. Williams has an extraordinary setup, including three massively talented receivers who complement each other perfectly, as well as one of the NFL’s premier receiving backs.
If Caleb simply remains healthy over a full 17 games, he’s gonna cruise past 4000 yards (a total that’s never been reached by a Bears quarterback, which is simply scandalous). Williams may not be a fully accredited member of the dual-threat club, but he was a highly effective and opportunistic rusher throughout his collegiate career, reaching the end zone 21 times over his final two seasons. He has an excellent shot at a top-10 (top-six?) positional finish; there’s a good chance he’ll never again be as cheap at the draft table as he is this season. — Andy Behrens
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Over the past several seasons, we’ve gotten very comfortable with pumping up rookie quarterback ADPs and this season’s star is Jayden Daniels. Daniels is tracking for a top-12 quarterback ADP by the time we reach peak draft season. It might feel aggressive but Daniels is stepping into an offense with multiple solidified weapons, a strong rush attack, a pass-friendly offensive coordinator and a subpar defense that will force the Commanders to chase points.
When we compare Daniels’ potential to Stroud’s rookie season, Daniels has a similar situation plus rushing upside to push him over the edge. Stroud finished as QB10 in average points per game and Daniels’ ceiling is even higher. — Tera Roberts
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Richardson averaged 0.76 fantasy points per dropback through five weeks last season, which was on pace to break Lamar Jackson‘s record from 2019. Shane Steichen knows how to maximize dual-threat QBs (see Jalen Hurts), and when you combine Richardson’s rushing ability with that burgeoning wide receiver group of Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell, he’s shaping up to be one of the top Konami code quarterbacks in fantasy.
The amount of designed runs and RPOs surely heightens Richardson’s injury risk. However, given what we saw in a small sample size last year — registering two top-five finishes in four games and averaging 29.2 fantasy points per four full quarters, the upside is undeniable. He’s a beast at the goal line and with a projected increase in passing volume, he will be the breakout story of 2024. — Dan Titus
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Levis is going well after most of the other guys mentioned in this article, and you’ll probably be able to get him in the last round of your draft. At that price, I don’t mind taking a shot on him to make the “leap” this year, as the Titans have done an admirable job of giving Levis a solid supporting cast.
They signed veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to join DeAndre Hopkins in an old but productive wide receiving corps and filled a large hole by taking left tackle JC Latham in the first round to complete a strong offensive line. Add in a new head coach in Brian Callahan who called some great offenses for the Bengals over the last few years, and Levis looks like he’s in a great position to succeed.
Levis showed flashes in nine starts last year and certainly has the physical tools to thrive in the NFL, and I’m willing to bet that he puts it all together in his second year to vastly outperform his ADP. — Pranav Rajaram
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
Please attempt to hold in your laughter while I make the argument that Sam Darnold, now a Minnesota Viking, will have his best fantasy season to date in 2024. Now, I’m not necessarily saying he’s bound for a breakout that will be monumental enough to warrant drafting him in single-quarterback leagues. However, I do think there’s a reasonable argument that he could hold some value in two quarterback or Superflex formats.
There’s no doubt that Darnold is now playing with the best supporting cast he’s seen to this point in his career between WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison paired with TE T.J. Hockenson when healthy. He’s also got a big-time upgrade in coaching staff and offensive scheme in comparison to what he’s previously worked under as a starter under HC and offensive guru Kevin O’Connell. Darnold doesn’t have top-12 upside, but if he can make the most of his new opportunity, he’s worth a flier in Superflex drafts. — Kate Magdziuk
