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Kyler Murray, Cam Ward, And 2 Other Late Round Fantasy Football QB Draft Steals

By Gray Deyo Sports Illustrated

There are many ways to create a league-winning fantasy football team in your fantasy draft. One of them is by prioritizing WRs and RBs in the early rounds and hitting on a late-round QB. Here are four potential late-round QBs who could have breakout seasons in fantasy football in the 2026 season.

Cam Ward

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

ESPN 2026 Fantasy Draft Ranking: QB25

Cam Ward, in his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans, had his ups and downs. He ended the season with 3,169 passing yards, 15 TD passes, and seven interceptions. The following statistics slotted him as QB22 in fantasy football.

Ward does come into the 2026 season trending upward. In his last eight games of the season, he looked more comfortable and seemed to see the field better, while also converting on magical Mahomes-type plays that he showcased the ability to do at Miami in college. In the eight contests, he had a 10-1 TD-INT ratio.

Ward, along with having this positive momentum going for him, will have better weapons to work with in 2026. The Titans, with the #4 overall pick, selected WR Carnell Tate out of Ohio State. He has already shown well in Tennessee's OTAs and could help facilitate a breakout season for Ward in his second year in the NFL.

Kyler Murray

Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

ESPN 2026 Fantasy Draft Ranking: QB16

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the more impressive WR rooms in the NFL, but last season, that did not shine through. Bad quarterback play was a large reason for it. QB J.J. McCarthy started the majority of games for Minnesota in 2025. He appeared in 10 games, threw for 1,632 yards, 11 TDS, and 12 INTs. He finished as QB30 in fantasy football.

While McCarthy might not be able to get the most out of the Vikings' talented WR room, someone else definitely could. That brings Kyler Murray into the conversation. The Vikings signed him on a one-year, $1.3 million deal. He is in the midst of fighting for the starting QB job with McCarthy.

Murray has had his own QB woes, especially this past season, where the Arizona Cardinals eventually opted to bench him. However, Murray has been an elite fantasy QB in his career. All the way back in 2020, he finished as QB2 in fantasy football. A change of scenery may allow him to tap back into that level of play. Minnesota, not too long ago, helped a QB play the best ball of his career, 2025 Super Bowl Champion Sam Darnold.

Sam Darnold

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ESPN 2026 Fantasy Draft Ranking: QB24

Darnold is coming off a solid season in fantasy football. He threw for 4,048 yards, 25 TDS, and 14 INTs. This led him to finish 2025 as QB12 in fantasy football. There's definitely another level Darnold could hit in fantasy, and a couple of factors play into it.

One of the factors is that the Seahawks will have a new RB1 in 2026, with Kenneth Walker III signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. That will, in all likelihood, be rookie RB Jadarian Price. With him being in the role as a first-year player, Seattle may lean on Darnold slightly more on offense.

The other factor that could help Darnold's fantasy stock improve is that the Seahawks will have a new offensive coordinator, Brian Fleury. Fleury comes from the Kylen Shannanan tree of coaching, as he has spent the last seven seasons with the San Fransico 49ers. He should bring a little flair to the Seahawks' passing game and likely more usage in the passing game. Last season, the 49ers averaged the fourth-most passing yards per game in the NFL.

Baker Mayfield

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

ESPN 2026 Fantasy Draft Ranking: QB18

Baker Mayfield being ranked at QB18 is simply too high. He has top-three fantasy QB potential and should be in the conversation to be one of the first 10 QBs taken off a 2026 fantasy draft board.

In 2025, he finished as QB12 with the following stats: 3,693 passing yards, 26 TDs, and 11 INTs. He will be without his favorite target, Mike Evans, in 2026, but with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan, he has all the tools to be a high-level fantasy QB.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Kyler Murray, Cam Ward, And 2 Other Late Round Fantasy Football QB Draft Steals.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 3:03 PM.

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