We’re firmly into fantasy football draft season, meaning now is the time to get an edge on your leaguemates and dive into analysis. Sleepers can be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them entirely, but who are the names to watch for moving forward?
The quarterback position has been devalued in recent years, meaning fantasy managers can wait later than ever to select a field general. Whether you’re punting it outright or just taking a backup with a little bit of upside, Tyler Shough is undoubtedly a top name to target. Here’s why.
Is Tyler Shough a top fantasy quarterback sleeper?
There were plenty of takes when the Saints selected Tyler Shough in the second round of last year’s NFL Draft, and most of them weren’t very positive. The Louisville product spent seven seasons in the NCAA and dealt with various injuries before finally breaking out in his final collegiate campaign. He finished that year with a 62.7% completion rate, 3,195 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. He didn’t contribute much with his legs and was far older than most prospects at age 26 entering his first professional campaign, so critiques of his upside didn’t appear invalid.
It took some time for Shough to finally get on the field, losing the quarterback competition to Spencer Rattler and having to wait until Week 9 before finally taking over the starting job. He wasn’t exactly dominant from the jump, but the then-rookie soon showed signs of promise.
In his nine games as a starter, Shough completed 69.2% of his 295 passes for 2,265 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed 42 times for 174 yards and an additional three scores. It’s not flashy production in terms of raw counting stats, but contextually, there are a lot of positives to glean.
The Saints simply weren’t a great team last year. They won just six games, but then again, five of those came with Shough under center and four of the victories came in the last five weeks. The quarterback also didn’t have much surrounding talent to work with. Yes, Chris Olave put forth a breakout campaign and formed clear chemistry with the rookie gunslinger, and Juwan Johnson also emerged as a legitimate weapon at tight end. There was virtually no run game, though, as an aging Alvin Kamara regressed and dealt with injuries. To top it all off, 2025-26 was the first season of Kellen Moore’s tenure as a head coach.
Looking a little bit further into the production, it’s clear that Shough actually played quite well as a starter. The completion rate obviously jumps out, and he threw at least one touchdown in seven of his nine starts while eclipsing 250 passing yards five times. Down the stretch he really turned it up with 272, 308, 333 and 259 yards over his final four outings, three of which New Orleans won. He was efficient and made the right play when it mattered.
For fantasy purposes, Shough finished as the overall and per-game QB26, but bear in mind he didn’t play half the season and did see snaps in multiple games with just a handful of passes in relief. As a starter only, he averaged 18.73 FPPG, which would’ve made him the QB10 in per-game production if extrapolated to the full campaign. The names he’d have finished between? Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert.
That’s very impressive given that Shough wasn’t throwing for massive yardage totals on a weekly basis, nor did he have a single game with three passing touchdowns. That does mean his ceiling was capped, as he didn’t score more than 23 fantasy points in any game; yet, the floor was steady with at least 17 points in seven of his nine starts. Once again, consider the context of the weapons he had, too.
Heading into 2026, Shough is a major candidate to outperform his late-round ADP in fantasy and improve on his game in the real NFL. He’s entering his second pro season and is firmly entrenched as the starter, so there’s added stability now that he isn’t in a position battle coming into the year. Moreover, continuity of coaching means plenty as Moore also heads into year two at the helm of this New Orleans franchise. If that’s not enough, look at the new talent the organization added this offseason. The Saints should have a much-improved run game after signing halfback Travis Etienne, while first-round pick Jordyn Tyson provides a high-upside WR2 to work alongside Olave – assuming Tyson can stay healthy).
Those factors should have fantasy managers feeling bullish on Shough’s outlook. We’ve seen the floor for the second-year starter already since he made the most of the surrounding environment last year. It also helps that he can create points with his rushing ability, tallying 22+ yards on the ground in four of his nine starts. With better weapons to work with moving forward and a full offseason in this system for both he and his offensive-minded coach, there are few better values than Shough at the quarterback position in drafts.
