The quarterback position is the single highest-scoring position in fantasy football, yet we typically see ADPs at the position dragged down by the sheer depth of capable signal-callers. When waiting on a quarterback, you will inevitably end up starting a player with some flaws, which is why many managers who pay down at QB opt to hedge their bets with a second option at the position.
If that is your plan of attack, you have come to the right place. Two specific QB tandems mesh exceptionally well in terms of how their schedules project, giving you the potential to assemble top-five production at the position in the late stages of your draft.
Building a Fantasy Football Frankenstein QB
There are countless ways to approach this strategy, and several combinations can perform at an elite level. Is it risky? Of course. But by deferring the position until the later rounds and closing the production gap by patching together a tandem, you allow your star flex players to carry your roster and put you in a dominant position.
Option 1: Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud
This is an intriguing pairing because both franchises believe they already have their long-term guy.
The first step is examining the schedule. For the purposes of this study, I evaluated defenses based on their ability (or inability) to create pressure alongside our Defensive Impact grade from last season. To keep things simple, an advantageous matchup is labeled as one coming against a defense that ranked in the bottom 10 of at least one of those categories in 2025.
It is not a perfect metric, but it serves as a reasonable baseline.
In 13 of the 17 fantasy weeks (excluding Week 18), either Love or Stroud gets a plus matchup. Looking at them individually, you could reasonably argue that both of these quarterbacks possess standalone QB1 upside.
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Love was a top-12 fantasy QB for the first half of last season, and there was a month-long window (Weeks 4–8) where Stroud checked that box as well. Meanwhile, the Packers trimmed some of the fat in their wide receiver room this offseason, giving their primary playmakers a direct path to a greater impact.
No qualified quarterback since 2023 has thrown a higher percentage of his passes 15+ yards downfield than Love. When you put more target volume on the plate of Christian Watson (who averages 23.5 yards per touchdown reception for his career), I’m all ears. Furthermore, Tucker Kraft has a legitimate argument to be considered the best run-after-catch tight end in the league, giving Love access to the type of efficiency profile that has made Brock Purdy a consistent fantasy option.
In Houston, the Texans have built an upside-laden supporting cast around Stroud. Nico Collins is an elite performer at the position, and we know Dalton Schultz remains a reliable intermediate option. I am also encouraged by an increase in projected balance with David Montgomery handling bell-cow rushing duties, and I think it is more likely than not that a viable WR2 emerges to make a much greater impact than we saw a year ago.
Whether it is Tank Dell, Jayden Higgins, or Jaylin Noel, having a third reliable pass-catcher in an offense expected to take a natural step forward provides an on-ramp for Stroud’s efficiency to trend back toward his impressive rookie season (8.2 YPA).
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During the critical fantasy playoff stretch (Weeks 14–17), one of these quarterbacks faces a bottom-10 Defensive Impact unit every single week:
- Week 14: Texans at Commanders
- Week 15: Packers vs. Dolphins
- Week 16: Packers at Bears
- Week 17: Texans at Packers
Additionally, both quarterbacks face a low-pressure defense when the other is on bye, opening the door for clean pockets and plenty of aerial upside during those critical cover weeks.
Option 2: Malik Willis and Daniel Jones
This is the more volatile and exciting pairing, as we are fully embracing the variance within both player profiles. From a scheduling perspective, 12 advantageous weeks present themselves, including six of the first seven weeks, which allows this tandem to get off to a fast start and earn your confidence early on.
We saw proof of concept from “Danny Dimes” last season in terms of sustaining viable fantasy production. And while we don’t have a massive sample size of Willis as a starter, we know his archetype, a dynamic athlete playing in negative game scripts, can pile up fantasy points in a hurry, even when it isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
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I was initially skeptical of pairing these two because Miami travels to Denver in Week 13 (the Colts’ bye week). But upon further review, why can’t Willis be a rare fantasy producer against the Broncos?
Top QB Performances vs. Denver (2025)
- Week 16 – Trevor Lawrence: 31.2 points
- Week 7 – Jaxson Dart: 28.4 points
- Week 13 – Marcus Mariota: 23.3 points
- Week 2 – Daniel Jones: 22.8 points
I would be thrilled with a 20-point outing from Willis in that spot. Given that all four of those quarterbacks threaten defenses with their legs in a way Willis can easily replicate (each of the names above scored over 23% of their weekly points on the ground), I am certainly not ruling out a usable performance in the late stages of the fantasy regular season.
The Colts boasted the fifth-best offensive line in 2025 according to our Offensive Line Impact metric, which gives me confidence that Jones can provide a safe production floor while we wait for Willis to realize his potential. Furthermore, Indianapolis gets favorable matchups against the Titans and Bengals late in the season (Weeks 15–16)—matchups that could allow Jones to go point-for-point with quarterbacks who were drafted in the early-to-middle rounds back in September.
There is obvious risk involved with this approach, but there is also a realistic scenario where one of these quarterbacks develops into a weekly, near-matchup-proof starter. This strategy isn’t for the faint of heart—but you should test it out! Our free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator puts you in a no-stakes environment where you can experiment with roster construction and see if building around this duo fits your draft style.
