This article first appeared on RotoBaller.com
[sc name=”Author Matt Terelle”]
Hey there RotoBallers! With Week 9 almost in the books, it’s already time to turn an eye toward the waiver wire in Week 10. As always, this column will aim to highlight Week 10 waiver wire adds and streamers for quarterbacks, players that you should consider targeting on your league’s waiver wire.
In the past few seasons, streaming the quarterback position has become a popular team management strategy. The guaranteed volume at the quarterback position makes it the easiest position in fantasy football to project, which therefore makes it a position that isn’t too hard to stream. Everyone has had a star wide receiver who inexplicably only sees three targets in a game.
The quarterback position, on the other hand, sees volume that is easier to forecast as even the lower ranked players will see a minimum of 20-25 passing attempts, even in a low-volume passing offense. All ownership percentages come from Yahoo! and are current as of November 5.
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One-QB Leagues – Week 10 Waiver Wire Streamers
Andy Dalton, CIN @ Tennessee Titans
57% owned, FAAB Budget: 8-10%
Dalton predictably flopped in Week 9 in a brutal matchup against a Jacksonville pass defense that has been murder on opposing signal callers. Dalton managed just 136 scoreless yards against a Jaguars secondary that is among the best in the game and wasn’t done any favors by A.J. Green, who got himself ejected for getting into a fight with Jalen Ramsey during the second quarter.
Dalton will see things open up a good deal in Week 10 when the Bengals travel to Tennessee to take on an average Titans pass defense. While Tennessee’s season-long stats against quarterbacks make their secondary look like a decent unit, they haven’t exactly faced many competent fantasy passers over the past month as they’ve done battle with Jay Cutler, Cody Kessler, Jacoby Brissett, and Joe Flacco. In Week 9, Flacco did manage 261 yards and two scores for his best fantasy day of the season. Tee Dalton up with confidence as a streamer in Week 10.
Eli Manning, NYG @ San Francisco 49ers
45% owned, FAAB Budget: 4-5%
The Giants are fresh off a 51-17 shellacking at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the game turning into a laugher early on, Manning still managed to post a useful fantasy day, throwing for 220 yards and two scores. The veteran quarterback has managed to pass for multiple touchdowns in four of his eight games this season and is in line for another solid game in Week 10.
The Giants draw an extremely favorable matchup against a 49ers pass defense that was allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and ranked 27th in DVOA before Week 9’s action. Of course, in Week 9, the 49ers allowed Arizona backup quarterback Drew Stanton to look like a competent quarterback, something he has rarely resembled during his 10-year career. Manning is a rock-solid choice as a streamer this weekend.
Josh McCown, NYJ @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
34% owned, FAAB Budget: 4-5%
McCown managed two touchdowns in Week 9 despite a brutal matchup against an extremely effective Buffalo defense. The veteran signal caller has been flying under the radar this season but he’s actually the QB7 on the year. McCown has worked magic this season even though the Jets are severely lacking in the playmaker department, passing for 1,980 yards, 13 touchdowns, and adding another three rushing scores.
He draws one of the top quarterback matchups in the league in Week 10 as he will travel to Tampa Bay to take on a reeling Buccaneers defense. Before the Week 9 games, Tampa Bay was allowing eighth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and ranked 31st in pass defense DVOA. This is a matchup that you will want to exploit from a fantasy perspective.
Two-QB Leagues – Week 10 Waiver Wire Streamers
Brett Hundley, GB @ Chicago Bears
11% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Hundley hasn’t exactly impressed in his two games played since taking over for Aaron Rodgers, passing for 244 yards, one score, and four interceptions. The thing that keeps him on the streaming radar, especially in two-quarterback leagues, is his rushing ability. Hundley has already gained 47 rushing yards and a scored a touchdown with his legs.
The Bears have been stingy against opposing quarterbacks this season but they did allow Cam Newton, the only other rushing quarterback they’ve faced, to rush for 50 yards on nine carries in Week 8. Hundley isn’t safe enough for standard leagues but he’s an option for two-quarterback formats.
Case Keenum/Teddy Bridgewater, MIN @ Washington Redskins
9% owned/5% owned, FAAB Budget: 2-4%
The Vikings are expected to activate Teddy Bridgewater from the injured reserve this week, but we still don’t know who it will be under center when Minnesota faces off against Washington in Week 10. As of now, signs point to the Vikes leaving Case Keenum in the starting lineup but nothing is certain at this point. Either way, the Minnesota starting quarterback in on the radar as a solid streaming option this coming weekend.
The Vikings offense has excellent options in the passing game, with Stefon Diggs fully healthy after a groin strain last month and Adam Thielen second in the NFL in receiving yards. Washington has been average against opposing signal callers in 2017, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to them and ranking 16th in DVOA through Week 8.
C.J. Beathard, SF vs. New York Giants
3% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Beathard played well enough in Week 9 against the Cardinals to likely hold Jimmy Garoppolo off at least through the team’s bye week in Week 11. The rookie quarterback took a beating from the Cardinals but managed to move the ball well against them, racking up 294 passing yards while adding 16 rushing yards and a score. He continues to be a threat on the ground, which gives him some appeal as a low-end streaming option in two-quarterback leagues. The Giants were just shredded for four touchdowns by Jared Goff in Week 9 and were allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks before Week 9’s action. Beathard’s inexperience and up-and-down play make him a risky option but the matchup definitely gives him some upside.
Cut Them Free
The following quarterbacks aren’t necessarily must-drops but they haven’t quite been living up to expectations and can be cut loose if you need roster space for one of the above players.
Jameis Winston, TB – 87% owned
Winston has been brutal in three of his past four games and is dealing with an injured throwing shoulder that he’s been attempting to play through. He isn’t a must-drop but he should definitely be chained to your bench if you can’t bring yourself to cut him just yet.
Jacoby Brissett, IND – 24% owned
Brissett was great against the Texans in Week 9 but he can’t be trusted in Week 10 against a Steelers secondary that is allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers.
Strategy for Streaming Quarterbacks
Many factors come into play when identifying streamers. These include recent performance, overall upside, talent, opponent matchup, and Vegas totals. Every week, we’ll take a look at six streaming QB options: three for one-quarterback leagues, and three for two-quarterback leagues. The focus will be on streaming for the upcoming week, but there will also be players who break out and should be owned the rest of the season. As always, the goal with streaming is to eventually find a player who can be an every week starter for your team.
Options for one-quarterback leagues could be just about anyone outside of the bigger names at the position. Obviously, no one is going to be able to stream players like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady because they are owned in all leagues. The premium placed on the position in two-quarterback leagues changes expectations for streaming the position. In two-quarterback leagues, most starting NFL quarterbacks are already owned, so the pickings are going to be slim on waivers. Therefore, the players who are recommended for two-quarterback leagues will be lower-owned and most likely not attractive options in one-quarterback formats.
