This article first appeared on RotoBaller.com
[sc name=”Author Matt Terelle”]
Hey there RotoBallers! With Week 7 almost in the books, it’s already time to turn an eye toward the waiver wire in Week 8. As always, this column will aim to highlight Week 8 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 October 22.
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One-QB Leagues – Week 8 Waiver Wire Streamers
Tyrod Taylor, BUF vs. Oakland Raiders
58% owned, FAAB Budget: 5-8%
Taylor showed why he is normally a solid streaming option in Week 7, especially at home. Without favorite target Charles Clay and with Jordan Matthews playing with a broken thumb, Taylor still managed to post a 22-point fantasy day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He passed for just one touchdown but he was able to bolster his production with 53 rushing yards in the game. It is just another reminder of how rushing quarterbacks can provide a weekly floor for fantasy points.
He has a good chance to stay hot in Week 8 as the Bills welcome the Oakland Raiders to town. For one, Taylor has been a much better fantasy quarterback at home this season, topping 21 fantasy points in his three home starts, compared to just a 12.3 point per game average on the road. The Raiders are fresh off of allowing Alex Smith to torch them for three passing scores and haven’t been a very good pass defense this season.
Andy Dalton, CIN vs. Indianapolis Colts
55% owned, FAAB Budget: 4-5%
In Week 7, Dalton played better than expected against a Steelers defense that has given him fits over his career, passing for two touchdowns and two interceptions. He is in line to bounce back in a big way against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8 as the Bengals return home. Dalton has been very matchup-sensitive this season, playing poorly against the good defenses and shredding the lousy ones.
The Colts have employed one of the worst pass defenses in the league over the past few seasons and that has remained the case this year. Indianapolis is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and have allowed either 300 passing yards or multiple passing touchdowns in all seven of their games played. There’s no one on the Colts who can cover A.J. Green, who will be playing pitch and catch with Dalton all afternoon long. Dalton is a fantastic streaming option in all formats for Week 8.
Trevor Siemian, DEN @ Kansas City Chiefs
36% owned, FAAB Budget: 2-3%
Siemian predictably performed poorly against a tough Chargers pass defense in Week 7. Not unlike Andy Dalton, Siemian is tough to trust unless he’s in a favorable spot. The Chiefs offer just what he needs to get back on track in Week 8. Kansas City’s secondary has not performed well this season and is allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to enemy signal callers. Siemian is well below Tyrod Taylor and Andy Dalton as a streaming option, but he’s on the board as a possibility is you are in a pinch. He would likely be in the two-quarterback streamer section for me if this were a better week for streaming the position, so try to get Taylor or Dalton if possible.
Two-QB Leagues – Week 8 Waiver Wire Streamers
Case Keenum, MIN vs. Cleveland Browns (In London)
9% owned, FAAB Budget: 1-2%
We still don’t know whether it will be Keenum or Teddy Bridgewater under center when the Vikings take on the Browns in London. It doesn’t really matter as either is streamable against a leaky Cleveland defense. Keenum is likely to start but Bridgewater, at just 3% ownership, won’t be hard to add to your squad in case the Vikings give him the nod. It stands to reason that Minnesota would give Keenum another start as they shouldn’t have much trouble beating the Browns no matter who is under center. Then they can head into the bye week and give Bridgewater an extra week to recover.
Cleveland’s defense was surprisingly stout against the Titans in Week 7, but overall, their pass defense has not been a unit to fear in fantasy. Cleveland is allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Week 7 was the first time all season the Browns haven’t allowed a quarterback to roll up multiple touchdowns against them all season. Whoever is under center for the Vikings in Week 8 is worth a look in two-quarterback leagues or even in one-quarterback formats if you are desperate.
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI @ New Orleans
7% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Trubisky, and the Bears, shockingly won in Week 7 despite only attempting seven passes. In the process of setting the game of football back 50 years, they benefitted from two defensive touchdowns and a shockingly inept Panthers offense, which allowed John Fox and company to sit on the ball for most of the game. Fans at that game should demand their money back. Anyways, the Saints will not afford the Bears such a luxury in Week 8.
After a slow start to the year, the Saints appear to be finding that extra gear and will be returning home to the fast track of the Superdome. Expect Chicago to be down early which will force Trubisky to actually attempt a few passes in this one. The Saints pass defense has been decent this year, but they are still allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That being said, Trubisky is only on the radar as a low-end QB2 in two-quarterback formats.
C.J. Beathard, SF @ Philadelphia Eagles
6% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Beathard struggled against a fierce Dallas pass rush in Week 7 but his rushing prowess managed to salvage his day from a fantasy perspective. The rookie signal caller rushed three times for 30 yards and a score against the Cowboys while also adding 235 passing yards. The 49ers are a mess, which does limit his upside, but he’s shown enough to be considered as a second quarterback in a two-quarterback league.
Beathard will take on an Eagles secondary that has really regressed after getting off to a hot start. Philadelphia’s pass defense played well in Weeks 1 and 2, but the wheels have come off since. Starting with Week 3, the Eagles have allowed at least 291 passing yards in three of their past four games while also coughing up seven passing scores.
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.
Carson Palmer, ARI – 80% owned
Palmer may have been lost for the year during Week 7’s loss to the Rams as he broke his left arm. The initial timetable for his recovery was set at eight weeks, meaning he may be able to return at the end of the season, although that seems unlikely for the 37-year-old gunslinger. It was a fun ride with Palmer but he can be set free.
Jacoby Brissett, IND – 13% owned
Brissett underwhelmed against a weak Titans pass defense in Week 6 and predictably struggled against a tough Jaguars secondary in Week 7. Things don’t get much easier as he will face a Bengals defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. After that he will face a solid Texans defense and a stout Steelers pass defense. He’s unusable for the next few weeks.
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.
