Quarterback Streamers: Week 1
The 2018 fantasy season has arrived and with that comes the need to dig through the waiver wire to find hidden gems that can put up big numbers. Whether you need to pick up a player to fill in for an injured starter or a bad matchup, streaming the right player off waivers can be the difference between a win and a loss. In selecting a waiver wire player to start for your team, it is important to consider their matchup, notable injuries or suspensions, as well as historical trends. Based on these criteria, here some quarterbacks you might want to consider benching this week:
Jimmy Garoppolo (vs Vikings)
Matt Ryan (vs Eagles)
Ben Roethlisberger (vs Browns)
Patrick Mahomes (vs Chargers)
With that, here are 3 QB options that should perform well this week that are owned in less than 15% of leagues (NFL.com):
Andy Dalton:
Owned Percentage: 2.5%
Matchup: Indianapolis Colts
Analysis: While it’s not easy to get excited about starting Andy Dalton in the first week of the fantasy season, everything is lined up for him to perform well. The Colts in 2017 let up the 3rd most points and the 5th most passing yards in the league last year, and the team made no significant upgrades to fix this porous defense. This defense is made up of no name players who are either career journeymen or have yet to prove anything in the NFL. Rule of Thumb: If you can’t name at least 2 good players on a team’s defense, then starting a fantasy player against that defense is a good idea. Dalton also has plenty of weapons around him to ensure that he has a good day passing the ball, including stud WR AJ Green, speedster John Ross, two dynamic receivers out of the backfield in Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard, and tight end Tyler Eifert. By the end of this game Dalton should have at least 20 points.
Joe Flacco:
Owned Percentage: 2.1%
Matchup: Buffalo Bills
Analysis: Joe Flacco has been the antithesis of a reliable option in fantasy the past couple years, but this year feels different. Reports out of camp indicate that Flacco has been playing at a high level all throughout the offseason, and these reports have been backed up by Flacco’s outstanding performance in the preseason games. He seems motivated thanks to both the Ravens drafting Lamar Jackson to push him and it being a contract year (the last time Flacco played in a contract year he won a Super Bowl). The playmakers he has around him are the best he has in years, and a matchup against the Bills makes playing Flacco even more enticing. Even though the Bills’ defense was good against fantasy quarterbacks last year, the more important factor to consider is how long Nathan Peterman can keep the Bills offense on the field against one of the best defenses in the league. My guess is not very long. Expect Flacco to have the ball in his hands a lot this game, and that should lead to a solid fantasy output.
Tyrod Taylor:
Owned Percentage: 4.8%
Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers
Analysis: Tyrod Taylor’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t a great one on paper, but Taylor’s provided impressive fantasy numbers over the past couple years for those willing to stream him. His 730 fantasy points over the last 3 years tops significantly more popular fantasy options including Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, and Ben Roethlisberger. This production also came on a team that had little talent at the WR and TE position and a front office that was unwilling to commit to him as a franchise QB. Mayfield may be the quarterback for the future on the Browns, but Hue Jackson has said multiple times he is committed to Taylor as the Browns’ quarterback for 2018. Considering the amount of talented skill players around Taylor, it shouldn’t be surprising that Taylor is better than he has been in recent years, and for this reason it’s worth taking a shot on him in week 1.