Though you would like to think anyone still competing for a fantasy football title is doing so with a steady, productive quarterback, this season has turned many a competitor into a streaming fool.
It would certainly be easier to go into battle with someone like Lamar Jackson or Deshaun Watson at the helm, but that isn’t always how this game works. Doing your due diligence and sifting through the rubble at the bottom of the QB rankings should be considered an art form if you do it right. If you are sitting there looking like a first-grader doing finger-paint, help is on the way.
First, quarterbacks such as Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes and even Ryan Tannehill should be locked into your lineups if you own them. Even if the matchups are less than ideal, their relative consistency is something you should embrace.
Players such as Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray should not be discounted either, and are expected to be used ahead of any low-level streaming option. Sometimes, though, we need to dig even deeper.
Hello Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yes, you have been conditioned to understand that FitzMagic has a limited shelf-life and cannot be counted on week in and week out. However, the Dolphins’ matchup against the Bengals should put the veteran journeyman on your radar.
Most teams tend to run on the Bengals, but given the lack of a true running back in Miami, Fitzpatrick should take center stage. Cincinnati is giving up an average of 233.7 passing yards per game and giving up the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position.
One could certainly take a chance with the other side of the game and use Andy Dalton. A little more bravery is necessary, as Dalton tends to throw more interceptions and doesn’t rack up the rushing yards Fitzpatrick gets, but Miami does allow the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and the third-most to wide receivers. Dalton will have Tyler Boyd in a favorable matchup along with deep-threat John Ross and the speedy Alex Erickson.
Daniel Jones is expected to return to the field this week. Not only does the Giants QB have a vast arsenal of receiving weapons at his disposal, but also the Redskins’ secondary has allowed 26 passing touchdowns. The matchups for Golden Tate, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard are positive, and the Giants’ secondary is bad enough to let the Redskins score and keep Jones throwing.
Other potential streamers include Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and even Jacoby Brissett, but be sure not to take too many chances. You want quarterbacks with a high ceiling, but too much risk can potentially mean a low floor. If you have to squint to see the forest through the trees, chances are you need a different QB to stream.
Howard Bender is VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays at 4 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice and NFL player rankings.
