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Week 16 Quarterback Pickups and Streamers: Standard and Two-QB Leagues

Matt's quarterback waiver wire pickups and fantasy football streamers for Week 16 of the 2017 NFL Season. Target these streamers for standard and two-QB leagues.

Hey there RotoBallers! With Week 15 almost in the books, it's already time to turn an eye toward the waiver wire in Week 16. As always, this column will aim to highlight Week 16 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 December 18.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

One-QB Leagues - Week 16 Waiver Wire Streamers

Blake Bortles, JAX @ San Francisco 49ers

54% owned, FAAB Budget: whatever you have left.

Bortles shredded the Texans in Week 15, passing for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The veteran quarterback has been on quite the run of late, having combined for nine touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) and just one interception over his past four games. Look for Bortles to stay hot in Week 16 as the Jaguars travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. San Francisco has struggled to limit enemy quarterbacks this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Bortles should be at the top of your list if you find yourself needing to stream in the championship round of the playoffs.

 

Andy Dalton, CIN vs. Detroit Lions

51% owned, FAAB Budget: 10%

Dalton predictably struggled in Week 15 against the Vikings, finishing with 113 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a box of coal in his stocking. The Vikings, of course, have one of the toughest secondaries in the league and Dalton has been extremely matchup-sensitive this season. Look for him to bounce back against the Lions in Week 16.

Detroit's pass defense has been slipping as the season winds down. On the year, Detroit is allowing the 17th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks while their pass defense ranked 18th in DVOA before Week 15's action. The season-long stats don't tell the entire story, however. Over the past four contests, Detroit's defense has had serious problems defending the pass, allowing either 269 passing yards or multiple touchdowns to each quarterback they have faced.

 

Eli Manning, NYG @ Arizona Cardinals

33% owned, FAAB Budget: 3-5%

Manning wound up posting one of the more surprising fantasy performances of Week 15 as he roasted a strong Philadelphia pass defense for 434 yards, three touchdowns, and just one interception. That performance was especially surprising as, heading into Week 15, Philadelphia's pass defense was ranked fifth in the league in DVOA. Manning's opponent this week, the Cardinals, ranked eighth in pass defense DVOA but they are also allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Manning is a full tier below Blake Bortles as a streaming option but he's an option if you are desperate.

 

Two-QB Leagues - Week 16 Waiver Wire Streamers

Nick Foles, PHI vs. Oakland Raiders

26% owned, FAAB Budget: 3-5%

Foles did his best Carson Wentz impersonation against the Giants in Week 15 as he finished with 237 passing yards and four touchdowns. While it would be nice to see him do it again before trusting him in one-quarterback leagues, he is in play if the waiver wire is looking thin. He is, however, a very strong play in two-quarterback formats this weekend.

The Eagles will take on an Oakland defense that has really struggled against the pass this season, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to the position and ranking dead last in the league in DVOA before Week 15. Foles is surrounded by the weapons and offensive system which should allow him to have plenty of success moving forward.

 

Joe Flacco, BAL vs. Indianapolis Colts

18% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%

Flacco has shown us this season that he is a high-floor, low-ceiling fantasy quarterback. He is in the midst of his best stretch of the season, having passed for at least 269 yards in three straight contests while adding six total touchdowns over that span. He did perform well in a plus matchup against the Browns in Week 15, passing for 288 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score for good measure.

Flacco will face off against the Colts in Week 16, which makes him a strong fantasy option, especially in two-quarterback leagues. Indianapolis has struggled against the pass for a few seasons now, an issue which has dogged them in 2017, as well. On the season, the Colts pass defense ranks 30th in DVOA. Despite the pass game struggles, Indianapolis' run defense has been much improved in 2017, ranking 10th. If they are able to shut down Baltimore's run game then Flacco should have to air it out in Week 16.

 

Mitchell Trubisky, CHI vs. Cleveland Browns

6% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%

Trubisky is only a deep cut as the Bears have played extremely conservative football with him under center. That being said, he's on the map as an option due to a prime Week 16 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland has been an extremely generous team to opposing passers, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Furthermore, the Browns play stout run defense which should force the Bears to pass the ball to beat them. Plus we have the fun #revengegame narrative as the Browns, Trubisky's hometown team, passed on him in the draft last spring. He should be fine as a QB2 this weekend.

 

Cut Them Free

In most leagues, Week 16 represents the final round of the fantasy playoffs. Theoretically, this means that anyone you aren't planning on starting can be considered a cut candidate if you need to make room for a waiver add. That being said, you don't want to cut anyone who your opponent can add and use against you.

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF - 30% owned

Garoppolo has been fantastic for the 49ers since taking over as their starting quarterback. That being said, I'm not willing to trust him in Week 16 when he draws a brutal matchup with an elite Jacksonville secondary. As good as Jimmy G has been, there are better streaming options out there.

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.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis




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