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Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers - Week 1

Quarterback waiver wire pickups and streamers for Week 1 of the fantasy football season. Dan Fornek recommends QB free agents to consider adding off waivers.

It’s game week ladies and gentlemen! Thanks to a global pandemic, nobody was ever quite sure we would make it to this point, and here we are!

If you’re reading this right now, odds are you completed your fantasy draft over the weekend or will be completing it in the next few days. Depending on where you are in your fantasy season, can either be used as a suggestion for optimizing your already completed roster or a guide to late-round drafting before Thursday. While most teams will league their draft feeling great, often you can make minor improvements to your bench that can have league-winning potential.

Regardless, there is plenty of value at the quarterback position again this season thanks to some highly talented rookies and veterans in new situations. Because of this depth, fantasy gamers have more incentive than ever to play the matchups with quarterbacks (unless they drafted a premium player early). In this article, I will be focusing on quarterbacks that are still widely available in fantasy leagues to best prepare you to win this football season!

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

 

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco

AVAILABILITY: (Yahoo: 52% rostered, ESPN: 36% rostered)

2019 marked Jimmy Garoppolo’s first full season as the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback thanks to an ACL injury. The 28-year-old quarterback completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns with 13 interceptions en route to a 49ers Super Bowl appearance. Jimmy G didn’t get a ton of publicity, but he averaged 16.27 fantasy points per week on his way to a QB14 finish overall in fantasy football. Garoppolo was rarely flashy but provided an extremely high floor that you could count on weekly.

Looking to week 1, Garoppolo gets a fantastic matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were one of the worst defenses against opposing passing games in 2019, especially from the tight end position. The Cardinals allowed the second-most passing yards (4,510), passing touchdowns (33) and generated the lowest number of interceptions last season (seven).

The 49ers wide receivers are banged up at the moment, with Deebo Samuel (foot surgery), Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring), and Jalen Hurd (ACL tear) all on the injury report heading into the season. Even with that, Garoppolo has targets like George Kittle, Kendrick Bourne, Jordan Reed, and his backfield to make a dent in the passing attack. While the Cardinals added Isaiah Simmons in the first round of the draft, a matchup against George Kittle figures to be a difficult introduction to the league.

Beyond week one, the 49ers have a very soft schedule at the start of the season that benefits rostering Jimmy Garoppolo. According to sharpfootballstats.com, the 49ers will face the 4th easiest schedule when it comes to defensive efficiency in 2020. After the Cardinals, the 49ers face weak secondaries in the form of the Jets, the Giants, and the Eagles. As these games are played out, players will start healing and the passing game will go to full strength.

Even though we haven’t played a game in 2020 yet, Jimmy G should be rostered in all leagues for at least the first quarter of the regular season.

 

Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

AVAILABILITY: (Yahoo: 32% rostered, ESPN: 15.5% rostered)

For one of the first times in his career, Philip Rivers started to show his age for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019. Rivers had his seventh straight season with at least 4,300 yards passing but took major steps back in touchdowns (23, lowest since 2007) and interceptions (20, most in a season since 2016). Despite the dip in numbers, Rivers still finished the fantasy season as QB15 while averaging 15.97 points per week while supporting an RB1 (Austin Ekeler), a WR1 (Keenan Allen), and a TE1 (Hunter Henry). Rivers moved on from the Chargers during the offseason, signing a 1-year, $25 million deal in Indianapolis.

The Colts get arguably the best matchup for their offense in week 1 against a rapidly tanking Jaguars’ team, especially on defense. Jacksonville spent the past week releasing running back Leonard Fournette and trading their best pass rusher (Yannick Ngakoue) and top safety (Ronnie Harrison) to accrue more draft picks.

Rivers may have shown last season that his arm strength was diminishing, but he was still fairly accurate (66% completion percentage) and has different types of weapons in the receiving game. TY Hilton and Parris Campbell are more explosive weapons at receiver after the catch and the trio of Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, and Jonathan Taylor can also provide targets out of the backfield.

The Colts face three weak secondaries to start the 2020 season, giving Rivers solid value to begin the year. The Jaguars, Jets, and Vikings all suffered personnel change on defense and could struggle mightily thanks to a loss of preseason games. Meanwhile, the Colts receivers have the running ability to break open short-to-intermediate throws and turn them into long touchdowns.

Rivers ultimately may not spend the whole season on your bench, but he is an excellent addition to try and get your team off to a fast start.

 

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

AVAILABILITY: (Yahoo: 19% rostered, ESPN: 12.1% rostered)

Derek Carr finished his sixth year with the Raiders with arguably the best performance of his career. Carr had his second consecutive season with over 4,000 passing yards. The 29-year-old as had a 21/8 touchdown to interception ratio and set a career-high for completion percentage (70.4).

Carr finished as QB17 with 15.77 points per week during the 2019 fantasy season. The Raiders added an array of weapons in the passing game, picking up Nelson Agholor in free agency and drafting Henry Ruggs III out of Alabama in the first round and Bryan Edwards out of South Carolina in the third round. These players will slot in nicely to 2019 standouts Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow.

The Raiders find themselves facing the Carolina Panthers week one. The Panthers spent the 2020 offseason overhauling their offense while relying mainly on the draft to add talent to the defense. Ultimately, the Panthers spent seven draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, but only first-round defensive tackle Derrick Brown figures to start.

The linebacking corps and secondary are filled with unproven players, making them a fantastic week one matchup. Carr has some of the best yards after the catch weapons in the league, and this game may turn into a track meet with a projected over/under of 46.5.

The Raiders have a very rough stretch of games after week one, so Carr would be more of a short term solution if you don’t like your starting quarterback’s matchup in the opening week. Ultimately, we don’t know how well he will utilize his new weapons in the air attack, making him a decent stash unless you have to add players to offset injuries as weeks go on.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Malik Nabers

"to Undergo Surgery This Week"
Jayson Tatum

to Return in March?
Justin Faulk

Misses Preseason Finale
Kirill Marchenko

Cleared for Saturday's Action
Macklin Celebrini

Makes Preseason Debut Saturday
Kaiden Guhle

Available Saturday
Noah Dobson

Rejoins Canadiens Lineup Saturday
Samuel Girard

Ready for Game Action
Filip Gustavsson

Wild Sign Filip Gustavsson to Five-Year Extension
Tyjae Spears

Activated, Will Play in Week 5
Taysom Hill

Foster Moreau Activated to Play in Week 5
Brock Bowers

Trending Toward Missing Week 5
Max Scherzer

Left Off Blue Jays ALDS Roster
Bo Bichette

Officially Out for ALDS
Justin Tucker

Working Out Saturday, Has Interest From Several Teams
Cole Perfetti

Evaluated for Lower-Body Injury
Michael Kesselring

to be Re-Evaluated Next Week
Lukas Dostal

to Start in Preseason Finale
Cole Sillinger

Practices on Friday
J.T. Miller

Returns to Practice
Luke Evangelista

Signs Two-Year Deal With Predators
Michael Carter

Will Play "a Lot of Snaps" in Week 5
Texas Rangers

Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker as New Manager
Trevor Megill

Ready for NLDS
Will Smith

Will be Available to Catch in NLDS
Clayton Kershaw

to Pitch Out of Bullpen in NLDS Against Phillies
Lawrence Butler

Undergoes Knee Surgery on Friday
Brandon Woodruff

Will Not Pitch in NLDS
Scott Laughton

Deemed as Week-to-Week
Jayden Daniels

to Return to Starting Role in Week 5
Logan Cooley

Expected to Be Available for Season Opener
Anton Lundell

Considered Day-to-Day
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Ready for Action Saturday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Out Week-to-Week
Bowen Byram

Available Friday
Lamar Jackson

Officially Ruled Out for Week 5
Brock Bowers

Listed as Questionable, Expected to Play in Week 5
Juwan Johnson

Listed as Questionable for Week 5
Dallas Goedert

Good to Go for Week 5
Tyjae Spears

Questionable for Week 5
George Kittle

a "Long Shot" to Play in Week 6, Week 7 Return More Likely
Devin Booker

Likely Playing on Friday
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Won't Play This Weekend
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Doubtful to Play in Week 5
Josh Giddey

Returns to Full Practice
Matas Buzelis

has Team Optioned Accepted
Calvin Ridley

Questionable for Week 5
Alex Pereira

Can Become Two-Time Light-Heavyweight Champion
Magomed Ankalaev

Set For His First Title Defense
Cory Sandhagen

An Underdog At UFC 320
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Third Title Defense
Khalil Rountree Jr.

Returns At UFC 320
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Returns At UFC 320
Youssef Zalal

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Josh Emmett

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
CeeDee Lamb

Ruled Out Again in Week 5
Joe Pyfer

Looks To Earn Top 15 Ranking
Chuba Hubbard

Officially Out for Week 5 Against Miami
Abus Magomedov

Set To Open Up UFC 320 Main Card
Mike Evans

to Miss Another Game in Week 5
Bucky Irving

Officially Ruled Out With Sprained Foot
Bucky Irving

Expected to Miss Week 5, In Danger of Missing Week 6?
Brandon Aiyuk

Still "Weeks Away" From Returning to Action
Cam Schlittler

Dazzles in 12-Strikeout Performance, Yankees Advance to ALDS
CFB

Quintrevion Wisner Expected Back vs. Florida
CFB

Emmett Mosley Probable for Longhorns vs. Florida
Giannis Antetokounmpo

to Join the Bucks in Miami
Jaden Ivey

Fully Recovered From Fractured Fibula
Nick Jensen

an Option for Preseason Finale
Lars Eller

Could Be Available Saturday
OG Anunoby

Was Inactive for the Knicks' Preseason Opener
Joel Embiid

Adem Bona Starts in Place of Joel Embiid on Thursday
Dominick Barlow

Grabs 10 Boards in Abu Dhabi
Miles McBride

Leads the Knicks to an Exhibition Win in Abu Dhabi
VJ Edgecombe

Drops 14 Points in Thursday's Exhibition
Josh Hart

Injured in Exhibition
Shane McClanahan

Expected to be "Fully Ready" for Spring Training
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to be Ready for ALDS
Coby White

Does Some Shooting During Wednesday's Practice
Patrick Williams

Hurts Ankle at Practice
Mark Williams

to Sit Out Preseason Opener
Noah Clowney

Healthy and Bigger Ahead of New Season
Gabe Vincent

Logs Full Practice
LeBron James

Does Individual Work at Practice
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Getting Back on Track After Partially Rupturing Hamstring
Terry Rozier

Suffers Left-Hamstring Strain
Bryce Eldridge

to Undergo Wrist Surgery
Atlanta Braves

Brian Snitker Will Not Return as Braves Manager
Luke List

Looking to Win Again at Sanderson Farms Championship
Tom Kim

Could Be in For Long Week in Mississippi
Max Homa

Are Things Beginning to Turn Around For Max Homa Ahead of Sanderson Farms?
Nicolai Hojgaard

an Interesting Play at Sanderson Farms
Davis Thompson

Looks to Keep Momentum Going in Mississippi
Nick Dunlap

Hoping to Turn Woes Around at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid a Volatile Option at Sanderson Farms
Thorbjorn Olesen

a Solid Play at Sanderson Farms
Stephan Jaeger

a High-Upside Play in Mississippi
Hayden Buckley

Trying to Find Form at Sanderson Farms
Ben Martin

Struggling Mightily with Golf Game
Jacob Bridgeman

Leaning on his Putter at Sanderson Farms
Lanto Griffin

Heating Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Quade Cummins

Trying to Make Cut at Sanderson Farms
Carson Young

Aims to Rebound from Procore Championship
Matt Kuchar

Still a Golfer to Watch This Week
Doug Ghim

Trending Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Eric Cole

May Struggle at Sanderson Farms Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Ready for Sanderson Farms Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Eyes Another Strong Week at Sanderson Farms
Andrew Putnam

a Solid Value Play in Mississippi
Tarik Skubal

Shines in Postseason Debut, Tigers Take Game 1 Over Guardians
CFB

Behren Morton To Start Against Houston Saturday
Texas Rangers

Rangers, Bruce Bochy Mutually Agree to Part Ways
Minnesota Twins

Rocco Baldelli Fired as Twins Manager
San Francisco Giants

Giants Fire Manager Bob Melvin
Francisco Alvarez

to Have Thumb Surgery in the Coming Days
Bo Bichette

Blue Jays Optimistic Bo Bichette Can Return for Division Series
Lucas Giolito

Won't be on Wild-Card Roster With Elbow Issue
Alex Bregman

Should be Good for Game 1 of Wild-Card Series
Chase Elliott

Steals the Win at Kansas and Locks Into the Round of 8
Chase Briscoe

Earns Another Top-Five Finish at Kansas
Christopher Bell

Finishes Third at Kansas Speedway on Sunday
Kyle Larson

Strong Kansas Performance Positions Him to Advance in the 2025 Playoffs
Joey Logano

Kansas Struggles End In Disappointment
Dominick Reyes

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Carlos Ulberg

Gets First-Round Knockout
Ivan Erslan

Loses Third Fight in a Row
Ramon Taveras

Drops Decision At UFC Perth
Jack Jenkins

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jake Matthews

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Neil Magny

Pulls Off Comeback Win
Charlie Campbell

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Tom Nolan

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Denny Hamlin

Despite Power-Steering Failure, Denny Hamlin Dominates and Finishes Second at Kansas
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace's Playoff Bid Likely Ends After Scrape With Boss at Kansas
William Byron

Runs Poorly, Still Finishes in the Top 10
Tyler Reddick

Finishes Seventh at Kansas Despite Distractions
Shane Van Gisbergen

Earns First Cup Series Top-10 Finish on an Oval

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