RADIO
Dan Fornek's fantasy football quarterback waiver wire pickups before Week 14 of the 2021 NFL season. His free agent QBs to add, stream and stash off waivers.
Offenses have seemingly come back to life as the 2021 season rolls on. 10 teams scored at least four touchdowns in Week 13. While scoring is still down from last season, teams are starting to figure out how to move the ball against more prepared defenses. We are also starting to see more competitive offensive shootouts as the season progresses. Six games combined to score more than 45 points. Unfortunately, the scoring output once again failed to have a significant fantasy impact through the quarterback position.
Just four quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow) were able to surpass the 300-yard passing mark in Week 13. Additionally, four quarterbacks (Jimmy Garoppolo, Matt Ryan, Jared Goff, and Matthew Stafford) were able to finish above 290 passing yards. Tom Brady also paced the NFL in passing touchdowns (four), with only three other quarterbacks finishing the week with three touchdowns (Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, and Matthew Stafford). In total, 14 quarterbacks finished the week with multiple touchdown passes. Luckily, fantasy managers with Kyler Murray were once again able to get production out of their early-round quarterback selection. Murray finished the week with just 123 passing yards but had two touchdowns. He also added 10 carries for 59 yards and two rushing scores. Week 14 will be a challenge for many fantasy managers making that last push for the fantasy playoffs thanks to four bye weeks. The Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles will finally get their week off, leaving fantasy managers on the cusp of the playoffs in a bind.
In this article, I will be focusing on players who are under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 20% rostered).
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Top QB Streamers and Adds
Taylor Heinicke (QB, WFT)
Yahoo: 39% rostered
The Taylor Heinicke experience has the Washington Football Team winning ugly and squarely in the playoff picture. Washington is now in the playoff picture after winning four straight games thanks to some consistent performances from their first-time starting quarterback. Since their Week 9 bye, Heinicke has thrown for 881 yards and seven touchdowns with just two interceptions. He’s also added 57 yards as a rusher during that time. Heinicke isn’t the flashiest quarterback, but he has a double-digit scoring floor and is a solid bye week fill-in for teams looking to make a final push in their fantasy leagues.
The Football Team will get a key home matchup against the division-rival Cowboys in Week 14. Their fantasy playoff stretch includes two matchups with Philadelphia, another game against Dallas, and a game in Week 18 against the Giants. Heinicke is a solid QB2 that has flashed 20-point upside numerous times this season.
Taysom Hill (QB, NO)
Yahoo: 34% rostered
Taysom Hill’s debut as starting quarterback this season was as ugly as it gets. Hill completed just 46% of his passes against the Cowboys, throwing for 265 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. However, the versatile player once again flashed his dangerous ability as a runner, totaling 11 carries for 101 yards. When all was said and done, Hill scored over 20 fantasy points even though he failed to complete 50% of his passes and turned the ball over four times. Few quarterbacks can put together a scoring game like that given those negatives. One thing to monitor for Hill is the fact that he suffered a mallet finger injury (similar to Russell Wilson) during the game. The quarterback is going to attempt to play through the injury, but it could limit his already questionable passing abilities.
The Saints will have a great matchup against the Jets defense in the week before the fantasy playoffs. The Jets have been terrible in their secondary this season and are coming off a game where Gardner Minshew completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Saints also have matchups against the Buccaneers, Dolphins, Panthers, and Falcons throughout the fantasy playoffs, making him an interesting streaming option if his finger can hold up.
Cam Newton (QB, CAR)
Yahoo: 29% rostered
Week 12 was an absolute disaster for Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense. Newton completed just 23% of his passes for 92 yards and two interceptions. Thankfully, he was able to provide some fantasy value with a rushing touchdown before getting benched in the fourth quarter for P.J. Walker. Newton has now had a great game and a terrible game as the Panthers’ starting quarterback. Cam Newton is probably an upside QB2 for the remainder of the season but has top-five upside every week if his passing ability is on point. Regardless, Newton will be a risk to score on the ground each week which should give him a solid enough floor.
Carolina has a matchup against the awful Atlanta defense in Week 14, making him an ideal streaming option if your team needs to navigate bye weeks. Beyond that, Carolina has games against Buffalo (Newton shouldn’t even be considered that week), Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay throughout the fantasy football playoffs. Like Taysom Hill, Newton is tough to trust but has a rushing ability that provides him with fantasy upside even when his passing is erratic.
2QB Options and Stashes
Ben Roethlisberger (QB, PIT)
Yahoo: 21% rostered
Big Ben wasn’t flashy against Baltimore in Week 13, but he was effective enough through the air to secure a crucial victory for the Steelers as they try and stay alive in the AFC playoff race. Roethlisberger completed 67% of his passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions on Sunday. The QB doesn’t have the pure statistical output that he’s shown throughout his career, but he has been a steady passer this year who has gotten by thanks to the ability of his receivers to run short catches into big plays. Since Pittsburgh’s Week 7 bye, Roethlisberger has four games with zero interceptions and three games with multiple passing touchdowns.
Pittsburgh’s remaining games line up fantastically with the fantasy playoffs. Roethlisberger will have a great opportunity to put up numbers against a Vikings secondary that just allowed Jared Goff to secure Detroit’s first win of the season thanks to 296 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception. After that, Roethlisberger will match up with the Titans, Chiefs, Browns, and Ravens once again. Ben is a solid QB2 with streaming upside heading into the final weeks of the fantasy season.
Justin Fields (QB, CHI)
Yahoo: 19% rostered
When we last saw Justin Fields, he was struggling to move the ball against the Baltimore Ravens (79 passing yards and 23 rushing yards through just under two quarters) before being knocked out with a rib injury. Fields hasn’t played since then, although he did log limited practice days last week. Chicago will likely go back to Fields once he is healthy considering the inconsistent play of Andy Dalton in his last two starts (546 passing yards, three touchdowns, five interceptions against Detroit and Arizona). Fields was starting to play well in his two games before the injury, completing 64% of his passes for 446 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also added 18 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown during that stretch.
Fields has shown the ability to push the ball downfield and make explosive plays with his feet, making him a complete boom-or-bust option at the quarterback position. Chicago closes the season with a tough game against the Green Bay Packers before facing off against the Vikings, Seahawks, Giants, and Vikings. Minnesota and Seattle are two of the worst defenses against opposing quarterbacks this season, giving Fields the ability to have huge games to close out his rookie season.
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