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Dan's fantasy football quarterback waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season. His free agent QBs to add and QB streamers for 1QB and 2B leagues.
After two weeks of strong offensive performances, teams took a step back in Week 4. Only five quarterbacks threw for over 300 passing yards. Just four quarterbacks had more than two passing touchdowns. 11 teams scored at least 28 points but most of that production did not come from the quarterback position.
Now that four weeks are in the books, it is time to start navigating bye weeks. Four teams will be out of action in Week 5 and three of them feature quarterbacks that were drafted regularly throughout the offseason. Fantasy managers rostering Deshaun Watson, Justin Herbert, Geno Smith, and Baker Mayfield will be scouring the waiver wire trying to find a streaming option next week.
In this article, I will look at the fantasy football waiver wire for quarterback pickups and streamers, focusing on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered).
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Single-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Yahoo: 46% rostered
It is time for C.J. Stroud’s rostership to get high enough to get him off this list. Through four games, Stroud has completed 62.3% of his passes for 1,212 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions.
The rookie quarterback has at least 280 passing yards and two touchdowns in each of his last three games, including two straight victories over the Jaguars and Steelers. The rookie quarterback’s performance is even more impressive given the rampant injuries to the Texans’ offensive line to start the season.
Stroud has a difficult matchup on deck against an improved Falcons defense in Week 5, but he’s a high-end QB2 who will have no problem throwing for volume each week. While he doesn’t offer much rushing upside (just one game with 20+ rushing yards), he is still a consistent performer who can be relied upon now that bye weeks are upon us.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Yahoo: 50% rostered
It hasn’t been the prettiest start to the season for Matthew Stafford, but he is seemingly healthy and airing out the ball. Stafford had arguably his best game of the season against the Colts in Week 4, completing 67.5% of his passes for 319 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
It was the first time since Week 1 that Stafford had fewer than two interceptions and his most efficient passing performance of the season. The Rams will have a challenge up front against the Eagles defensive line in Week 5, but he should have no problem completing passes against a struggling Philly secondary. Philadelphia allowed Sam Howell to throw for 290 yards and one touchdown in an overtime loss in Week 4.
Stafford has been able to put up stats with Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell through four weeks but should get Cooper Kupp back in Week 5. The Rams' passing game should take a leap in the coming weeks, giving Stafford a solid floor as a consistent QB2 who throws enough to get to a back-end QB1 in the right game conditions.
Two-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Mitch Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers
Yahoo: 0% rostered
Kenny Pickett hasn’t had the best start of the season and now figures to miss multiple games after suffering a knee injury in a loss to the Houston Texans. Pickett had completed just 15 of 23 passes for 114 yards and an interception before being knocked out of the game.
That leaves Mitch Trubisky with an opportunity to step into the starting quarterback position with some interesting weapons at his disposal. Diontae Johnson is a week away from returning, but George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren have all been solid in his absence. The last time we saw Trubisky as a starter, he completed 65% of his passes for 1,252 yards and four touchdowns with five interceptions in five starts. He also had two rushing touchdowns.
Trubisky will have a difficult matchup against the Ravens in Week 5 but does have some interesting upside if the Steelers offensive line can protect him better than they did Pickett.
Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Yahoo: 3% rostered
Zach Wilson has been abysmal since taking over for Aaron Rodgers, but any quarterback against the Broncos is a matchup we just can’t ignore. The Broncos have allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for 1,210 yards and 13 touchdowns with two interceptions through four weeks.
Denver’s defense made Justin Fields look like one of the top passers in the NFL in Week 4 (80% completion rate with 335 yards and four touchdowns) despite securing a victory in Chicago. It is hard to stomach putting Zach Wilson into your starting lineup, but with bye weeks upon us, fantasy managers just may not have the ability to be picky. If there is one week where Wilson can look like an NFL-caliber quarterback, it very well may be Week 5.
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