RADIO
Dan Fornek's fantasy football quarterback waiver wire pickups before Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season. His free agent QBs to add, stream and stash off waivers.
Week 14 was the continuation of underwhelming production out of the quarterback position this season. As a result, scoring was down again this week. Only six teams were able to score more than 30 points on offense in Week 14. Additionally, just five games surpassed 50 total points this week. Quarterbacks have struggled to put up the ridiculous fantasy production we have come to expect, making it challenging to find solid fantasy producers.
Just five quarterbacks were able to surpass the 300-yard passing mark, and one of them was a player that nobody would rightfully put in their fantasy lineups (Davis Mills). Only two quarterbacks threw for three passing touchdowns (Ben Roethlisberger and Justin Herbert). Thankfully, Week 14 is the last time we will have to worry about bye weeks which gives fantasy players options as they make their final push for the fantasy championship.
In this article, I will be focusing on fantasy football waiver wire pickups -- quarterbacks 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 Waiver Wire Adds
Mac Jones (QB, NE)
Yahoo: 33% rostered
The last time we saw Mac Jones, he was attempting just three passes against the Buffalo Bills with 25 mph winds howling in the stadium. That game aside, Jones has played fantastically throughout the 2021 season, making him the favorite for offensive rookie of the year this season. The rookie out of Alabama is completing 70.3% of his passes this season with 2,869 passing yards and 16 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. The rookie has four games with over 275 passing yards and five games with multiple passing touchdowns.
The Patriots will come out of the bye week with a game against the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis has surged back into the playoff race thanks to a ball-control offense led by Jonathan Taylor. The Colts have a strong run defense but have struggled to stop opposing passers this season, allowing 17.5 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Jones has the weapons to attack the weakest part of the Colts’ defense.
Tua Tagovailoa (QB, MIA)
Yahoo: 32% rostered
The Dolphins also had their bye week in Week 14 as they prepare to make a late-season playoff push. Miami has put together a nice five-game winning streak and the last four games have been great thanks to the excellent play of Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. From Weeks 10 to 13, Tua completed 77% of his passes with 905 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. He also added a rushing touchdown during that four-game stretch. The second-year quarterback has six games this year with at least 15 fantasy points scored.
The Dolphins will come out of their bye week with one of the best matchups for quarterbacks in fantasy football: the New York Jets. The Jets came into Week 14 allowing 18.4 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks by giving up 20 passing touchdowns while generating just four interceptions. The Jets gave up just 175 passing yards to Taysom Hill last week, but still got burned by him for 28 fantasy points thanks to two rushing touchdowns.
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB, SF)
Yahoo: 30% rostered
Jimmy Garoppolo has been playing extremely well as he tries to get the 49ers into the playoffs while also attempting to hold off rookie first-round pick Trey Lance. From Weeks 9 to 13, Garoppolo completed 70% of his passes for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns with four interceptions. He continued that strong play against the Bengals in Week 14, throwing for 296 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a 26-23 win. Jimmy G. now has at least 15 fantasy points in six of his last seven games.
The 49ers' offense will have an excellent opportunity to keep clicking with a Week 15 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on the horizon. The Falcons secured a crucial win against the Panthers in Week 14, but still gave up 253 passing yards and a touchdown to the combination of Cam Newton and P.J. Walker. Garoppolo is an excellent stash as well, with games against Tennessee and Houston during the course of the fantasy playoffs.
2QB Options and Waiver Wire Stashes
Ben Roethlisberger (QB, PIT)
Yahoo: 22% rostered
The Pittsburgh defense isn’t as good as usual this year, which leads to Ben Roethlisberger having to air the ball out on offense. Since Pittsburgh’s Week 7 bye (Big Ben missed Week 10 with an injury), Roethlisberger has attempted at least 30 passes in every game. In those six games, the veteran quarterback is completing 65% of his passes for 1,551 yards and 12 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Roethlisberger has scored at least 20 fantasy points in two of his last three starts after failing to hit that number in the first 10 weeks of the season. Pittsburgh is trying to keep pace in a tough AFC, so Ben will likely have to keep putting the ball in the air to keep the team competitive.
The Steelers will get a matchup against a Titans secondary that got the gift of playing Jacksonville’s offense in Week 14. The Titans gave up 221 passing yards to rookie Trevor Lawrence but were able to generate four interceptions on the day. The Titans came into Week 14 allowing 20 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, making it unlikely their effort against Lawrence is sustainable.
Justin Fields (QB, CHI)
Yahoo: 19% rostered
After missing two weeks with a rib injury, Justin Fields returned to the starting lineup to face off against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The rookie quarterback threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions in his first game back under center. Fields has struggled at times throughout his rookie season but has also flashed the talent that made him a first-round pick in the NFL draft. Fields has four games with double-digit fantasy points this season, including a two-game stretch against the 49ers and Steelers where he totaled 466 passing yards, 148 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns.
The Bears have a great stretch of matchups throughout the fantasy playoffs, getting a Week 15 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings before playing the Seahawks, Giants, and Vikings again. Chicago’s offense is finally healthy again and Fields possesses explosive rushing ability, which allows him to have a massive week at any time. Given Chicago’s upcoming schedule, Fields is an excellent upside quarterback to hold on to throughout the fantasy playoffs in case your team needs a huge week.
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More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice
