RADIO
Dan Fornek's fantasy football quarterback waiver wire pickups before Week 18 of the 2021 NFL season. His free agent QBs to add, stream and stash off waivers.
The end of the NFL regular season is a bittersweet moment due to the end of the fantasy football season. For most, Week 17 was the final week of the fantasy football season. However, a number of leagues have decided to take advantage of an extra week in 2021 and have made their championship round Week 18.
Week 17 was another week of lackluster production for the quarterback position. Joe Burrow (446 passing yards) and Tom Brady (410 passing yards) were once again the gold standards at the quarterback position. Unfortunately, only one other quarterback (Matthew Stafford) threw for more than 275 passing yards. Things weren’t much better from a passing touchdown perspective. Two quarterbacks (Burrow and Russell Wilson) threw for four touchdowns. Three quarterbacks (Brady, Mac Jones, and Dak Prescott) had three passing touchdowns. Only seven other quarterbacks generated multiple passing touchdowns.
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
Carson Wentz (QB, IND)
Yahoo: 47% rostered
Carson Wentz enters Week 18 facing a must-win game in order to get the Indianapolis Colts into the playoffs. Wentz was erratic in Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 16 of 27 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown. Wentz has struggled since the Colts' bye week in Week 14, throwing for just 430 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.
Thankfully for the Colts’ playoff hopes, Indianapolis will have a road game against the Jaguars to make a push for the playoffs. Wentz had a mediocre game against Jacksonville back in Week 10 (180 passing yards and zero touchdowns and interceptions), but they are a fantastic quarterback matchup. Jacksonville is fresh off a game allowing Mac Jones to throw for 227 yards and three touchdowns in a dominating Patriots victory.
Taysom Hill (QB, NO)
Yahoo: 46% rostered
Taysom Hill played another up-and-down game for the Saints in Week 17 but was once again able to put together a strong fantasy performance. Hill completed 17 of 28 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown and added 12 carries for 45 yards. Hill has started four of the last five games for New Orleans (he missed Week 16 due to COVID) and has at least 17 fantasy points in three of those games. Hill isn’t providing the massive games that he did in 2020 but his rushing upside is giving him one of the higher floors in fantasy football.
Hill will enter Week 18 with a fantastic matchup against the Falcons defense. The Falcons had a strong day in the passing attack against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 (120 passing yards and three interceptions), but some of that can be attributed to the snowy weather. Allen was able to salvage his day in fantasy with 15 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns, which is great news for Taysom Hill’s rushing upside.
2QB Options and Stashes
Justin Fields (QB, CHI)
Yahoo: 22% rostered
Justin Fields has missed the last two games for the Chicago Bears, but there is no indication the coaching staff is going to shut him down for the remainder of the season. In the last four games Fields has started and finished, he’s scored at least 16 fantasy points per game. That includes two games with over 22 points scored. If Fields is active, then he enters Week 18 in a fantastic spot to have a big week against a Vikings defense that has struggled to stop opposing defenses this season. The rookie quarterback made his last start against the Vikings, scoring 16.9 fantasy points thanks to 285 passing yards and a touchdown.
Drew Lock (QB, DEN)
Yahoo: 2% rostered
Drew Lock hasn’t been exceptional taking over the Broncos’ offense, but he had his best game of the season against the Chargers while missing a majority of his top receiving threats. With just Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant at his disposal, Lock completed 18 of 25 passes for 245 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick should return to the starting lineup next week in a game against the Chiefs. Kansas City’s offense is explosive and will likely force a shootout, which will give Lock one last audition for Denver’s starting quarterback position in 2022.
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