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Week 3 is nearly in the books and quarterback play is starting to stabilize. 17 different quarterbacks threw for over 250 passing yards and six teams scored at least 28 points.
Josh Allen paced the quarterback position as the week’s only 400-yard passer. Six other quarterbacks (Jameis Winston, Jalen Hurts, Geno Smith, Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, and Derek Carr) all hit the 300-yard passing threshold. Lamar Jackson led the way with four passing touchdowns and 11 quarterbacks had multiple passing scores.
In this article, I will be looking at the fantasy football waiver wire for quarterback pickups and streamers, focusing on players who are 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
Jared Goff (DET)
Yahoo: 45% rostered
Nobody will confuse Jared Goff with a high-end QB1 in fantasy, but he has shown the ability to provide a consistent floor by utilizing the weapons around him on the Lions’ offense. Goff completed 25 of 41 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a tough loss to the Vikings in Week 3. Even though the Lions want to run their offense through the run game, Goff has at least 13.0 fantasy points in each game of the 2022 season.
Goff is this week’s priority pickup with a game against Seattle’s brutal secondary in Week 4. Seattle came into Week 3 allowing 18.5 fantasy points per game against quarterbacks before allowing Marcus Mariota to complete 13 of 20 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown and an interception.
Yahoo: 57% rostered
It may have taken a year, but Trevor Lawrence is starting to look like the quarterback we thought he could be when he was selected first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lawrence completed 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He had a fourth touchdown taken off the board on a close sideline throw to Evan Engram as well.
Lawrence now has two consecutive games with over 230 yards passing, multiple passing touchdowns, and at least 18.0 fantasy points. Lawrence is starting to turn the corner and is fully utilizing his passing weapons like Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Marvin Jones Jr., and Evan Engram.
Lawrence will have a rough matchup next week against the Eagles but has excellent matchups on the horizon against the Texans, Colts, and Giants from Weeks 5-7. He’s worth grabbing and stashing on the bench, especially if you have a bye week on the horizon.
Jimmy Garoppolo (SF)
Yahoo: 37% rostered
Jimmy Garoppolo is back at the helm of the 49ers' offense and finally has his full complement of offensive weapons back after George Kittle returned from his calf injury. Given the yards-after-catch abilities of all his pass-catching weapons, Garoppolo won’t need to push the ball down the field to have big fantasy performances.
In his two healthy seasons with the 49ers (2019 and 2021), Garoppolo had at least 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. The 49ers have a combination of games with shootout potential (LA Rams twice and Kansas City Chiefs) and games with questionable secondaries (Carolina and Atlanta) on the docket, making him a high-floor fantasy option.
Two-QB Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Geno Smith (SEA)
Yahoo: 9% rostered
It’s been a rollercoaster for Geno Smith as the Seahawks' starting quarterback, but he hasn’t done anything to warrant him losing his job. Through three games, Smith has two games with at least 18.0 fantasy points and multiple touchdown passes.
The Seahawks have seen their passing attempts increase every game of the season, topping off with 44 pass attempts against the hapless Falcons defense. Smith isn’t an explosive, down-the-field passer, but has two very good receivers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to lean on down the field.
Smith will have an excellent matchup next week against the Lions. He also has matchups against the Cardinals in Week 6, the Giants in Week 8, and another matchup against the Cardinals in Week 9. He is a streamable quarterback thanks to his ability to avoid critical turnovers.
Zach Wilson (NYJ)
Yahoo: 6% rostered
Reports indicate that Zach Wilson will be cleared to play starting in Week 4’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. There isn’t much reason to think he won’t reclaim his job from Joe Flacco after the first three weeks of the season.
Flacco had one mediocre game in Week 1 (15.3 fantasy points), one great game in Week 2 (28.8 fantasy points), and one abysmal game in Week 3 (3.4 fantasy points). The bad game couldn’t have come at a better time for Wilson.
While Wilson struggled consistently throughout his rookie season, the Jets have built an offense with multiple weapons to help him find success in 2022. Rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson (16 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns) and Elijah Moore (12 receptions for 139 yards) are explosive threats on the perimeter.
He also has great pass catchers in the backfield in Breece Hall and Michael Carter and at tight end in Tyler Conklin. It may be wise to avoid starting Wilson out of the gate, but he should be set up for success in the future.
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