X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 1 Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

Quarterbacks to add or target off the waiver wire for Week 1 of the 2018 fantasy football season. Elliott Baas lists the QB pickups you should be looking to add to your roster based on matchup and rising value.

Welcome back football; it’s been far too long. With one game already in the books, it’s time to look ahead to Sunday’s action at some quarterbacks on the waiver wire that can be used as streamers or long-term plays.

Waivers aren’t as crucial in week one compared to other weeks since players are relatively healthy and no one is on bye week, but for owners waiting on Jameis Winston or Carson Wentz, or owners staring down a bad matchup for their quarterback, it may be worth considering a pick up prior to Sunday.

In standard one quarterback leagues the waiver wire is usually pretty rich with talent at the position, unless the league is full of owners that like to hold backup quarterbacks. In two-quarterback leagues, nearly every starter is rostered and the waiver wire tends to be quite barren for quality arms. That’s why a pair of quarterbacks owned in fewer than 5% of leagues has been included, so even owners in deep leagues have someone to consider. Ownership is based on Yahoo leagues and is current as of September 7.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 1 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

 Alex Smith, WAS @ Arizona - 63% owned

Smith doesn’t get the respect he deserves in fantasy circles. Often maligned for an overly cautious playstyle, Smith shed his reputation as a check down passer last season by posting the best-adjusted yards per attempt, passer rating, and interception rate in the NFL. He was the fourth best fantasy quarterback last season. While injuries to big producers like Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson certainly inflated his final rank, Smith was good enough to be an every-week starter last season. Yet he is only 63% owned in Yahoo leagues and not even in top-12 consideration. It’s as if the perception of Alex Smith has blinded fantasy owners to his recent performances. He is especially good in leagues with heavy penalties for interceptions, since he so scarcely throws picks.

The Cardinals secondary isn’t swiss cheese, but it is no longer a defense to fear for quarterbacks. Last season Arizona gave up the tenth most fantasy points and touchdown passes to quarterbacks. They lost Tyrann Mathieu to free agency and Patrick Peterson took a noticeable step back last from his former superstar level of production. Combine that with a 34-year-old Antoine Bethea at free safety and you’ve got an exploitable secondary. Follow this week up with matchups against Indianapolis and Green Bay, two of the weakest secondaries in the league, and Smith is an attractive short-term add with the potential to be starting caliber all season.

Andy Dalton, CIN @ Indianapolis Colts - 29% owned

Dalton has one of the most favorable matchups this week, going up against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts surrendered the fifth most passing yards and were tied for most passing yards per attempt allowed last season. They also lost their best defensive back, Vontae Davis, to the Buffalo Bills this off-season. Between Kenny Moore and Quincy Wilson the Colts may have the worst cornerback duo in the league. A.J. Green should have no problem taking advantage of whomever he is lined up against.

Dalton had a down season compared to his usual standards, posting a three-year low in quarterback rating, completion percentage, and interceptions. At age 30, it’s far too early to expect a drop-off in skill from Dalton, and his 86.6 passer rating was only two points lower than his career average. He’s also got a healthy Tyler Eifert and John Ross playing a bigger role, so he won’t have to solely rely on Green like last season. As a streamer, he’s a fine one week option, and he’s got a date with the Baltimore Ravens minus Jimmy Smith week two as well.

Blake Bortles, JAX @ New York Giants - 33% Owned

The Giants allowed the second most passing yards last season and the most passing touchdowns in the NFL. Their secondary was absolutely shredded by opposing quarterbacks, and they allowed the most fantasy points (based on standard scoring) to quarterbacks in 2017. This matchup may not be as favorable this season because the Giants have Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple healthy at cornerback in this game, but it’s still a matchup that can be streamed against.

For all the (sometimes deserved) criticism that Bortles receives, he did post the best QBR and interception rate of his career last season. He’s not a quarterback that anyone should plan on riding all season, but four of the first five weeks of the season are cupcake pass defenses. After taking on the Giants Bortles gets the Patriots, Titans, Jets, and Chiefs. Only the Titans were not a bottom-seven defense against quarterbacks last season, and playing in the AFC South means Bortles will get to face Houston and Indianapolis twice as well. As a matchup play, fantasy owners could do worse than streaming Blake Bortles.

Ryan Fitzpatrick TAM @ New Orleans Saints - 1% owned

With Jameis Winston suspended Ryan Fitzpatrick has stumbled his way into a starting quarterback gig once again, if only temporarily. No one would ever mistake Fitzpatrick for Aaron Rodgers, but from a fantasy perspective, he’s in a good spot Sunday in New Orleans. Thanks to good drafting the Saints secondary isn’t quite the laughing stock it once was, but the loss of safety Kenny Vaccaro this offseason hurts. This game also has a hefty 49.5 O/U, the second highest total after HOU @ NE which is at 50.5. The Saints are a 9.5 point favorite in this one, but that still gives the Buccaneers an expected total of around 20 points. If the game goes as expected Tampa Bay will be playing catch up big time in the second half. In terms of pure volume, Fitzpatrick should provide decent production and for the type of league where an owner would need to use Fitzpatrick, moderate production is helpful.

Between Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and DeSean Jackson Fitzpatrick has arguably the best receiving corps that he’s ever had. Even a D-III quarterback would know to throw it up to Mike Evans every chance he gets. Burners like Godwin and Jackson can get over secondaries for risky deep passes, and unlike Alex Smith Fitzpatrick has proven that he’s unafraid of throwing interceptions. Long term there isn’t much here with Fitzpatrick. His next two guaranteed starts come against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, two defenses that shouldn’t be targeted with a quarterback of Fitzpatrick’s caliber. Despite reports that the Bucs are noncommittal to Jameis Winston, it’s hard to believe they would spurn the potential future of the franchise for a 35-year-old journeyman.

Lamar Jackson BAL vs. Buffalo Bills - 3% owned

Jackson isn’t to be used this week, he’s not even starting for the Ravens. He is someone that should be stashed in two-quarterback leagues or deeper leagues where most or all starting quarterbacks are rostered. Out of all the rookie quarterbacks, Jackson is the most interesting from an immediate fantasy perspective. The clock is ticking on Joe Flacco, and since the Ravens have eyes on a playoff spot they may be more aggressive in a change at quarterback if things go south quickly. Flacco has undergone a rapid decline over the past three years, and only has one good season out of his last five. In 2014 he posted a 27:12 TD:INT ratio and a 91.0 passer rating. Every other season his passer rating was below 84.0 and he had a miserable 71:62 TD:INT ratio. His weakening arm strength is apparent as well; Flacco had a meager 5.3 adjusted yards per attempt last season, only beating out the noodle-armed Brett Hundley and Deshone Kizer among qualified quarterbacks. Baltimore can $29 million in cap space if they cut Flacco next offseason, and replacing him with Jackson earlier may make the decision easier for the front office and soften the blow for the fan base.

What makes Jackson so interesting is his prolific rushing ability as a quarterback. Jackson is a little weak-armed himself, but his agility makes up for that deficiency. Paired with a dynamic running back like Alex Collins and a solid run-blocking line lead by Marshall Yanda Jackson will be in a position to succeed if and when he gets the opportunity to start. Compared to other rookies like Sam Darnold and Josh Allen, who would have to deal with the Jets and Bills offensive weapons, there is at least some exciting complimentary pieces on the Ravens. Jackson isn’t worth stashing in standard leagues, but he is the long-term stash to carry at the position in deeper leagues.

 

More Waiver Wire Adds and Pickups




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP