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Hey there RotoBallers! With Week 13 almost in the books, it's already time to turn an eye toward the waiver wire in Week 14. As always, this column will aim to highlight Week 14 waiver wire adds and streamers for quarterbacks, players that you should consider targeting on your league's waiver wire.
In the past few seasons, streaming the quarterback position has become a popular team management strategy. The guaranteed volume at the quarterback position makes it the easiest position in fantasy football to project, which therefore makes it a position that isn't too hard to stream. Everyone has had a star wide receiver who inexplicably only sees three targets in a game.
The quarterback position, on the other hand, sees volume that is easier to forecast as even the lower ranked players will see a minimum of 20-25 passing attempts, even in a low-volume passing offense. All ownership percentages come from Yahoo! and are current as of December 4.
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One-QB Leagues - Week 14 Waiver Wire Streamers
Jameis Winston, TB vs. Detroit Lions
49% owned, FAAB Budget: 20-25%
Upon returning to action following a three-week absence, Winston showed fantasy owners what they needed to see, passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. It wasn't enough to plug him into lineups as a sure-fire QB1, but he is on the radar in what shapes up as an ugly week for quarterback streaming.
The Lions represent an average matchup for opposing signal callers, allowing the 14th-fewest fantasy points per game before Week 13's action. There's a decent chance Winston hit the waiver wire during his three-week absence and he's worth picking up wherever he's available.
Blake Bortles, JAX vs. Seattle Seahawks
34% owned, FAAB Budget: 10%
Bortles has been playing well of late, at least from a fantasy perspective, posting two straight weeks with at least 22 fantasy points. The 25-year-old quarterback has combined for four touchdowns to just one interception over that span while chipping in 89 rushing yards.
In Week 14, he draws what looks like a tough matchup at first glance, as the Seahawks will come to town. Keep in mind, however, that Seattle is extremely banged up in their secondary as they are missing star defenders Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. This has made their defense a much less daunting matchup for fantasy quarterbacks. Bortles has been buoyed by his rushing output of late, which gives him a nice floor in Week 14.
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF @ Houston Texans
16% owned, FAAB Budget: 10%
Garoppolo is coming off a solid first start for the 49ers as he passed for 293 yards against a Bears defense that has been tough against the pass. He didn't manage a touchdown but the early results are promising as Garoppolo held his own. He's one of the few streaming options this week who draws a plus matchup as he will take on a leaky Houston pass defense on the road. Houston has been getting shredded by opposing passing attacks this season, allowing the most fantasy points per game to the position before the Week 13 action. In normal weeks, Garoppolo would be more of a two-quarterback option but the great matchup coupled with this being a tough week for streamers pushes him into QB1 territory if you're desperate.
Two-QB Leagues - Week 14 Waiver Wire Streamers
DeShone Kizer, CLE vs. Green Bay Packers
4% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Kizer's play this season hasn't often screamed "streamer" but he does have several things working in his favor in Week 14. First off, his weekly rushing output gives him a solid weekly floor. The Browns have often called quarterback keepers for him when they are near the goal line this season, giving him a decent chance to rush for a touchdown in any given week. Second, Kizer will be in his second game with the newly reinstated Josh Gordon. Gordon's return, along with Corey Coleman, gives Kizer two legitimate weapons to target in the passing game. The Packers secondary has struggled this season, ranking 22nd in pass defense DVOA before Week 13. This is a matchup that Kizer can exploit, even though he's bound to add to his league-leading turnover total.
Blaine Gabbert, ARI vs. Tennessee Titans
4% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Gabbert, surprisingly, hasn't been terrible since taking over for Drew Stanton in the desert. Gabbert is playing the best football of his career with Arizona, having passed for six touchdowns over his last three games. He's coming off a particularly difficult Week 13 matchup against the Rams but he should find it much easier to move the ball in Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee has been a team to attack with fantasy passing options this season, allowing the 13th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and ranking just 24th in pass defense DVOA prior to Week 13. Gabbert is usable as a QB2 for Week 14.
Geno Smith, NYG vs. Dallas Cowboys
1% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%
Smith wasn't great against the Raiders in Week 13, losing two fumbles while passing for 212 yards and one touchdown. He gets a bit of a pass as he was inserted into a high-pressure situation as the Giants' decision to bench long-time quarterback Eli Manning drew criticism across the league. Look for Smith to play better in Week 14 when he welcomes the Cowboys to town for a home tilt.
Dallas represents a plus matchup for quarterbacks, having allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the position. While Smith is hard to trust, he's a bottom of the barrel option in two-quarterback leagues if you're in a bad spot for Week 14.
Cut Them Free
The following quarterbacks aren't necessarily must-drops but they haven't quite been living up to expectations and can be cut loose if you need roster space for one of the above players.
Jacoby Brissett, IND - 16% owned
Brissett predictably flopped against an elite Jacksonville defense and won't see things improve much in Week 14 against a Buffalo defense that has been tough on opposing signal-callers this season, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game. Brissett has been extremely matchup-sensitive this season and his Week 14 matchup against the Bills isn't a matchup to target.
Strategy for Streaming Quarterbacks
Many factors come into play when identifying streamers. These include recent performance, overall upside, talent, opponent matchup, and Vegas totals. Every week, we’ll take a look at six streaming QB options: three for one-quarterback leagues, and three for two-quarterback leagues. The focus will be on streaming for the upcoming week, but there will also be players who break out and should be owned the rest of the season. As always, the goal with streaming is to eventually find a player who can be an every week starter for your team.
Options for one-quarterback leagues could be just about anyone outside of the bigger names at the position. Obviously, no one is going to be able to stream players like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady because they are owned in all leagues. The premium placed on the position in two-quarterback leagues changes expectations for streaming the position. In two-quarterback leagues, most starting NFL quarterbacks are already owned, so the pickings are going to be slim on waivers. Therefore, the players who are recommended for two-quarterback leagues will be lower-owned and most likely not attractive options in one-quarterback formats.
