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 16 Quarterback Pickups and Streamers: Standard and Two-QB Leagues

Matt's quarterback waiver wire pickups and fantasy football streamers for Week 16 of the 2017 NFL Season. Target these streamers for standard and two-QB leagues.

Hey there RotoBallers! With Week 15 almost in the books, it's already time to turn an eye toward the waiver wire in Week 16. As always, this column will aim to highlight Week 16 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 18.

Holiday Special! Save 50% on any Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! GAIN ACCESS

 

One-QB Leagues - Week 16 Waiver Wire Streamers

Blake Bortles, JAX @ San Francisco 49ers

54% owned, FAAB Budget: whatever you have left.

Bortles shredded the Texans in Week 15, passing for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The veteran quarterback has been on quite the run of late, having combined for nine touchdowns (seven passing, two rushing) and just one interception over his past four games. Look for Bortles to stay hot in Week 16 as the Jaguars travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. San Francisco has struggled to limit enemy quarterbacks this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Bortles should be at the top of your list if you find yourself needing to stream in the championship round of the playoffs.

 

Andy Dalton, CIN vs. Detroit Lions

51% owned, FAAB Budget: 10%

Dalton predictably struggled in Week 15 against the Vikings, finishing with 113 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a box of coal in his stocking. The Vikings, of course, have one of the toughest secondaries in the league and Dalton has been extremely matchup-sensitive this season. Look for him to bounce back against the Lions in Week 16.

Detroit's pass defense has been slipping as the season winds down. On the year, Detroit is allowing the 17th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks while their pass defense ranked 18th in DVOA before Week 15's action. The season-long stats don't tell the entire story, however. Over the past four contests, Detroit's defense has had serious problems defending the pass, allowing either 269 passing yards or multiple touchdowns to each quarterback they have faced.

 

Eli Manning, NYG @ Arizona Cardinals

33% owned, FAAB Budget: 3-5%

Manning wound up posting one of the more surprising fantasy performances of Week 15 as he roasted a strong Philadelphia pass defense for 434 yards, three touchdowns, and just one interception. That performance was especially surprising as, heading into Week 15, Philadelphia's pass defense was ranked fifth in the league in DVOA. Manning's opponent this week, the Cardinals, ranked eighth in pass defense DVOA but they are also allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Manning is a full tier below Blake Bortles as a streaming option but he's an option if you are desperate.

 

Two-QB Leagues - Week 16 Waiver Wire Streamers

Nick Foles, PHI vs. Oakland Raiders

26% owned, FAAB Budget: 3-5%

Foles did his best Carson Wentz impersonation against the Giants in Week 15 as he finished with 237 passing yards and four touchdowns. While it would be nice to see him do it again before trusting him in one-quarterback leagues, he is in play if the waiver wire is looking thin. He is, however, a very strong play in two-quarterback formats this weekend.

The Eagles will take on an Oakland defense that has really struggled against the pass this season, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to the position and ranking dead last in the league in DVOA before Week 15. Foles is surrounded by the weapons and offensive system which should allow him to have plenty of success moving forward.

 

Joe Flacco, BAL vs. Indianapolis Colts

18% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%

Flacco has shown us this season that he is a high-floor, low-ceiling fantasy quarterback. He is in the midst of his best stretch of the season, having passed for at least 269 yards in three straight contests while adding six total touchdowns over that span. He did perform well in a plus matchup against the Browns in Week 15, passing for 288 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score for good measure.

Flacco will face off against the Colts in Week 16, which makes him a strong fantasy option, especially in two-quarterback leagues. Indianapolis has struggled against the pass for a few seasons now, an issue which has dogged them in 2017, as well. On the season, the Colts pass defense ranks 30th in DVOA. Despite the pass game struggles, Indianapolis' run defense has been much improved in 2017, ranking 10th. If they are able to shut down Baltimore's run game then Flacco should have to air it out in Week 16.

 

Mitchell Trubisky, CHI vs. Cleveland Browns

6% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%

Trubisky is only a deep cut as the Bears have played extremely conservative football with him under center. That being said, he's on the map as an option due to a prime Week 16 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland has been an extremely generous team to opposing passers, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Furthermore, the Browns play stout run defense which should force the Bears to pass the ball to beat them. Plus we have the fun #revengegame narrative as the Browns, Trubisky's hometown team, passed on him in the draft last spring. He should be fine as a QB2 this weekend.

 

Cut Them Free

In most leagues, Week 16 represents the final round of the fantasy playoffs. Theoretically, this means that anyone you aren't planning on starting can be considered a cut candidate if you need to make room for a waiver add. That being said, you don't want to cut anyone who your opponent can add and use against you.

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF - 30% owned

Garoppolo has been fantastic for the 49ers since taking over as their starting quarterback. That being said, I'm not willing to trust him in Week 16 when he draws a brutal matchup with an elite Jacksonville secondary. As good as Jimmy G has been, there are better streaming options out there.

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.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis




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

Ajay Mitchell

Cleared to Return Sunday
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Ruled Out for Sunday
Kyshawn George

Iffy for Sunday
De'Anthony Melton

Sits Out First Leg of Back-to-Back
Jaxson Hayes

Unlikely to Play Sunday
Derrick Jones Jr.

to Return From Knee Injury Sunday
Jock Landale

in Danger of Missing Another Game Sunday
Vince Williams Jr.

Won't Play Sunday
Robert Williams III

Inactive on Sunday
Jerami Grant

to Sit Out Fifth Consecutive Game
Brandin Podziemski

Probable to Play Sunday
Jakob Poeltl

to Miss Another Game Sunday
RJ Barrett

Listed as Questionable for Sunday
Paul George

Probable for Meeting With Former Team
Joel Embiid

Won't Play on Sunday
Josh Hart

to Miss at Least Two More Games
Kevin Love

Resting on Saturday
Ace Bailey

Misses Saturday's Action
Mohamed Diawara

Starting on Saturday Night
Gary Trent Jr.

Sits Out Second Straight Game
Bam Adebayo

Ruled Out Again on Saturday
TreVeyon Henderson

Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Play in Week 17
Davante Adams

Downgraded to Doubtful for Week 17
Ryan McDonagh

Misses Saturday's Action
Jordan Kyrou

Jimmy Snuggerud Back for Blues Saturday
Tanner Jeannot

Misses First Game of the Season
Rasmus Dahlin

Won't Play on Saturday
Elias Pettersson

Ready to Return Saturday
Leo Carlsson

Available Against Kings
Jack Eichel

Still Out Saturday
Ilya Sorokin

Lands on Injured Reserve
Bo Horvat

Returns to Action Saturday
Kimani Vidal

Inactive on Saturday
George Kittle

Questionable to Face the Bears in Week 17
Maxx Crosby

Done for the Season
Calvin Austin III

Ruled Out with Hamstring Injury for Week 17
Harold Fannin Jr.

Expected to Play on Sunday
Jordan Love

Ruled Out with Concussion for Saturday's Contest
George Kittle

"Likely a Game-Time Decision" on Sunday Night
A.J. Brown

Returns to Practice on Friday
Josh Allen

Trending Toward Playing Vs. Philly
CFB

Michigan Targeting Kyle Whittingham as Next Head Coach
CFB

Texas Leading Rusher Quintrevion Wisner Set to Transfer
George Kittle

Remains Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Malik Willis

Carrying Questionable Tag for Week 17 Tilt
Jordan Love

Questionable for Saturday's Contest
Lamar Jackson

Listed as Doubtful for Week 17
Amon-Ra St. Brown

to Suit Up on Christmas Day
Rome Odunze

"Increasing Unlikely to Play" in Week 17
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Carries Questionable Tag on Thursday
David Montgomery

Expected to Play on Christmas Day
David Montgomery

Questionable to Play With Illness
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Questionable, Expected to Play on Thursday
Pete Fairbanks

Marlins Agree on One-Year Deal
Brooks Koepka

Leaving LIV Golf
Connor McDavid

Finishes Battle of Alberta With Five Assists
Karel Vejmelka

Battling Upper-Body Injury
Alexandre Texier

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Against Bruins
Alexander Nikishin

Dealing With Apparent Ankle Injury
Denver Barkey

Exits Early Tuesday
Travis Sanheim

Pulled by Concussion Spotter Tuesday
Ryan O'Hearn

Pirates Agree on Two-Year Deal
Viktor Arvidsson

a Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Ryan Leonard

Available Tuesday
Tom Wilson

in Danger of Missing First Game of the Season
Phillip Danault

Makes Second Canadiens Debut Tuesday
Collin Graf

Available Against Golden Knights
Jack Eichel

Misses Fourth Straight Game
CFB

Jeff Brohm, Eli Drinkwitz "Names of Interest" for Michigan Head Coach
CFB

Byrum Brown Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

Bobby Petrino Joining Bill Belichick as North Carolina's Offensive Coordinator

RANKINGS

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