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Week 17 Quarterback Pickups and Streamers: Standard and Two-QB Leagues

Matt's quarterback waiver wire pickups and fantasy football streamers for Week 17 of the 2017 NFL Season. Target these streamers for standard and two-QB leagues.

Happy Holidays Rotoballers! With Week 16 almost in the books, it's already time to turn an eye toward the waiver wire in Week 17. As always, this column will aim to highlight Week 17 waiver wire adds and streamers for quarterbacks, players that you should consider targeting on your league's waiver wire. Sadly, this installment brings us to the end of our quarterback streaming adventures this season. I hope you were able to have enough success that you will feel comfortable waiting on the position in drafts again next year so we can attack the position by streaming yet again.

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 24.

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

 

One-QB Leagues - Week 17 Waiver Wire Streamers

Nick Foles, PHI vs. Dallas Cowboys

50% owned, FAAB Budget: whatever you have left.

This recommendation is subject to change based on how Foles performs against the Raiders on Monday night, but he was impressive enough in Week 15 to merit mentioning without knowing how that game will go. Foles did his best Carson Wentz impersonation against the Giants in Week 15 as he finished with 237 passing yards and four touchdowns. If he chokes on Monday night against a weak Oakland pass defense, move him down into two-quarterback streaming territory.

To finish off the regular season, the Eagles will take on a Dallas defense that has really struggled against the pass, allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the position and ranking 20th in the league in DVOA before Week 16's action. Foles is surrounded by the weapons and offensive system which should allow him to have plenty of success in the final week of the NFL regular season.

 

Tyrod Taylor, BUF @ Miami Dolphins

39% owned, FAAB Budget: whatever you have left

Taylor was solid against the New England Patriots in Week 16, passing for 281 yards and adding another 16 yards on the ground in his team's loss. While he didn't manage a touchdown, it appeared he should have had one to Kelvin Benjamin but the catch was overturned on a questionable call by the officials. Either way, Taylor has enough working in his favor to consider in Week 17.

The Bills will travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins in Week 17. With this being the end of December and all, there's something to be said for using a quarterback who will be playing in the sunshine of southern Florida instead of having to deal with freezing temperatures and snow when trying to throw the ball. The Dolphins have been an inviting defense for opposing quarterbacks this season, allowing the 12th-most fantasy points per game and ranking 27th in pass defense DVOA before Week 16.

 

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF @ Los Angeles Rams

29% owned, FAAB Budget: whatever you have left

We knew Garoppolo was good but what he did against an excellent Jacksonville defense in Week 16 was completely amazing. Garoppolo went head-to-head against a Jaguars pass defense that was allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and came out victorious. The young signal-caller finished with 242 yards and three total touchdowns to lead his team to a surprising victory over the playoff-bound Jags.

Garoppolo draws another tough matchup against the Rams in Week 17 but after what he did last week the matchup does not concern me. With the Rams having one of the most explosive offenses in the league, we know for sure that Garoppolo will have to throw often to keep up on the scoreboard. Fire up Garoppolo in all formats in Week 17.

 

Two-QB Leagues - Week 17 Waiver Wire Streamers

Jacoby Brissett, IND vs. Houston Texans

13% owned, FAAB Budget: whatever you have left

The Houston Texans have been the gift that keeps on giving for fantasy quarterbacks this season. Brissett has seen his play fall off in recent weeks but he's also had a brutal stretch of games against some excellent pass defenses. Since Week 13, Brissett has faced Jacksonville, Buffalo, Denver, and Baltimore. All of those pass defenses were ranked in the top-15 in the league in DVOA before Week 16 with Jacksonville and Baltimore ranking 1-2 respectively. After surviving that murderer's row, Brissett has earned this plum matchup against Houston. On the season, the Texans are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and ranked 23rd in pass defense DVOA before Week 16. Brissett is a rock-solid option in two-quarterback leagues this weekend.

 

T.J. Yates, HOU @ Indianapolis Colts

1% owned, FAAB Budget: 1%

Yates is only an option in extremely deep, two-quarterback leagues, but he's on the radar if you are desperate this weekend. The veteran backup will finish out the season for the Texans after they lost Tom Savage to a season-ending concussion. Yates predictably didn't play well against the Jaguars in Week 15 but he was solid against the 49ers in Week 14, finishing with two touchdowns.

The main reason to target Yates in Week 17 is his prime matchup against a weak Colts pass defense. Indianapolis has struggled to contain opposing passing games this season, allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game and ranking 30th in DVOA. Their run defense, however, has been quite solid, ranking 14th in DVOA. This could funnel additional work to Yates, DeAndre Hopkins, and the Houston passing attack in Week 17.

 

Cut Them Free

If your league is still playing into Week 17, any quarterback on your roster who you would not consider starting is eligible to be cut. Just don't cut anyone who your opponent could presumably add and use against you in the final round of the fantasy playoffs. As always, this list doesn't mean "must-cut", it means the player is a candidate to be cut if there's a better option sitting on the wire.

Guys who I would consider cutting due to poor play or matchups: Jameis Winston, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco.

 

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


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




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