The quarterback position in fantasy football continues to evolve this week, with several compelling storylines emerging as we approach the heart of the season. Key players dealing with various challenges and matchups create both opportunities and pitfalls, so managers need to stay sharp with their decisions.
Whether you’re riding with a consistent producer or searching the waiver wire for a streaming option, Week 7 presents intriguing possibilities that could make or break your fantasy week. The depth at the position remains solid, but finding the right combination of floor and ceiling for your specific league format will be crucial for success.
Aaron Rodgers | PIT
Aaron Rodgers stayed consistent, continuing his every-other-game pattern of multiple TD tosses.
The scores are always nice to get, but in this dink-and-dunk scheme, where’s the upside for a pocket-locked 41-year-old?
Realistically, there isn’t one. He’s yet to throw for 245 yards in a game and has one week of usability despite completing 68.8% of his attempts this season.
A plus matchup and a Hall of Fame name is an enticing combination, but I’m not going this way in single-quarterback leagues if I don’t have to.
Baker Mayfield | TB
The smart kid in class is always going to end up with a good grade on a group project, right?
Even if surrounded by average (or worse) students, he/she won’t let the team fail. I know this not from experience of being that type of elevating talent, but from marrying that person (yes, we met during a group project in high school and only one of us targeted the group as an easy grade).
It worked for me, and it is working for any of you who made a commitment to Baker Mayfield this season.
Coming into the season, we thought this would be a loaded offense, but every week brings new obstacles. We had games with and without Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Bucky Irving.
None of it matters. Emeka Egbuka has been at the center of most of Mayfield’s production this season, but he was lost on Sunday, and it didn’t matter. Tez Johnson is the size of your average accountant, and Kam Johnson is a name I associate more with the National Basketball Association.
Doesn’t matter. They both scored, helping Mayfield clear 19 fantasy points for the fifth time in six weeks. I’d rather he not be forced to produce with one hand tied behind his back, but we are seeing him elevate talent weekly, and there are no signs of regression.
Last season, Mayfield had 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on balls thrown 3+ yards past the sticks. Through six weeks, his 74 such attempts this season have yielded nine scores and zero picks. He’s the George Pickens of quarterbacks, in that there is a direct correlation between confidence level and production.
As long as you believe that Mayfield would tell you to start him in fantasy, you start him in fantasy.
Bo Nix | DEN
It was far from a masterpiece on Sunday morning for Bo Nix (19-of-30 for 174 yards and one TD against the Jets), but he reached 20 rushing yards for the fourth time in five games and got the Broncos their third straight victory.
Is there a path for him to regain his footing as a set-it-and-forget-it QB?
I think there is, but it’s far from a layup. I’m encouraged by his willingness to spread the ball around (six players had multiple receptions last week), along with the production he is capable of on the ground.
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The problem isn’t production windows; it’s consistency over 60 minutes. Nix didn’t have a single yard passing in the third quarter last week, and with multiple pass TDs in just one of his past four, the development as a passer isn’t getting us the numbers we need to make him a lineup lock.
I’m ranking Nix over the streamers of the week, but not by much until we see him produce through the air against a non-Bengals defense (190.2 passing yards per game this season when not playing Cincinnati).
Brock Purdy | SF
Brock Purdy tried to return from this toe injury in Week 4 and lasted long enough to throw 38 passes, but the setback has sidelined him for every week since.
The raw talent on this roster has helped Purdy average north of 4,000 passing yards and 29 pass-plus-rush TDs over the previous two seasons. If the Injury Fairy sprinkles pixie dust on this organization, there is loads of fantasy potential to chase, and that’s why I think a player like Purdy needs to be held, but not played right now.
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Week 11 at Cardinals
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Week 12 vs. Panthers
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Week 15 vs. Titans
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Week 17 vs. Bears
He’s going to be on the QB1 radar with time and a little bit of health fortune. I’m not interested in playing a compromised version of him until we know that he’s far enough past this injury for it not to impact how he plays, and for that to be the case, I need proof.
I’m not playing Purdy in the week he returns, whenever that may be.
Bryce Young | CAR
Getting Tetairoa McMillan the first two touchdowns of his career was good to see, but there’s nothing to see here.
In home games against the porous Dolphins and Cowboys over the past two weeks, Bryce Young was intercepted in both games and cleared 200 yards through the air in neither. He had a chance to prove himself as a viable streamer, and that opportunity is now gone.
Young ran for 40 yards in the season opener against the Jags. But he’s picked up just 19 yards on the ground since, eliminating his chances of being even remotely interesting in streaming situations for standard-sized leagues.
C.J. Stroud | HOU
Before the bye, C.J. Stroud gave us his top two performances of the season. The numbers were nothing short of great (81.8% complete with six touchdowns and zero interceptions), but we do need to take into account the competition.
The first of those two games came against a then-winless Titans team that had allowed 74 points over the previous two weeks, and the second against a Ravens team that was one injury shy of lining up the janitor across from Nico Collins.
Stroud took care of the matchups he was supposed to, but we need at least one more data point before even suggesting that the rookie-season version of him is back in our lives.
This Seattle defense has looked good for most of this season, and I think this will be an interesting chess match. The Seahawks rarely blitz, but when they do, they rank among the best at creating chaos.
Do they ramp up the blitz rate against the weakness of this Houston team? My guess would be “yes,” and that comes with a wide range of outcomes.
If they get home, Stroud might not be a top 20 QB this week. If not, we are looking at a lot of Collins (36.1% blitzed target share), and that’s generally optimal.
The 24.4 rushing yards per game for Stroud is encouraging, and I’m optimistic that this game can be something of a turning point, but the responsible ranker in me has to consider both sides, and that means he’s sitting just outside of my top 12 for the week.
Caleb Williams | CHI
Caleb Williams continues to impress me, and I think the skill set is in place for him to threaten the top 7 at the position for sustained periods of time down the stretch of this season and over the course of the next handful of years.
For his career, Williams has a 21:3 TD/INT ratio from the pocket and routinely showcases the type of plus-athleticism that it takes to post impressive fantasy numbers. He got the touchdown rush on Monday night against the Commanders on a beautiful design, and that’s the other piece of this: Ben Johnson.
The stage is set for a top-5 performance this week, as the Saints have shown a few times already this season that they can do anything to slow mobile QBs. Chicago has a brutal schedule from the middle of November on, so there may be a sell-high window after Sunday, but for dynasty managers, I think you have the real deal.
Cameron Ward | TEN
Cam Ward is struggling right now, but it was never about 2025 for the Titans. He’s thrown 38+ passes in three of his past four games, and this is simply a trial-by-fire season now that the head coach has been canned.
What gets overlooked in the learning process is that learning what not to do is just as valuable as learning what works, sometimes more so.
I burned my hand on the stove when I was like six years old, and I haven’t made that mistake again, but I struggle to make a good chicken parmesan twice in a row. The struggles help provide bumpers to success, and that is what 2025 is for Ward.
Dynasty managers should sit tight and not worry about the two-touchdown-per-month pace that we’ve gotten from the former Hurricane thus far.
Carson Wentz | MIN
Carson Wentz had multiple touchdown passes in two of three starts, but he also threw a pair of picks and was sacked 12 times.
We were under no illusion that he was going to win this job over a potential franchise quarterback in J.J. McCarthy. Still, we were cautiously optimistic that Kevin O’Connell could spin some magic and make him a viable option in the right spot should McCarthy struggle to get back on the field.
No dice.
I expect the kid back under center this week following the bye, but it doesn’t really matter for this conversation. Wentz can get Justin Jefferson the ball, and that’s great, but he’s not the type of QB I’m trusting with my fantasy fate, even if he were to sit atop this depth chart at another point in time this season.
Dak Prescott | DAL
So, I guess all we had to do was get that pesky CeeDee Lamb guy off the field to unlock fantasy MVP status for Dak Prescott?
I’m kidding, but he has at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions in all three games in which his WR1 has been sidelined. On Sunday in Carolina, Prescott completed 8-of-11 passes with three touchdowns when throwing beyond the sticks, numbers that you’d assume would be at risk with Lamb out.
He is Joe Burrow from last season, and that means you’re starting him with the utmost confidence every week. Last season, he threw for 610 yards and eight scores against the Commanders across two games, and in six of his past eight games playing opposite the Washington franchise, he’s cleared 25 fantasy points.
Would I prefer Lamb return? Of course. Do I need it? The past data says no, not at all.
Daniel Jones | IND
Daniel Jones has multiple TD passes in consecutive games after going through all of September without a single such showing, and he continues to comfortably lead this offense that is showing no signs of slowing down.
He added his fourth rush TD of the season on Sunday against the Cardinals, and he’s going to need to keep giving you those short touchdowns to be a weekly asset.
As athletic as he is, he’s been more of a spot rusher (3.2 yards per carry), and the passing yardage totals aren’t reliable (under 230 in three of his past four).
Los Angeles has a strong defense, but it’s underwhelmed in consecutive weeks, and this Colts machine is the type that can extend those struggles. Tua Tagovailoa took Miami down the field when it mattered most last week, thriving in large part thanks to a consistently successful ground game.
Jonathan Taylor is as good a bet as any to put Jones in a similar spot, and that’s why I’ve got Jones labeled as a high-floor option, even if the fantasy isn’t elite.
Dillon Gabriel | CLE
The Browns are letting Dillon Gabriel cut it loose, and I think that’s a logical strategy, but it doesn’t mean we have to be the least bit interested.
In his first career start, the former Duck averaged 5.8 yards per attempt against the Vikings, and this past week, 4.3 against the Steelers.
Obviously, this matchup is more favorable than those, and it stands to reason he will look better with time, but he doesn’t stretch the field or pick up those “free” points with his legs.
He’s basically Rodgers, and for most of his life, that would have been a tremendous compliment.
It’s not right now.
I like that he’s concentrating on targets (45.1% went to either Jerry Jeudy or Harold Fannin Jr.), but that’s more impactful for the names around him than for Gabriel himself.
Drake Maye | NE
Every week Drake Maye laces them up, I get a little more impressed.
In New Orleans last week, he had a 5-yard completion and a 20-yard run in the same game for the first time in his career. He didn’t throw a pick for a third straight game and has multiple TD passes in four of his past five.
What can’t baby Josh Allen do?
The advanced metrics are what I didn’t think would be at this level this season, let alone in October. For the season, he’s 39-of-52 for 440 yards and five touchdowns against the blitz, numbers that highlight his ability to diagnose and dominate.
The second-year QB is matchup-proof and a real threat to be a top-5 producer at the position for the remainder of the season (not that you need to be “matchup-proof” to beat the Titans, but I thought you could use the reassurance with some more difficult matchups on the horizon).
You’re welcome.
Geno Smith | LV
Geno Smith has thrown more touchdown passes than interceptions just once this season, and that doesn’t even begin to detail the struggles.
He’s just 3-of-10 when throwing deep over the past three weeks and is close to useless when pressured (24.8 passer rating courtesy of five interceptions and zero touchdowns). Behind an iffy offensive line and facing a defense that will have its ears pinned back for most of the night, Smith finishing as a top 25 QB this week would be an accomplishment.
J.J. McCarthy | MIN
J.J. McCarthy hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. While he has more interceptions than touchdowns on his 41 professional passes, there were some fantasy-friendly portions of what we saw before this extended absence.
Not only did he show confidence down the field (9.0 air yards per throw), but he made Justin Jefferson a priority (31.7% target share) and ran for 25 yards in both of his starts. The profile is encouraging, and while he doesn’t need to be rostered in one-QB leagues right now (there’s no way you’re playing him in any of the next three weeks), I’d encourage you to keep an open mind.
He gets to run through the NFC East to open up December (the Commanders in Week 14 before taking the show on the road for the next two weeks against the Cowboys and Giants), favorable spots at a very important time on the fantasy calendar.
There’s no action to take now, but if you told me that you planned to pick him up ahead of the Ravens matchup in Week 10 and wanted to go from there, I’d give it the green light.
Jacoby Brissett | ARI
Talk about a player put into a position to fail.
Backup quarterbacks are rarely in good spots, but facing a hot Colts team and losing your WR1 early (concussion) isn’t exactly ideal.
Jacoby Brissett was better than expected by a wide margin.
There were six different Cardinals with a 20+-yard reception on Sunday, and he loaded up Trey McBride with 28.2% of his targets. Brissett himself doesn’t need to be on your radar this weekend, should he get another start, but if that is the situation we find ourselves in, I don’t think you have to fear that your Cardinals are swimming upstream the same way the Bengals were when Jake Browning took over.
Jalen Hurts | PHI
I thought Jalen Hurts was average at best on Thursday night, and yet, he still gave his fantasy managers what they needed.
In every game this season, he has a rushing score OR multiple passing touchdowns, continuing to prove himself as one of the three players with the highest floor in our game.
The ceiling? That can be questioned. He’s run for a total of just 16 yards over the past two weeks and is averaging just 19.5 completions per game this season.
It’ll be OK.
The ability to produce impactful numbers on a “bad” day is more valuable than any upside limitations are harmful, and with him pacing for a third straight season of growth in red zone completion percentage, I’d venture to say that he is more valuable moving forward than he has been up to this point.
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Hurts is precisely the type of profile you use when selling the “draft a QB early” draft strategy for 2023. Caleb Williams is going to have his spike weeks. Jordan Love can look like a game-changer at points, and Jared Goff, in the right spot, can look like an MVP candidate.
All of those things CAN happen, but they all cost you a few poor weeks to get there. Hurts offers a similar ceiling case, and you don’t have to suffer through the lost weeks to get there.
Jared Goff | DET
Jared Goff is going to do what Jared Goff is going to do.
It’s productive, but it’s not the most fantasy-friendly skill set.
Goff has completed north of 70% of his throws in five of six games and has multiple passing scores in three straight. He makes the right call on almost every snap, which is generally good for winning NFL games, but not great for us who live in the fantasy world.
The irony of a conservative QB (7.0 aDOT or less in every season with Detroit) leading a Dan Campbell team is not lost on me. It’s a yin-and-yang situation that works for this team.
There’s a chance he gets caught up in a shootout with Baker Mayfield this week, but what’s most likely is a low-possession game where Detroit’s offense is on the field for 35 minutes. That means a lot of the running backs and maybe another 200-2-0 type of line from Goff.
If that’s the case, he’s not worth starting in standard-sized leagues. The Bucs allow the sixth-most yards per deep completion this season, so if you told me that a single Goff bomb vaulted him from QB14 to QB9, I wouldn’t be shocked, but you’re playing him for the high floor and hoping that your skill position players do more of the heavy lifting.
Jaxson Dart | NYG
I’ll give you all the numbers you want in a second, but the calm maturity of Jaxson Dart is what jumps off the screen most at me. The athleticism is inspiring, but without the right mindset, it’s a useless weapon.
Within the pocket, outside the pocket, first-and-10, third-and-goal … nothing seems to have him off kilter. Those touch-anticipation throws are usually reserved for veterans who have made mistakes and learned from them. Dart is already doing it, and he’s doing it with what will likely be the worst set of pass catchers he sees for the foreseeable future.
Dart has at least 50 rushing yards and a passing touchdown while completing at least 65% of his passes in three straight games. He’s the third player with such a streak since 2000.
Not the third Giant. Not the third rookie.
The third player, joining 2019 Lamar Jackson and 2020 Kyler Murray.
The varied skill set is fantasy-friendly, and it’s clearly increasing New York’s win expectancy, making it something I think we can bank on. This is a tough matchup, but that opens the door for an increase in volume of opportunities to offset any decline in projected efficiency.
He falls just outside of my QB1 tier this week, but not by much. I’ll do a piece on it as we get closer, but how many QBs will you rank ahead of him for the Week 15-17 playoff run?
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Week 15 vs. Washington Commanders
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Week 16 vs. Minnesota Vikings
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Week 17 at Las Vegas Raiders
Jayden Daniels | WAS
The conditions were far from optimal on Monday night, and he was again without his WR1 in Terry McLaurin, but Jayden Daniels threw three touchdown passes and ran 10 times.
This is what elite fantasy assets do: they don’t take “no” for an answer.
Daniels was far from perfect in the loss to Chicago, but he gets it done for his fantasy managers in an awfully consistent manner.
Dallas “held” Bryce Young to 18.5 fantasy points last week, their best defensive showing in terms of QB points allowed this season (previous low: 24.3). With that sort of baked-in floor, I’m not sure how anyone besides Daniels sits atop the QB rankings for Week 7.
In 2024, 46.5% of his fantasy points against the ‘Boys came on the ground. I think he’s a better thrower of the ball today than he was last year, and you could certainly argue that there is more of a desire for him to use his legs.
We could be looking at a matchup-winning sort of week from the second-year star. Buckle up!
Joe Flacco | CIN
Joe Flacco was traded five days before taking on Micah Parsons and a rested Pacers team in Lambeau.
I’m not exactly sure who he made angry to deserve that set of circumstances, but he did throw for 219 yards and two touchdowns without an interception — a stat line I think we have to label a success.
There’s no fantasy appeal here. At best, he can keep Ja’Marr Chase as a WR1 and Tee Higgins as viable weekly, but he struggled earlier this season with the Browns and doesn’t come with a fantasy-friendly skill set at this point in his career.
Jordan Love | GB
Jordan Love has finished better than QB17 just twice this season as he’s struggled to put everything together. In five games, he’s thrown multiple touchdowns three times, cleared 290 yards through the air twice, and run for north of 15 yards on three occasions.
All the skills seem to be there, and maybe this is one of the weeks he puts them all together (Daniel Jones and Bryce Young both finished with over 20 fantasy points against Arizona).
Love threw a bad interception on the first drive last week, but it was a mistake made out of aggression. I’d like to see more of that.
Not the mistake part, obviously, but the willingness to take a shot. His aDOT and deep pass rate are both down this year from last, a confusing development given Jayden Reed is sidelined and Matthew Golden was drafted in the first round.
If we are going to unlock Love as a weekly threat to the top 12, I think the coaching staff has to embolden him and encourage him to take some swings.
The running game will make him dangerous (8.9 YPA with four touchdowns in play-action spots this season), and with a little more upside through the air, I’m hopeful that Love can hit his stride over the next month in time for a pair of Chicago games that come in December.
Justin Fields | NYJ
The Broncos’ defense is tough (though we did see a mobile QB hang at least 19.5 fantasy points on them in two of their first five games), and playing in London can be difficult, but what we saw Sunday morning is a reminder that, despite the upside that comes with his athleticism, Justin Fields will carry an ultra-low floor until he irons out the passing thing.
Early on, the Jets had six points on the board, and their QB had … wait for it … fewer passing yards than you.
New York showed zero confidence in their offense, and that was telling. I’m not hesitating to start Fields in this great matchup, where his WR1 doesn’t figure to be locked up in quite the same way, and there should be more success on the ground to help open up throwing lanes.
That said, it’s important not to give Fields the same type of ceiling expectations that the other mobile QBs come with. The numbers on the ground are a cheat code, but rarely are they enough by themselves to support a top 10 signal-caller.
With the Panthers this week and the Bengals on deck, it’s easy to see a situation where the steam behind Fields’ stock picks back up. I’d be fine with riding the wave and cashing this chip in before the Week 9 bye (games against the Browns, Patriots, Ravens, and Falcons loom post-bye, all of which could be reasonably tough spots if those units are healthy).
Fields is a rare athlete, but his mean production projection is rather ordinary and comes with an outcomes range that is difficult to swallow.
Justin Herbert | LAC
Justin Herbert is playing mature football, and that’s what Jim Harbaugh wants. The high-end fantasy production will follow with time; that’s something we have to have faith in.
Even without Quentin Johnston at his disposal, Herbert completed over three-quarters of his passes for a second straight contest. Sometimes these plus-plus matchups (at MIA) can give us some misleading stats, but I think this sticks.
Over the past two weeks, he’s completed 50% of his out-of-pocket passes with three touchdowns. In September, he completed 38.9% of his passes in those situations, resulting in two scores.
Over the past month, we’ve been getting passing production OR rushing production from Herbert. The ability to do both is all we can ask for, and I trust that, with time, we will get more instances where all of his skills are on display in the same game.
Kyler Murray | ARI
Kyler Murray played in every game last season after dealing with the injury bug for the previous two (19 games played and 15 missed), but he sat last week, and this foot sprain doesn’t sound like the type of thing that a mobile QB recovers from in a hurry.
With Arizona going on bye next week and an extra day of prep ahead of their Monday night showdown with the Cowboys in Week 9, my reflex is to have your secondary option ready this week and hope for the best as we get into November.
The problem is that “the best” hasn’t been all that good for fantasy managers. Murray’s best weekly finish this season is QB14, and he’s on a career-low pace in terms of yards per completion.
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The rushing numbers have been stable (25+ in all five of his starts), but without much passing upside (two multi-TD games with a 220-yard ceiling), he’s little better than replacement level at this point.
The looming matchup with the Cowboys will be interesting if we assume he’s back, but the schedule stiffens after that, making Nov. 4 potentially “sell Kyler Murray day” should he look the part the night prior.
Mac Jones | SF
I don’t want to say that the clock struck midnight on Mac Jones over the weekend because he still threw for 347 yards against the Buccaneers, but he didn’t account for a touchdown, threw a pair of picks, and lost 51 yards via six sacks.
I can’t really put all the blame at his feet; he’s working with a backup cast and doing the best he can, but when Jake Tonges is consistently a featured part of your attack, there’s some downside to consider.
What Jones could do in this spot intrigues me should he get two valuable pieces back (George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall), though that remains to be seen, and it’s just as likely that Brock Purdy (toe) returns to start for this team.
I love that Jones funneled 24 of 37 targets (64.9%) to his three primary weapons, and that five different players had catches of more than 15 yards. He’s done enough, along with the scheming excellence of Kyle Shanahan, to be worthy of your consideration when he gets a chance, but I’m only going this direction this week if he has more in the way of reinforcements.
Matthew Stafford | LAR
If you removed clocks, we’d struggle to tell time, so with Puka Nacua compromised, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Matthew Stafford struggled to make the most of a seemingly perfect matchup.
Los Angeles was unable to stay on the field (under 23 minutes of possession), and that’s always going to kill the upside of a pocket-locked signal caller.
Stafford did what you’d expect and funneled 34.6% of his targets to Davante Adams, but this isn’t peak Adams, and without much depth around him, failure at this level (181 pass yards after throwing for 389 last week against a better defense) was likely to happen.
We will see about the status of Nacua for the London game this week, but I’m not the least bit tempted to call Stafford’s number regardless. Allen is on bye, and so is Lamar Jackson, but you’ve been filling the Jackson void for each of the past two weeks.
The streaming options are weak this week, but Aaron Rodgers (at CIN) or even C.J. Stroud (at SEA) coming off the bye could be sold to me.
Michael Penix Jr. | ATL
This is part of the developmental process.
Michael Penix looks a lot like Cam Ward when I turn on the TV, in that there are some plays made at a high level and others missed without much reason.
I thought he showed well for himself in the upset of the Bills last week, but it didn’t really pay off in fantasy points (250 pass yards, one TD, 6 rushing yards).
He was what the Falcons needed, and he continues to load up his talented teammates with as much usage as they can handle. That’s the path to success for Atlanta, but not us.
Penix has just one game with multiple touchdown passes this season and has a total of 16 rushing yards over his past four. Steps are being taken, and that’s good for the long-term fantasy picture.
Patrick Mahomes | KC
Patrick Mahomes played 16 games last season and totaled 42.7 points with his legs: through six weeks this season, he has 46.2.
Oh, and he has eight touchdowns against just one interception over the past three weeks.
Did I mention he gets his WR1 back from suspension this week? Or that he averages 23.4 fantasy points per game over his career against the Raiders with a 33:5 TD/INT rate in those 14 games?
Whether you want to rank him as QB1, QB2, or QB3 for the week, he’s nothing short of an elite option and projects to be considered as such for the remainder of the season.
It’s possible that the return of Rashee Rice, along with the commitment to Isiah Pacheco, could result in his rushing numbers coming back to Earth over the next two months, but he’s got room to spare.
Mahomes is the best quarterback in the game, and while he hasn’t been considered the best fantasy QB for a few years, that narrative could flip as soon as this week.
Sam Darnold | SEA
Sam Darnold is one of those QBs whose play works better for his NFL team than fantasy ones, but we did see some marrying of the two worlds last weekend against the Jags as he turned 16 completions into 295 yards and a pair of scores.
This was the fourth time in six weeks that he failed to complete more than 18 passes, and with just seven rush attempts this season, there’s essentially no room for error if you’re counting on him.
The Texans have dismantled QBs this season, but that’s as much a product of who they’ve played. I don’t think they are the ’85 Bears, but they are solid and have had an extra week to prepare for a passing attack that is pretty straightforward.
This is a tough week for the middle-tier QBs, so if you have to go this direction, I think you could do worse. The truly forward-thinking plan here might be for QB streamers to add and keep him this week.
Yes, the bye hits you in Week 8, but there are Arizona and Tennessee matchups in November, in addition to a game in Carolina when your fantasy league champion is being decided in Week 17.
Spencer Rattler | NO
Spencer Rattler is playing above my personal expectations.
Rattler doesn’t matter for anything but two-QB leagues.
Both things can be true, and I believe that’s the case.
He’s completed 71.3% of his passes with just one interception over the past five weeks. He hasn’t thrown for 225 yards in a game this season, but he has 20+ rushing yards and zero turnovers in back-to-back-to-back contests.
If you play in a very deep league and roster Josh Allen, Rattler might be the best option on your waiver wire, and I think he can do enough to keep you competitive in this spot.
Trevor Lawrence | JAX
Trevor Lawrence ran for multiple scores in Week 5 and threw for multiple touchdowns on Sunday against a tough Seahawks defense (his second such game of the season).
It would appear that he is starting to develop a connection with Brian Thomas (8-90-1 on 10 targets), and that has to be the case if he’s going to provide us with streaming value the rest of the way.
I wouldn’t be inclined to go this direction this week in a tough matchup while abroad, but there are three favorable matchups in November, and that’ll hold value as injuries at the position continue to pile up.
Tua Tagovailoa | MIA
He’s not getting much help, but where would Tua Tagovailoa’s stat lines be if Darren Waller were still rapping to earn paychecks?
His three interceptions on Sunday nearly equaled his season total prior (four), but Jaylen Waddle did hand one to the Chargers. It doesn’t really matter how it happens, but this was the fourth time this season that Tagovailoa failed to reach 210 passing yards, and with zero rushing equity, he’s not near fantasy radars.
The game scripts should help artificially inflate his value over time, but we are well past the point of assuming that at this point. I’m in no hurry to start anyone besides the running backs on either side from this game.
