For Week 16, I recommended Justin Fields against Seattle, Tyler Huntley against Cincinnati, and Zach Wilson against Jacksonville. Unfortunately, Fields was ultimately ruled out with his ankle injury. Huntley also missed last week after landing on the COVID list, but I recommended playing Josh Johnson, the backup to the backup, against the Bengals in his stead, and he came through with a no. 8 fantasy quarterback finish. On top of that, Wilson had a career-best outing with 23 fantasy points, good enough to finish as the no. 4 quarterback on the week.
Overall, Week 16 was a stunning success for fantasy GMs who eschewed drafting a quarterback early and have been streaming the position, and hopefully those strong performances were enough to get you to the fantasy championship game if you’re reading this. With many quarterbacks having been inconsistent this year, finding a suitable streaming option is more important than ever for the fantasy playoffs. Here are some viable Week 17 quarterback streamers with good matchups for the fantasy championship week.
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Week 17 Quarterback Streamers
Check out our Week 17 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | PPR |
Note: The below quarterback streamers are the “best of the rest”, meaning that they’re generally rostered in less than about 60-65 percent of major fantasy football platforms at the time of this writing even after waivers have run on Wednesday.
Trey Lance (12% on ESPN, 18% on Yahoo)
In his only start in Week 5 at Arizona, Trey Lance threw zero touchdowns and an interception, finishing with 14.6 fantasy points . That’s hardly impressive, but considering that he managed a usable fantasy finish with George Kittle out for that game against the Cardinals, who rank fifth in pass defense, fantasy GMs should be encouraged enough to start him this week against a recently improved but still middling Houston defense.
Lance rushed 18 times in the Week 5 loss for 89 yards, and he was stopped an inch short of the goal line from scoring a rushing touchdown. Given Lance’s rushing potential, he’s a strong option with the highest fantasy floor and ceiling among this week’s quarterback streamers. The biggest risk that could possibly limit his production this week is the potential return of Elijah Mitchell to lead the backfield against a Texans’ defense that ranks 26th against the run.
Justin Fields (21% on ESPN, 23% on Yahoo)
It was disappointing that Justin Fields missed last week’s snow game in Seattle due to an ankle injury after being listed as my top option among the Week 16 quarterback streamers, but Nick Foles‘s impressive no. 12 fantasy quarterback finish in his place is promising for Fields’s Week 17 potential. Pass protection has been a major issue for the Bears this year, but luckily for Fields, the Giants rank just 31st in pass rush win rate.
Moreover, even in tough losses to Green Bay and Minnesota in primetime in his last two starts, Fields has put on strong fantasy performances, and he managed to finish as the no. 10 fantasy quarterback in Week 15 despite having fumbled twice against the Vikings due to his rushing production. Like Lance, he has the rushing potential to mitigate any gaffes as a passer and so can be relied upon again as a high floor and ceiling fantasy option.
Taysom Hill (48% on ESPN, 42% on Yahoo)
If you haven’t noticed by this point, the moral of the story this week is rushing upside. Taysom Hill, assuming he can clear COVID protocols by this weekend, offers just that. In his three starts this year, Hill has averaged 11 rushing attempts per game for 69 yards and has added two rushing scores over that span. The low-scoring win over Tampa Bay illustrates Hill’s relatively low floor, but even so, he still has a high fantasy ceiling due to his running ability.
Carolina sports a strong front seven and stout secondary, but Hill’s rushing potential keeps him in play this week if you have no better options. The Panthers have allowed mobile quarterbacks to run on them this year, including giving up a rushing score to Jameis Winston, the then-starter for the Saints, in Week 2. Hill is the most risk/reward option among this week’s quarterback streamers, but he’s still a better option than most traditional pocket passers for fantasy purposes.
Honorable Mentions
In deeper leagues, if none of the above-recommended quarterback streamers are available, Tennessee’s passing offense has been night and day with and without A.J. Brown in the lineup. Ryan Tannehill should have a decent outing against Miami, and he adds some rushing upside as well. And if you’re desperate, the Patriots’ offense ranks sixth-lowest in pass rate, but against a Jacksonville defense that ranks 31st against the pass, Mac Jones has a fair fantasy ceiling this week in a potential blowout with New England favored by 15.5 points at home.
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