Week 8 proved to be one of the oddest weeks of fantasy football in recent memory. Lamar Jackson returns from injury just to gain a new injury right away. Then, a little later in that same game, Tyler Huntley leaves, also injured. Baker Mayfield played every offensive snap, attempted three passes, completed zero of them for zero yards, and the Buccaneers still managed to win. Joe Burrow had to lead his team to a come-from-behind win over Cam Ward and the Titans. He accumulated 42.5 standard fantasy points despite throwing three interceptions. As stated…it was an odd week for the quarterback position.
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As we look ahead to Week 9, two more teams have their byes this week. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the aforementioned Titans are out this week.
Transparency roundup for last week’s article:
Kirk Cousins threw for three more touchdowns and managed to notch a rushing score as well. He finished as QB2 overall for the week.
Sam Darnold had a relatively quiet week. He managed 188 passing yards, adding a pair of touchdowns and one interception. He also added 20 rushing yards. Not a strong week, but not a lineup killer either.
Jacoby Brissett collapsed against one of the most coveted defenses a quarterback could ask for. He completed just 10 of 23 pass attempts (43%) with an interception before being pulled for Gardner Minshew, who played well. Big swing and miss on that one, but it was certainly not the anticipated outcome.
With that squared away, let’s saunter through the barn dance with some under-the-radar QB options for this week.
Week 9 Quarterback Streamers and Sleepers
Baker Mayfield, TB @ CHI – Streamer
In his two games since returning from injury, Mayfield has a total of 14 pass attempts, seven completions for 64 yards, and one touchdown. With a sudden reliance on the run game, Mayfield has not been forced to throw the ball much. While this has not been pleasant for fantasy managers of either Mayfield or any of his pass catchers, this too shall pass.
The Bucs travel north to Chicago to face a surging Bears team that will not go as quietly as the Falcons did last week. The Bears just hung 34 points against a tough Seattle defense; the most they have surrendered this season. Expect the Midway Monsters to come out swinging at home, forcing Mayfield to dial up the pass attempts.
Thus far this season, Mayfield has hovered around the low-end QB2/high-end QB3 range for fantasy purposes. The dangerous run game should help establish the pass, and Mayfield may well have to throw it quite a bit to try and keep pace. Mayfield is a middling streamer option for this week.
Matthew Stafford, LAR @ WAS – Streamer
Stafford is a situational streamer that offers more of a safe floor than a high ceiling. Few will deny that he has a powerful arm and can make every throw. The flip side to that is that he has the mobility of a giraffe on a tricycle. His fantasy output is entirely based on what he is required to accomplish as a pocket passer. He has four games as a QB1 this season. In most of the others, he is a middling to high-end QB2. Again, safer floor with a capped ceiling.
The Rams travel to Washington to face the Commanders. Early lines have this game set at 47.5 for the over/under. If Jayden Daniels and company can push the Rams into a corner, then Stafford will be forced into more passing volume. The Commanders allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. On average, they surrender 265.7 passing yards and 2.5 passing touchdowns per contest.
With the Rams currently favored by 5.5 points, expect Stafford to do a significant amount of his damage in the first half. Head coach Sean McVay is not always known for taking his foot off the pedal. The matchup and game script favor some back-and-forth scoring before the Rams backfield tandem closes this one out. Stafford is a high-end streamer for this week.
Deshaun Watson, CLE @ NO – Sleeper
Watson may not have thrown a touchdown last week. However, he did notch his second 300+ yard game of the season. He has finished as a QB2 or better in all but one game (QB25…just barely missing the cutoff) this season. Watson is playing cleaner football with only three interceptions thus far. Among quarterbacks, he has the fourth-most rushing yards, averaging 21.7 rushing yards per game. Overall, he is the QB23 in fantasy points per game.
The Saints allow the 13th-most fantasy points to the position. On average, they give up 249.7 passing yards and 1.6 passing touchdowns per contest.
This game features a current 43.5 over/under with the Saints favored by 2.5 points. Watson has a somewhat underrated group of weapons at his disposal. This game could see some back-and-forth scoring, and the Browns are likely looking to regain their foothold in the AFC North that they recently enjoyed.
Watson is a middle-to-upper QB2 for this week but has potential sleeper upside for another strong fantasy finish. He’s also a solid second quarterback for super flex or two-QB leagues this week.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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