Week 15 marked the first round of the fantasy playoffs for most of us, and the quarterback position was top-heavy, to say the least. We saw the highest of highs from the elite QB crew (Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, no shock there) as well as from Aaron Rodgers picking apart the Jaguars’ secondary. Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert made it that much harder for their fantasy managers to advance to Week 16, each giving middle-of-the-road performances at best. While it would, of course, be hard to bench Joe Burrow next week, Patrick Mahomes is banged up, Justin Herbert hasn’t reached 14 fantasy points since Week 12, and Bo Nix has come back down to earth over the last couple of games. If the rest of your team overcame an average or poor fantasy performance from your quarterback and you’re just one win away from reaching the fantasy championship, let’s find some signal-callers in good spots who can keep your playoff journey moving forward. We keep the names to those who are available in under 70% of Yahoo leagues.
Aaron Rodgers (35% rostered):
Wait, is it 2021 again? It sure looked like it yesterday when Rodgers and Davante Adams took it back to their Green Bay days for a vintage performance. The 41-year-old lit up Jacksonville for 289 yards and three touchdowns, possibly helping add a few more eyes to Rodgers’ new Netflix documentary (we know he loves that). While I can’t advocate streaming Rodgers in Week 16 just because he wants to play well for his Netflix show, when we’re streaming quarterbacks in Week 16, we’ll take anything that may give us an advantage in finding the right streamer. What we know for sure Mr. Rodgers has this upcoming week is elite weapons and a plus matchup. The Rams travel cross country to MetLife stadium and have given up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past four weeks. I’ve driven home the point enough this season about Rodgers having the weapons to bolster his fantasy potential, but most quarterbacks available on your waiver wire likely won’t have a receiving corps led by Adams and Garrett Wilson. One forgotten thing about him is that he apparently still can get it done on the ground! Forty-five rushing yards in Week 15 for the old guy shouldn’t be glossed over. Yes, you can’t expect that to carry over to Week 16, but it does show us his mobility still has something left in the tank, another reason that makes Rodgers an attractive streaming option for your playoff semi-finals.
Caleb Williams (62% rostered):
Let’s add some youth to our streaming options for Week 16. As this piece is being written, Caleb is having a tough go of it in Minnesota, which you can possibly use to your advantage. It wouldn’t be shocking to see that 62% rostered percentage drop this week, just in time for you to pounce on Williams, who’s in a much better situation in Week 16. Caleb and the Bears face a beat-up Lions defense at home, which Josh Allen completely unloaded on in Week 15. I’m not comparing Caleb to Josh Allen, but clearly, the Lions’ injuries on defense are taking their toll. They’ve given up the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past two weeks. Caleb already had one of the better performances of his rookie season on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit, and the game script should favor the Bears having to throw to keep up with the electric Lions offense. Similar to the elusive Aaron Rodgers, Williams can be a weapon on the ground as well, as he has had at least 25 rushing yards on five occasions since Week 8, coming into Monday night. When it comes to streaming quarterbacks, especially this late in the season, we’re looking for players who can give us a decent floor and not be the reason our season comes to an end. A quarterback with a rushing upside fits that perfectly. Here’s a clip from a beautiful throw Caleb made in his first matchup against the Lions this season.
Jameis Winston (33% rostered):
Uncertainty surrounds who will start for the Browns at quarterback in Week 16, but Jameis against the Bengals is too good of a matchup, not to mention as a quality streaming option, This game has all the makings of a vintage Winston performance, more for the good reasons than the bad ones. The Bengals’ defense has given up the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past four weeks and the third-most overall. Just a few weeks ago, Russell Wilson unleashed on the Bengals’ defense for 400+ yards, and Jameis has the arm and the mentality to do something similar. Jerry Jeudy has emerged as a true WR1, and the Bengals don’t have a defensive back who can go toe-to-toe with the former first-round pick. We know the Bengals’ offense will put up points, forcing Winston and the Browns’ offense to have to keep their foot on the gas and the ball in the air. Of course, that could mean the ball ends up in the hands of the other team, but it’s not often a quarterback who put up almost 500 yards just a few weeks ago (Week 13 against Denver) is a streaming option. Monitor this situation throughout the week to confirm if Winston will be the starter.
One thing to note this time of year is the weather. Rodgers, Williams, and Winston each play outdoors in Week 16, but the weather calls for sunny skies in their respective locations as of Monday night.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire