Every week we bring you our advice on which signal-callers have the potential to help your fantasy teams win. We will take into account recent performances, the quarterbacks’ supporting cast, the matchup, and add some smart statistical insights to offer you the clearest picture of which QB to pick up from your waiver wire.
Week 6 of the NFL is in the books and it was one of the best fantasy weeks of the season for quarterbacks with 11 signal-callers eclipsing 20 fantasy points and three others falling just short of the mark. The arrival of the latest rookie, Drake Maye also brought a satisfying smile to fantasy managers with his 21.52 fantasy points (in Yahoo!) good enough for a Top 10 fantasy finish. Fellow rookie Bo Nix was QB9 and No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams topped the pile with 29.64 fantasy points after his best showing as a rookie that involved four touchdown passes. The young guns are firing!
Week 7 sees just two teams on bye with the Bears’ Williams and Cowboys star Dak Prescott missing out.
We will only consider quarterbacks who are less than 70% rostered in Yahoo! leagues so as to give you an honest chance at picking one up for your team’s matchup. So, with that caveat, let’s look at the lay of the land for Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season and highlight our recommendations.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Projected Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold, Vikings | MIN vs. DET | 56% | 17.57 |
| Drake Maye, Patriots | NE vs. JAX | 6% | 14.91 |
| Geno Smith, Seahawks | SEA at ATL | 62% | 16.81 |
“Welcome Back Uncle Sam”
Sam Darnold, Vikings vs. Lions
Fresh off the bye week and sitting pretty at 5-0, Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings come straight up against fierce division rivals and offensive hotpot the Detroit Lions in a mouthwatering matchup that will likely be the game of the week. Sam Darnold started the season in inspiring form but a couple of rocky performances have seen his fantasy stock wobble and the fact he is still only 56% rostered shows that he hasn’t fully restored faith in those looking to stream a quarterback. However, the opportunity is just too good to pass up this week. He has had a couple of weeks to work on things with the creative KOC, Detroit just lost their premier pass-rusher and he is working behind a good offensive line, he has all his weapons ready to go (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, Jalen Nailor) in what should be a shootout against the Lions, and as the cherry on top, he gets back TJ Hockenson too. Set, forget, and thank us later.
WOW. SAM DARNOLD TO JUSTIN JEFFERSON FOR A 97-YARD TD!pic.twitter.com/5XZ1yTEorF
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 15, 2024
“Maye We Tempt You”
Drake Maye, Patriots vs. Jaguars
Fresh of a debut start in which he posted a Top 10 fantasy finish at the quarterback position, Drake Maye gets the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars at home in what should be another opportunity to build on his confidence. Maye threw for three touchdowns but also turned the ball over three times, two through the air and one on the ground, against a tough Texans defense. The Jaguars are not that so Maye will be given license to both flex his arm and use his legs, both things we like in a streaming option. His 60-yard air ball to Kayshon Boutte for a score was the Patriots’ longest receiving touchdown since 2022. We are excited!
Here we go… Drake Maye with a perfect deep ball to Kayshon Boutte for a 40-yard TD, the first of Maye's career.
A glimpse into why he was the No. 3 pick: pic.twitter.com/TIftdls1oH
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 13, 2024
“Smith & Western Shootout”
Geno Smith, Seahawks at Falcons
It should not be underestimated that Geno Smith was very unlucky in Week 6 against the 49ers. Not only did he have two touchdowns chalked off by dubious penalties, but he also saw DK Metcalf drop a couple of balls that should have been hauled in. That would have catapulted his fantasy score of 20 points. Still, he remains a Top 10 fantasy contributor over the season, and a tasty matchup against a Falcons team that loves a shootout bodes well for fantasy purposes. Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb has opened up the playbook for Geno and throwing downfield is becoming more of a thing. They haven’t always connected but the approach is what we like to see – Smith has put up over 50 pass attempts in two of the last three games.
As maligned as the #Seahawks offensive line has been, they had spurts where they looked solid on Thursday, including field goal drive to close out first half where they bought Geno Smith time to get ball downfield some. pic.twitter.com/be8cPzfUQO
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) October 14, 2024
Don’t hesitate to give me your thoughts and hit me up for questions on X at @benjaminhaller1.