Hello and welcome to the first week of QB Streamers for the 2026 season. In this year’s returning segment, we cover three quarterbacks who are rostered in under 70% of leagues (based on Yahoo! roster rates), taking into account the situation, past performance, and personnel. Without a base to go off for last week’s picks, let’s dive right in and discuss three names you could pick up off your waiver wire for the week if you’re on the fence about your current QB situation.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
| Opponent | Matchup Rating | Yahoo Roster Rate | Proj Pts. |
| @ ATL | 5/5 | 14% | 15.67 |
Bryce Young is one of those quarterbacks whose early-career shine has worn off completely coming out of the draft first overall in 2023, playing on the second half of his rookie contract. Young has become the guy whose constant churning on and off the waiver wire almost makes him look like fool’s gold more than gold bullion. Not so fast, my friends. Young has shown flashes from season to season, but this is arguably the first season where he’s actually been given a solid foundation to succeed. Hot off a 361-yard performance in Week 1, Young is anchored by a phenom of a WR in Tet McMillan and a rising star in the making in Jalen Coker, who outpaced McMillan to the tune of 138 air yards and 2 touchdowns. The team also has two talented running backs to keep eyes on: Jonathon Brooks and Chuba Hubbard. Take those factors, and bunch them up with the fact that the Falcons have a mightily struggling offense, and everything leads to likely a short offensive field to succeed on for Young. The Falcons team could already be beginning their hopeless descent into 2027, but Young showcases one of the highest ceilings of the week.
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
| Opponent | Matchup Rating | Yahoo Roster Rate | Proj Pts. |
| @BAL | 4/5 | 41% | 16.51 |
The New Orleans Saints haven’t had a quarterback to confidently root for since Drew Brees left the bayou. While the name may not yet strike fear in the heart of their opponents, Tyler Shough ended the 2025 season dazzling crowds and didn’t seem to skip a beat going into 2026. The Saints took the Lions to the wire in last week’s game, losing on a two-point conversion attempt but showcasing that this team may have a bit more to them than it seemed. With an excellent wide receiver in Chris Olave (who caught 10 passes for 182 yards, even while seeing the field in bits and spurts throughout), and a sneaky second wide receiver in Devaughn Vele, Shough has his fair share of weapons to target in Week 2. Shough put up more than 400 passing yards against the Lions and seems to have found the perfect setup for a strong game in a matchup where he faces one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Lamar Jackson, in Week 2. While the defense of Baltimore will likely challenge Shough, the constant offensive attack of Jackson will likely force Shough and the Saints to either become pass-heavy or trade body blows with the Ravens, allowing another game where he can compile stats.
Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks
| Opponent | Matchup Rating | Yahoo Roster Rate | Proj Pts. |
| ARI | 3/5 | 0% | 15.27 |
This one feels like a potential huge “swing and miss”, but after seeing what Drew Lock was able to do coming off the bench in primetime in an unexpected situation against the Patriots last Wednesday, there seems to be at least a reason to think there could be some meat remaining on the bone for a couple more weeks. While we wait for Sam Darnold to return, the Seahawks have continued to chatter about their belief in Lock as a competent quarterback, and the team has made mountains out of molehills with players like Darnold as recently as last season. Lock picked apart a Patriots team on Wednesday night, and frustrated them with poised pocket passing, an ability to rush when needed, and a pretty pass in stride to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that dashed any Patriots’ fan hopes (mine included) that they’d steal a game from a backup-led Seahawks team. Lock may not have many weeks left behind center, as Darnold has stated his hopes to get back as quickly as possible, but we eagerly await one of the best turnaround stories in the league. Lock is sitting out there as an unowned commodity that has weapons to pass to, an extremely smart head coach to lean on, and a defense that could put him in position to play with many short fields as long as he’s behind center. He’s worth a dart throw in Superflex formats.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Rich von Biberstein/ Icon Sportswire