Welcome to our quarterback streaming articles for 2021! Every week we will bring you our advice on which signal-callers have the potential to help your fantasy teams win. We will look at the previous weeks’ performances, the supporting cast, the matchup, and statistical insights to offer you the clearest picture of which QB to pick up from your waiver wire.
We will only consider QBs would 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.
Week 1 saw a hotchpotch of performances at the position, some surprising and some extremely disappointing. We have listed the top 5 fantasy scores below from those QBs who would have qualified for a streaming opportunity. There is no doubt that the inclusion of Tyrod Taylor (23.64 fantasy points on Yahoo!) as the third-highest fantasy performance is a total surprise. Buoyed by a couple of “throw up and hope” offerings that Brandin Cooks hauled in certainly helped his cause. As the top performer, Jared Goff (29.92 fantasy points) provided the spark for his new team, the Detroit Lions, as a phenomenal fourth-quarter rally that fell just short against the 49ers – his performance was equally remarkable. Two of my favorite streaming options for the first half of the season also performed well – Jameis Winston (29.62 fantasy points) threw five touchdown passes within just 14 completions but more importantly did not turn the ball over at all in an impressive outing as the Saints starter; Kirk Cousins (22.04 fantasy points) threw a pair of touchdowns to Adam Thielen as he clawed the Vikings back from a 14-point deficit to force overtime against the Bengals. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (21.38 fantasy points) benefitted from some garbage-time fantasy points to nudge a valuable fantasy haul.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Goff, Lions | DET vs. SF | 7% | 29.92 |
| Jameis Winston, Saints | NO vs. GB | 44% | 29.62 |
| Tyrod Taylor, Texans | HOU vs. JAX | 4% | 23.64 |
| Kirk Cousins, Vikings | MIN at CIN | 66% | 22.04 |
| Daniel Jones, Giants | NYG vs. DEN | 20% | 21.38 |
Now, let’s look at the lay of the land for Week 2. Remember, the caveat is that our recommended players for streaming are less than 70% owned in Yahoo! leagues.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Projected Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Cousins, Vikings | MIN at ARI | 66% | 20.40 |
| Jameis Winston, Saints | NO at CAR | 44% | 19.29 |
| Zach Wilson, Jets | NYJ vs. NE | 17% | 17.56 |
| Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos | DEN at JAX | 11% | 18.86 |
“Hanging Chandler-ier”
Kirk Cousins, Vikings at Cardinals
The polarizing sentiments around Kirk Cousins and his time with the Minnesota Vikings could succinctly be summarised by his performance last week at the Bengals. A slow start plagued by offensive penalties, throwing behind receivers, taking bad sacks, and dreadful third down play gave way to a thrilling comeback, with Cousins excelling in an aggressive mindset and trusting his receivers deeper downfield. He engineered a game-tying drive and then put his team in Bengals territory with a chance to win the game in overtime. Only a Dalvin Cook fumble prevented that win.
Cousins attempted 46 passes in Week 1, which was way above his average from 2020. 35 went to his receivers, with Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson seeing plenty of love alongside emerging WR3 KJ Osborn. Cook added 43 yards on 7 targets also. It’s a good sign for fantasy production, and one of the reasons why Cousins is my number one streaming choice for Week 2 against a Cardinals secondary that is less than impressive. The Vikings receiving corps should eat!
Adam Thielen in the red zone automatic pic.twitter.com/R4dZO36GNi
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) September 12, 2021
One warning siren – Chandler Jones! The Cardinals pass rusher annihilated Taylor Lewan and Ryan Tannehill last week to the tune of five sacks. Backup Rashod Hill was a revolving door at tackle against the Bengals last week, and with first-round rookie Christian Darrisaw returning to training this week, Cousins is likely to be worried about his blind side. He could shine high and bright trusting his elite receivers, or he could crash into a million pieces if he doesn’t get the ball out quickly.
“A Famously Safe Way To Win”
Jameis Winston, Saints at Panthers
Famous Jameis Winston is remaking his reputation under the tutelage of Sean Payton in New Orleans. After beating out Taysom Hill as the Saints’ starting quarterback after the retirement of Drew Brees, Winston burst onto the scene last week with a productively efficient performance against the Packers. Benefitting from a complete meltdown from Aaron Rodgers, Winston threw touchdown passes to four different players, flashing a wide range of formations and designs from the playbook. With one of the best PPR backs in the league in Alvin Kamara, Winston has a perfect situation to be a top 12 quarterback on a weekly basis. Rostered in just 44% of leagues currently on Yahoo! expect that to change quickly.
Jameis Winston just connected deep to Deonte Harris and that's five touchdown passes for Jameis in his first game as #Saints starter.pic.twitter.com/gCkV441YiT
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) September 12, 2021
Facing similar conditions as to what he faced in Jacksonville last week, Winston faces a Carolina team that is fresh off an unconvincing win against the Jets. Their defense is not of the caliber of the Packers, so there should be the opportunity to repeat the spectacular performance last week.
“Young Buck, Good Looking Rook”
Zach Wilson, Jets vs. Patriots
A very encouraging debut from Jets franchise signal-caller Zach Wilson, who completed 20 of 37 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing in a two-point conversion. Wilson also threw an interception. Wilson showed fantastic chemistry with his new receiving corps, and in particular Corey Davis. The two linked up for both scores and Davis offers the perfect receiver for Wilson to trust in pressure situations. Wilson also grew in stature through this game, and his scoring drive near the end of the game was something special.
Ton of positives in Zach Wilson's long scoring drive late in the 4th quarter
Look at the pressure+timing on some of these throws pic.twitter.com/pc6yEogwH2
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) September 13, 2021
This week’s recommendation is a risky one as Bill Belichick makes his reputation on bullying rookie QBs. But the talent Wilson has is too good to ignore. He will continue to grow and learn quickly from the situations put in front of him. I think Robert Saleh allows him to play without fear and the warnings that come with playing the Patriots, and that will only serve him well.
“Two Gloves, Too Good To Ignore”
Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos at Jaguars
To be honest, I am just relieved I don’t have to watch Drew Lock trying to run the Broncos offense this season. Teddy Bridgewater is also an easy guy to root for after his career-threatening injury when he was with the Vikings. Efficient and pragmatic in the win over the Giants, Teddy “Two Gloves” went 28-of-36 for 264 yards and two scores. If speedster KJ Hamler had hauled in a perfectly thrown deep shot these stats would have been even better. The injury to Jerry Jeudy hurts but Courtland Sutton will see an uptick in action as he battles back from an ACL. Teddy is for real in 2021.
Teddy Bridgewater finds Tim Patrick for a Broncos touchdown. pic.twitter.com/rD8jprdFjM
— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) September 12, 2021
This week’s matchup at Jacksonville is perfect. Tyrod Taylor lit up this young, disorganized defensive unit last week and it is clear Teddy has more competent skill players to work with. He’s in for a big day out in Jacksonville.
Don’t hesitate to give me your thoughts and hit me up for questions at @benjaminhaller1.
Photo by Dan Anderson/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire