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 quarterbacks’ supporting cast, the matchup, and smart statistical insights to offer you the clearest picture of which QB to pick up from your waiver wire.
In what was the most difficult week so far to recommend a streaming option at quarterback, Week 5 proved to be a thorn in our side, with only our favored option, Zach Wilson (14.60 fantasy points in Yahoo!) proving worthy of streaming. If you did take that option then you would have likely been happy with the output for the young Jets signal caller, who was excellent in guiding his team to a 40-17 romp of the Dolphins, mainly thanks to Breece Hall‘s yards after the catch. It was a nice performance from Wilson, who added a rushing score to his receiving score in Week 4. He is a steady value add going into the bye weeks.
Both Jared Goff (6.86 fantasy points) and Ryan Tannehill (11.54 fantasy points) performed terribly despite encouraging matchups against the Patriots and Commanders respectively. Goff suddenly looked lost facing the Patriots’ defense and missed his big playmakers on the ground and in the air. Tannehill nearly allowed the Commanders to stage a fourth-quarter comeback win but relied on his defense to bail him out. Neither look worthy of any long-term commitment at this stage.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Wilson, Jets | NYJ vs. MIA | 10% | 14.60 |
| Jared Goff, Lions | DET at NE | 53% | 6.86 |
| Ryan Tannehill, Titans | TEN at WAS | 17% | 11.54 |
Now, let’s look at the lay of the land for Week 6. Remember, the caveat is that our recommended players for streaming are less than 70% rostered in Yahoo! leagues.
The bye rounds are here and the following teams are sitting out this week – Las Vegas Raiders (Derek Carr), Detroit Lions (Jared Goff), Tennessee Titans (Ryan Tannehill), and Houston Texans (Davis Mills).
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Projected Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith, Seahawks | SEA vs. ARI | 37% | 20.01 |
| Daniel Jones, Giants | NYG vs. BAL | 23% | 16.46 |
| Justin Fields, Bears | CHI vs. WAS | 38% | 16.63 |
“Sipping On Geno”
Geno Smith, Seahawks vs. Cardinals
Yes, we made a mistake by omitting Geno Smith from our recommendations last week because of the difficult matchup on paper against the Saints. Geno was superb through the air as he consistently made difficult throws and hit receivers in stride. Two deep balls to Tyler Lockett were amongst the best throws by any quarterback in Week 5. The journeyman has finally found a home to be loved in under Pete Carroll in Seattle and he is thriving – Geno has multiple touchdowns in four of his five starts and now has two straight turnover-free games. His ability to connect with his receivers at all levels makes him a solid option going forward.
The Cardinals have improved on the defensive side of the ball recently so this matchup isn’t the surefire positive it seems on paper. Still, we are not making that mistake again. Geno is dealing, and we are playing. Over the past three weeks, he has averaged 24.9 fantasy points per game, scoring at least 18.9 in every contest. All in!
GENO SMITH! Absolute dime to Tyler Lockett.
📺: #SEAvsNO on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/X4lelc0SFE pic.twitter.com/q7bsLXUerr— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2022
“The New York Football Giants”
Daniel Jones, Giants vs. Ravens
We simply can’t ignore the performance Daniel Jones put on in London in the Giants’ win over the Packers. Excellent with his reads, precise with his execution and a threat with his legs on the ground, Jones showed all the attributes that make him a franchise quarterback. He just hasn’t done that regularly. But under Brian Daboll, he is in good hands. Jones notched more than 200 yards passing for the first time this season but failed to throw for a score for the third straight week. However, he faces an underperforming Ravens secondary at home and that should be rectified.
Baltimore has given up the 2nd most fantasy points to QBs this season, and they struggle to deal with stopping the run too. Jones should be able to expose those limitations and confidence is a key element. Jones believes in himself and has the backing of the coaching staff for the first time in his career. Let it rip.
Dime from Daniel Jones off the play-action to Darius Slayton — they NEED to get Slayton involved downfield, this was a solid first down play #NYG pic.twitter.com/lNtxiTylXT
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) October 9, 2022
“Run The Fields”
Justin Fields, Bears vs. Commanders
The improvement in Justin Fields over the past couple of weeks has been noticeable and that perks our eyes and ears in terms of fantasy production as a couple of established quarterbacks don’t play this week due to the bye rounds. Fields has increased his passing attempts to above 20 per game and has maintained a healthy 40 yards plus of rushing each week. It could have been even better in Week 5 if the play below had not been called back by a penalty – Fields scrambled for a 52-yard TD on the play.
Next up is the Commanders at home in a Thursday Night Football game nobody is looking forward to. However, the Bears have shown enough to beat a defense that is currently giving up the 10th most fantasy points to QBs so far this season. This could be the Fields breakout game we have all been waiting for.
This Justin Fields TD run was nullified by a penalty but it was AWESOME.
(🎥: @TrainIsland) pic.twitter.com/SdmL9iwz34
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 9, 2022
Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Michael Packard