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.
Remember, we will only consider QBs 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.
Week 9 was of course the week we finally dismissed Sam Howell (31.98 fantasy points in Yahoo!) as a streamer and he made us look silly with the fantasy QB1 performance. You showed us, Sam. Congratulations! Our recommended streamer was of course the returning C.J Stroud (12.90 fantasy points) who ended up being outperformed for the first time this season by fellow rookie Bryce Young (14.50 fantasy points) as the Panthers upset the upstart Texans. Stroud recorded a season-low 140 passing yards and he failed to toss a touchdown since his Week 1 NFL debut – yikes! Not what we expected at all. The less said about Desmond Ridder (3.44 fantasy points) the better as the Falcons quarterback failed to prevent a punt on five first half drives and lost a fumble on a fifth as the only meaningful drive was a meagre 18-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. Ridder has now been benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke. And to complete our miserable threesome, a disappointing Mac Jones (13.24 fantasy points) failed to come close to last week’s performance as the Dolphins embarrassed the Patriots. He’s back in the dog house!
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud, Texans | HOU at CAR | 65% | 12.90 |
| Desmond Ridder, Falcons | ATL at TEN | 13% | 3.44 |
| Mac Jones, Patriots | NE at MIA | 9% | 13.24 |
Going into Week 9 we have four teams on bye – Brock Purdy (49ers), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Russell Wilson (Broncos), and Jared Goff (Lions) are all unavailable.
With that knowledge in mind, let’s look at our recommendations for streaming.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Projected Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Howell, Commanders | WAS at NE | 59% | 14.90 |
| Derek Carr, Saints | NO vs. CHI | 67% | 15.80 |
| Joshua Dobbs, Vikings | MIN at ATL | 17% | 0.00 |
“I Am Sam”
Sam Howell, Commanders at Patriots
Well, we are happy to slap ourselves in the face with a wet fish when we get it wrong and that’s what we are doing now! Sam Howell comes off the back of a fantasy QB1 finish and gets the Patriots and an ailing Bill Belichick defense that has looked powerless to stop opposition quarterbacks this season. Howell threw for four touchdowns last week and his ability to spray the ball around the offense is exciting to watch. Long may it continue! Second-year sensation Howell is the fantasy QB8 on the season and his 308 pass attempts on the year rank second amongst all quarterbacks. Volume is king!
This is one of the best throws i've seen Sam Howell make in the NFL.
What a laser on 3rd down.#HTTC | @Sam7Howell pic.twitter.com/g5rceTguQ0
— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 29, 2023
“Restart the Carr”
Derek Carr, Saints vs. Bears
We took a chance a month ago and we were let down badly but since then Derek Carr has thrown for 300+ yards on three straight starts and put up at least 18+ fantasy points in the last two games. With Carr evolving in terms of chemistry with his receivers, and the emergence of a deep ball he is suddenly fantasy relevant once more. A Bears defense that is currently giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks is this week’s opposition and we like that! And if the Saints do get up big it is likely they will use Carr to check down and screen the rest of the way.
THE NEED FOR SHAHEED. 💨
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/SslGqGZHHf
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 29, 2023
“New Adventures in Jo-Do”
Joshua Dobbs, Vikings at Falcons
It is far from certain as I write this that Joshua Dobbs, who the Vikings recently acquired in a trade from the Arizona Cardinals will start the game against the Falcons this weekend but if my multiple views of Jaren Hall in pre-season serve me well then he will certainly finish the game and most likely be the difference-maker for a resurgent Vikings offense. Dobbs has immediate appeal for a Vikings team that has been sensational across the board over the past few weeks. All Dobbs needs to do is feed the receivers in short-to-intermediate routes and he will do well. He’s a risky start if he plays.
just a lil teamwork 😉 pic.twitter.com/PoN0PxeJpb
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 29, 2023
Don’t hesitate to give me your thoughts and hit me up for questions on X at @benjaminhaller1.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Jeff Halstead/ Icon Sportswire