X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers - Week 17

Quarterback waiver wire pickups and streamers for Week 17 of the fantasy football season. Dan Fornek recommends QB free agents to consider adding off waivers.

Well, folks, this is it. It has been a wild ride this season thanks to a litany of injuries and quarantines throughout the NFL season. We have seen veteran quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger continue to show they are fantasy viable while a crop of new talented players like Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert prove the future at the quarterback position looks bright.

Week 16 saw nine quarterbacks surpass the 300-yard passing threshold, including surprising names like Andy Dalton and Brandon Allen. Tom Brady paced quarterbacks through the air, throwing for four touchdown passes and zero interceptions against the hapless Lions secondary. Six other quarterbacks threw for three touchdown passes with another eight adding two passing scores.

In this article, I will be focusing on players who are under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 20% rostered).

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Top QB Streamers and Adds

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Yahoo: 56% rostered 

After navigating a rough three weeks of matchups against the Buccaneers (17.1 fantasy points), Bears (19.34 fantasy points), and Saints (23.64 fantasy points), Kirk Cousins finds himself in a nice, easy game to close out the 2020 NFL season. Since the Vikings’ Week 7 bye, Cousins has five games with over 20 fantasy points. In that time, he has six games with over 270 passing yards and has five games with three passing touchdowns, and two other games with two scores through the air. In his last nine games, Cousins has thrown only three interceptions.

The Vikings will get a shot at a weak and depleted Lions Defense that will likely be playing without Matthew Stafford at quarterback. The Lions have allowed an average of 23 fantasy points per game and have generated just seven interceptions on the season. Detroit has allowed the most passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season (35). Cousins completed 13 of 20 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns in their first matchup and could easily put up numbers that meet or exceed that total again.

 

Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

Yahoo: 40% rostered 

Philip Rivers struggled in his Week 16 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 270 yards with just one touchdown and an interception. His 12.8 fantasy points were his lowest output since Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens. Before Week 16, Rivers was on a nice little streak. He had thrown for at least 285 yards in four of his last seven games. Since Week 10, Rivers has a 13 to 3 touchdown to interception ratio. Rivers was feasting on inadequate defenses and picking apart opposing secondaries. The good news for fantasy players with a Week 17 championship game? Rivers and the Colts are still fighting for playoff position and will have a game against a Jacksonville team with nothing to play for except the number 1 overall pick in next year’s draft.

Jacksonville has been contending with Detroit for the worst defense against quarterbacks in fantasy football this season and just allowed Mitchell Trubisky to pass for 265 yards and two touchdowns with just one interception in a 41-17 blowout for the Bears. Rivers and the Colts will be on the revenge warpath after the Jaguars handed them a Week 1 loss and Rivers could be poised for a big day with a playoff berth on the line.

 

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

Yahoo: 39% rostered 

After leaving the Chargers game Week 15 with a strained groin, Derek Carr returned to the starting lineup to take on a difficult Dolphins’ secondary in a must-win game for the Raiders. The Raiders didn’t win, but it certainly wasn’t because of Derek Carr. Carr completed 21 of 34 passes for 334 yards and a touchdown while also adding a one-yard dive into the end zone. Carr looked solid for somebody who was knocked out of his last game with a seemingly major injury although it wasn’t enough to take down the Dolphins behind Tua and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Carr’s status in a relatively meaningless Week 17 game, but if he does play he will be in a fantastic matchup.

Carr and the Raiders face a Denver team that features Drew Lock’s turnover-prone ways and a defensive secondary that has struggled to generate turnovers all season. Denver is allowing only 19.8 points per week to quarterbacks but has only eight interceptions on the season. In Week 16, Denver allowed Justin Herbert to throw for 253 yards and a touchdown despite missing Hunter Henry and Keenan Allen in the passing game. If Carr is rested to heal up in Week 16, Marcus Mariota offers the same passing ability with rushing upside, so keep an eye on the waiver wire for this one.

 

2QB League Options and Stashes

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

Yahoo: 17% rostered 

Mitchell Trubisky continues to play well as a game manager with rushing upside as the Bears play themselves into playoff position. Since returning to the starting lineup, Trubisky is averaging 18.8 fantasy points per week, putting him in the QB1 conversation since Week 12. Trubisky has thrown for 1,243 yards and 10 touchdowns with just four interceptions since the Bears’ Week 11 bye week and remains a weekly threat for a rushing touchdown once the Bears get inside the 10-yard line. The Packers will have to play their starters in this game to try and clinch the #1 seed in the NFC, which could lead Trubisky to put the ball in the air to keep the Bears’ playoff hopes alive.

In their first matchup, Trubisky threw the ball 46 times, completing 26 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Nobody will feel great putting Trubisky in their starting lineups, but given the quarterback landscape and the number of teams that could be resting starters, he has a very interesting upside as a dual-threat option.

 

C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers

Yahoo: 1% rostered 

C.J. Beathard played well for the 49ers in his first start since Nick Mullens got hurt. Beathard completed 13 of 22 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Beathard also added three carries for 18 yards in a surprising win against a Cardinals team fighting for their playoff lives. Beathard isn’t the most impressive quarterback but he can move the ball and has some major weapons to utilize in the form of George Kittle and rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Beathard gets a fantastic Week 17 matchup against a weak Seattle secondary. The Seahawks Defense has been much stronger since figuring out how to generate a pass rush, but Beathard still has starting upside and could be a difference-maker in a moment of pure fantasy desperation.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF