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Just when you thought Taylor Heinicke’s fantasy value had dried up, he is a hot commodity on fantasy football league waiver wires once again.
It is no surprise the oft-injured Carson Wentz fractured a finger and is out for a month or more. It is also no surprise that Heinicke, who proved he was a capable quarterback last year when he subbed in for the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick, stepped in this past weekend and threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns in an upset win over the Green Bay Packers.
Finding a playable quarterback on the league waiver wire this late in the season is usually uncommon. So should you pick up Heinicke this week in your fantasy league? Here is my take:
Should I Pick Up Taylor Heinicke In Fantasy Football?
If you are in a one-quarterback league, then I would not waste my time. The fantasy football world and the NFL knows Heinicke has a short ceiling because of his skill set. He can run for 20 yards per week, but he is not a speed burner. He can throw for 200 yards per week, but he has average arm strength. In 16 games last season, Heinicke managed 3,419 passing yards and a pedestrian 20-to-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those are not the numbers of a fantasy difference-maker. He may also only start a couple more games and then sit back on the bench to watch Wentz be the Commanders' QB again.
If you are in a two-QB league, then I would add Heinicke to be a QB3 on your roster that you could plug in and play when your other quarterbacks are on bye or when he has a fantasy-friendly matchup you want to take advantage of. Heinicke was at his best last season when he faced losing teams with below-average defenses. Against Atlanta, Carolina, and the New York Giants, he threw for a combined 832 yards and eight touchdowns. Heinicke can feast on bottom-feeder defenses and can provide solid stats when used against them.
Heinicke can be spot-started, especially in two-QB leagues and/or deeper leagues with 12-16 teams. This is not a situation like others this season where backup quarterbacks were forced to start and were stayed away from by fantasy managers like they were plagues. Do not expect Heinicke to go on a Kurt Warner-like roll and rack up 300-yard games every week, but if you use him correctly as a complementary part of your fantasy team, he could be a key member from here on out, especially if he plays well enough to keep Washington’s starting signal-caller job even when Wentz returns.
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