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The first week of the fantasy playoffs has come and gone, but the quarterback position remains a mess. In Week 15, eight different teams were forced to play a game with a different quarterback than their Week 1 starter, mostly due to injuries. Still, there were some impressive performances when the fantasy season mattered most.
Two different quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield and Joe Flacco) threw for over 350 yards and another three quarterbacks eclipsed 300 yards passing. One quarterback (Jared Goff) had five passing touchdowns and three other quarterbacks (Mayfield, Aidan O'Connell, and Brock Purdy) had four passing touchdowns. It was arguably the best fantasy week for quarterbacks even though a lot of established studs struggled.
If you’ve moved on to the second round of your fantasy playoffs, you may need to find a way to add a jolt to your lineup or navigate an unforeseen injury. In this article, I will be focusing on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up in Week 16 below.
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Single-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo: 54% rostered
If you took a chance on Baker Mayfield for the first round of the fantasy playoffs, you were rewarded with one of the best quarterback performances of the week.
Mayfield went into Lambeau Field and completed 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. That marked the second consecutive game where Mayfield has eclipsed 20.0 fantasy points and his first game this season with over 30.0 points. It isn’t fair to expect this production every week, but Mayfield does have boom potential with weapons like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rachaad White at his disposal.
Mayfield gets a home game against the Jaguars in Week 16, which means he could have another 20+ point performance on the horizon.
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
Yahoo: 25% rostered
Minshew entered Week 15’s game against the Steelers missing Jonathan Taylor’s presence in the run game. Then, during the first half of the game, he lost both backup running back Zack Moss and top wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Neither loss proved detrimental to his ability to produce.
Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 215 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions against a strong defense while missing his two best weapons on offense. It was Minshew’s second game of the season with over 20.0 fantasy points and his fourth consecutive game with over 14.0 fantasy points.
There is a chance that Pittman Jr. will miss Week 16 depending on how long it takes him to clear the concussion protocol, but Jonathan Taylor is expected to return. Minshew could have a big game against a Falcons secondary that has struggled against quarterbacks this season.
Two-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Yahoo: 24% rostered
Joe Flacco continues to produce in his stint as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Flacco engineered a come-from-behind victory against the Chicago Bears in Week 15 while throwing for 374 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Browns have now attempted at least 44 passes in each of Flacco’s three starts this season. That volume has led to two 300-yard performances and three straight games with at least 16.0 fantasy points. Flacco should be poised to continue that trend against the Houston Texans secondary in Week 16, especially if C.J. Stroud returns from his Week 14 concussion.
Jacoby Brissett, Washington Commanders
Yahoo: 0% rostered
Sam Howell has been a reliable top-10 quarterback this season despite a porous offensive line and struggles with inconsistency. However, Howell opened the door for a quarterback controversy thanks to a rough performance against an average Rams defense.
Howell completed 11 of 26 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He eventually was benched for Jacoby Brissett, who looked fantastic in the same matchup with the same supporting cast. Brissett completed 8 of 10 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns and outscored Howell 13 to 10 in fantasy points despite playing a fraction of the time.
The Commanders have a brutal slate of games remaining in the fantasy playoffs against the Jets and 49ers, but Brissett could have some fantasy appeal if he gets the job over Howell.
Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers
Yahoo: 2% rostered
Justin Herbert is officially done for the year thanks to a broken finger, which means we get to enjoy three weeks of Easton Stick throwing to Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler. Stick’s first start was inconsistent, but a blowout game script against the Raiders allowed him to accrue solid fantasy stats.
The veteran backup finished the game completing 23 of 32 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns with one interception against Las Vegas. At the very least, he showed that he could get the ball out to his playmakers so they could make plays after the catch.
Stick doesn’t have great matchups down the stretch, but given how bad the Chargers’ defense has looked, he will be forced to throw the ball to try and stay competitive in games. He may not consistently score 19.0 fantasy points, but he could also provide a solid floor with decent weapons surrounding him.
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