There is just one more week left in the regular season. For many that means the fantasy season is already over. However, for the few that may still be playing in Week 17 without a sure thing at QB I’ve got you covered. First let’s look back at Week 16. With four QBs left to play at the time of writing, Kirk Cousins sits at QB #1 for the week! Johnny Manziel did nothing as a passer but ran for over 100 yards to give himself an alright day. Teddy Bridgewater is warming up before the start of his game as I write this.
So for one final week - for this article I will look at two QBs owned in 50% or less of Fleaflicker leagues and another QB owned in 25% or less to account for the QB scarcity in 2QB leagues. The waiver wire is always thinner this time of the year but there is always a good stream if you look hard enough! As a side note, there are a few QBs right around 50% owned that I have written about several times that I seriously doubt are unowned in any really competitive league. Those are Ryan Fitzpatrick (48%), Tyrod Taylor (48%) and Alex Smith (49%). If those guys are unowned, go ahead and add them. I'm going to focus on less talked about QBs here.
Standard League QB Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17
Sam Bradford (PHI) @ Giants
OWNED IN: 36% of Fleaflicker leagues
Bradford has scored 16 and 17 fantasy points in his last two games (vs Arizona / vs Washington) and on paper this is an even easier matchup. Heading into Week 16 the Giants had given up 15 fantasy points or more in seven straight matchups. That is a really long streak! Even the terrible Saints have held two QBs under 15 points during that time.
So now Sam Bradford strolls into town with both teams eliminated from the playoff race and their coaches arguably playing for their jobs. I think Chip Kelly will keep his starters in as long as they are healthy. Bradford has been connecting with Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz more often since returning from injury. Based on what both teams have shown lately, 16-20 points seems like a reasonable expectation.
Brandon Weeden (HOU) vs Jaguars
OWNED IN: 3% of Fleaflicker Leagues
If there is one thing Brandon Weeden does really well I would have to say it is feeding his top weapon in the receiving game over and over. We saw it with Josh Gordon in 2013 and we saw it with DeAndre Hopkins (11 targets on 24 pass attempts leading to a 7-117-1 line) in Week 16. He should be able to match or possibly exceed that feat against the Jaguars.
This Jaguars team was eliminated from the playoffs before taking the field in Week 16 and they played like a demoralized team. Will they step it up in Week 17 with little to play for? That is a big question that may be a key to Weeden’s overall performance. Weeden was aided by a rushing touchdown last week but he was still worth 14 points as a passer. I think he can hit the 15 point mark here.
Deeper League QB Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17
A.J. McCarron (CIN) vs Ravens
OWNED IN: 6% of Fleaflicker Leagues
I don’t really care what McCarron does Monday Night against Denver, his matchup against that elite defense won’t say much about his performance against the Ravens. Here’s what we know about McCarron from his first two games with significant playing time: He has the weapons to succeed around him, and he is extremely confident, sometimes to a fault. Overconfidence has led to some poor decisions and some big plays. It makes him a boom/bust player but one worth taking a risk on in this matchup. Sure we did see Ben Roethlisberger put up an unexpectedly awful performance in Week 16 but I don’t see any reason to think it can happen again. Even after that game the Ravens have allowed 28 passing touchdowns to just six interceptions. That is terrible and exactly that kind of matchup that McCarron should thrive in. There is plenty of upside here if you don’t mind a little risk.
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