Waiver Wire Quarterback: Week 10

It’s a new age. No longer do the Rodgers or Bradys of the world rule the fantasy kingdom. The peasant quarterbacks have revolted against the tyranny that is the idea of elite quarterbacks being a necessity, and they now are in command of the fantasy quarterbacking throne.

Perhaps more than ever, “waiver wire quarterbacks” are producing at the same rate as those who you wasted a high draft pick on. Just this past week, of the 16 quarterbacks who scored at least 15 standard fantasy points, a staggering nine of them were widely available for streaming purposes.

The point being: stop wasting your resources on these so called “elite” signal callers, and go grab yourself a no-name that will put up the same point totals but for a fraction of the cost.

Week 10 provides the deepest pool of waiver wire quarterbacks we’ve seen this season. So instead of the usual in-depth breakdown of five or so gun-slingers, I’m going to tackle all of the plentiful options at the position highlighting their streaming eligibility.

Small Sample Size Streaming

If you started Foles last week, you should probably be the one dishing out the advice, not me. But if you weren’t as fortunate, I can’t blame you. There were almost no indicators that Foles would toss for over 400 yards and seven touchdowns in route to 45.6 fantasy points. But because of that, he jumps right back into the streaming conversation.

While on only 36% of the attempts, the sophomore quarterback is second to only Peyton Manning in Passing Net Expected Points per pass at .41 (to read more about NEP, click here). Last week was an outlier and his efficiency is due to regress, but Foles is still a solid streaming option due to the matchup. The Eagles take on Packers this week, who rank 22nd in the NFL against opposing quarterbacks and near the bottom of the league in defensive pass efficiency. Don’t expect last weeks lofty numbers, but QB1 numbers are still in reach.

As I said last week, sometimes it doesn’t matter how old or skilled you are, as long as you have the quarterback whisperer on your side. Coach Marc Trestman is proving himself a wizard when it comes to this whole quarterback thing, as the Bear’s offense hasn’t missed a step since McCown took over.

While it’s unclear if Jay Cutler will start this week, McCown will be a top-12 play if Cutler doesn’t suit up. In only two games, he ranks third in the NFL in Passing NEP/pass right behind Foles and Manning. McCown and the Bears offense should continue to thrive this week against a Lions secondary that has surrendered six passing touchdowns the past two weeks.

The Case is closed on the Texan’s quarterback controversy. Case is the Kee(y) to Houston’s offense. Ok I’ll stop, but it should be noted that he is the Keenum-ber five quarterback in the NFL in terms of Pass NEP/pass (no more I promise).

Keenum has rejuvenated the Texan’s previously stale offense with a down-field attack. The Texans' quarterback is averaging 10.5 yards per attempt after his first two games in the league, and will likely keep slinging it as their running game is depleted due to injury. The matchup against the Cardinals won’t do him any favors, but Keenum is still an intriguing, while risky, stream option this week.

The Consistently Inconsistent

Big Ben looks like a piece of his former self, but was still able to show us he can put up solid fantasy numbers last week. Ben put up 400 yards and four touchdowns against a good New England secondary in Week 9, in what was a top-10 fantasy day.

Todd Haley’s offense is built to pass, especially with the Steelers being down in games so often, and that’s exactly what they have been doing. Even though Roethlisberger is in the middle of the worst season of his career in terms of efficiency, he is on pace to set career highs in attempts and yardage. Taking on a Bills defense that has allowed at least two scores through the air seven times, Ben has QB1 upside with a surprisingly high floor.

The Red Rifle lost many owner’s trust last week, posting 6.7 points after three straight weeks of 25-plus. But a dud was certainly in the realm of possibilities, as Dalton is known for his streaks of solid play followed by goose eggs. However, I think he’s much more likely to return to a solid play this week, taking on the Ravens.

The number-10 quarterback through Week 9, Dalton has shown that he and his arsenal of weapons have what it takes to maintain low-end production. Combined with the fact the Ravens secondary is much more feared in name than actual production as seen last week giving up almost 25 points to Jason Campbell, the stage is set for another low-end QB1 performance from Dalton.

The other Manning has been dreadful all year, and there is no sugar coating it. But perhaps a bye and an appealing matchup can help Eli get back to his elite status. Over the bye, the Giants undoubtedly worked out some offensive issues, and are getting back running back Andre Brown who will look to add another dimension to this offense.

But the matchup is the real appetizing aspect of Manning’s stream potential. Fresh off getting eviscerated by Nick Foles, Eli has an opportunity to add on to the Raider’s misery as their 30th-ranked pass defense against opposing quarterbacks fly’s across the country. Oakland's advanced metrics are a little better against the pass, but still rank in the bottom 10. With so many good options, Eli is purely a desperation play.

Bad Team + Bad Quarterback = Fantasy Points?

Making his weekly appearance here on WWQB, Pryor keeps on chugging. After throwing for a season high 288 yards and tacking on another 94 on the ground, Pryor cemented his status as a near every week QB1. Having perhaps the highest floor in fantasy outside of elite guys, the Ohio State product has had double-digit fantasy points in every start this season.

The negative Passing NEP total shows he still has a lot of room to grow as a passer, but we all know his fantasy value stems from his rushing ability. In another cake matchup against the Giants, who allow the fourth most rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks, Pryor will likely post mid-QB1 numbers with upside for much more.

Letting down many owners last week, Locker put up only 10.4 points against the Rams. But if there is one thing to take away from that performance, it's that this could be his floor. Like Pryor, the Titans quarterback has posted at least 10 points in every start this season, and is top-10 at the position in points per game.

His seasonal outlook will only improve now that Chris Johnson seems to be back on track (until he carries it 26 times for 45 yards this week), but he likely won’t have a bigger stream appeal outside of this week. Locker will suit up against the worst defense in the NFL according to our Defensive NEP metircs, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags have allowed a 16:3 touchdown to interception ratio and over 20 points per game to opposing fantasy quarterbacks, both numbers Locker will look to add on to.

The motif continues, as Glennon has been a playable fantasy quarterback since taking over in Week 6, even though the Buccaneers are still winless. The rookie has shown tremendous pocket poise and the ability to throw down field in light of his team’s deficiencies, allowing him to post at least 15 fantasy points in four straight games.

Glennon has a tough matchup this week against the Dolphins, who haven’t allowed over 11 fantasy points to an opposing quarterback since Week 4. Glennon would still make a fine waiver wire quarterback this week and going forward, but tamper your expectations against teams like Miami with superb pass rushes and ball-hawking secondaries.

Don’t Forget About Me!

Many have dropped Cutler anticipating a long absence due to injury, but Cutler is rapidly shedding his laughable “soft” tag and could start this Sunday. If he is floating around on your waiver wire, throw Smokin’ Jay a rope and reel him onto your fantasy team. Cutler was a high-end QB1 before he went down, and will continue to be once he returns especially with a buttery schedule that he will cut through like a hot knife. Even if it’s just to make sure an opponent doesn’t get him, Cutler should be your number one priority.