Streaming Quarterbacks: Week 8 Targets

Oct 22, 2019

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Aaron Rodgers busted two-game slump with 6 total touchdowns. The top non-quarterback contributors were Marvin Jones, Chase Edmonds, and Latavius Murray. Ryan Fitzpatrick finished as a QB1. Week 7 exemplified fantasy football to the fullest extent. Even with all of our planning, working the waiver wire, and checking injury news, we won’t have all of the information until after kickoff. At the same time, we’re deep enough into the season that we can use recent data to establish trends moving forward. Situations have rapidly changed with injuries and defensive adjustments. With an eye on the rapidly-approaching fantasy playoffs, we’ll be taking a closer look at target distribution, defensive injuries, and line play to identify the optimal plays.

We only have two teams on bye in Week 8 (Dallas, Baltimore), but both quarterbacks are universally rostered as they’re both within the Top 5 on the season. That will force more fantasy managers to look to the waiver wire for options on their bye week. To account for the additional attention, we’ve added an extra recommendation as more quarterbacks may be picked up than in weeks past. Let’s dive into it.

Other Week 8 Streaming Articles: TE | K | D/ST

Week 7 Review

Three of our four recommendations hit in a big way with each finishing as QB1’s in Week 7.

Jacoby Brissett – 27.6 points(QB4)
Josh Allen – 21.3 points (QB7)
Kirk Cousins – 29.2 points (QB2)
Daniel Jones – 10.4 points (QB20)

For Daniel Jones, the tide is turning against the once thought of savior for the Giants. New York entered Week 6 in the Top 12 for pass protection and Arizona was 29th in aFPA (22.0) and 20th in sacks per game. What set up as a positive game environment quickly went south as Jones was sacked eight times, fumbled three times, and threw an interception. While the Giants were riddled with injuries, the Cardinals didn’t enter the week as a formidable opponent at home. Their Week 8 matchup at Detroit has kept him from streaming consideration, but we’ll keep an eye on his performance going forward.

Ryan Fitzpatrick making his way into the QB1conversation isn’t that surprising, but doing that against Buffalo is noteworthy. The Bills entered Week 7 with the 6th lowest aFPA and even held Tom Brady to 3.7 fantasy points. The assumption is Buffalo extended their bye week into the first half of their contest against the Dolphins. Miami has another tough assignment in Week 8 against Pittsburgh leaving him off our recommendations for this week.

Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed

Next, let’s visit 4for4’s Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed ranks updated through Week 7. Injuries and high-scoring offenses have begun to take their toll. With a few weeks of data, we can begin to target these teams in the future. Notable rankings for defensive units include:

BUF is down 7 spots to #13 (15.2 aFPA)
DET is down 7 spots to #19 (17.9 aFPA)
OAK is down 5 spots to #31 (23.8 aFPA)
NYG is up 5 spots to #22 (18.4 aFPA)
LAR is up 6 spots to #8 (14.6 aFPA)
DAL is up 10 spots to #10 (15.0 aFPA)

Key Defensive Injuries

Finally, we’ll review injuries along with the guidelines that will be used each week to find viable options on the waiver wire:

Only quarterbacks with no more than a 50% ownership in Yahoo leagues considered.
Ancillary metrics and game conditions (e.g. defensive ranking, weather) will be factored into the analysis.
Positive matchups for all pass catchers to be considered.
4for4 rankings should always be consulted for league-specific decisions.

Darius Slay (Lions, Hamstring) – Detroit’s (17.9 aFPA) best corner exited Week 7 in the first half with giving way to Stefon Diggs racking up 142 yards. Diggs had 2 targets for 42 yards prior to Slay leaving the game. Afterward, the passing game couldn’t be stopped. The Pro-Bowl cornerback has had hamstring issues already this season, but it’s unclear if the injury will keep him sidelined as Detroit hosts the Giants in Week 8.

Leighton Vander Esch (Cowboys, Neck) – The second-year linebacker was pulled from the game after suffering a stinger in the second quarter of their matchup against the Cowboys. With Dallas on bye, he’ll have time to rest up ahead of their matchup against the Giants in Week 9.

Other Notable Injuries: Tashaun Gipson (Texans, Back), Najee Goode (Jaguars, Foot), Montae Nicholson (Washington, Ankle), Kurt Coleman (Bills, Hamstring), Pernell McPhee (Ravens, Arm), Adoree Jackson (Titans, Foot), Robert Quinn (Cowboys, Ribs)