Week 6 Fantasy Football Quarterback Streaming: Watch the Injury Reports
The viability and reliability of streaming quarterbacks in fantasy football will be up for debate as long as the game continues to exist. But there's one fringe benefit of streaming quarterbacks that should not go unnoticed.
If you play in a league with friends, you get to say to your opponent on any given week "I beat you with (insert name of bad quarterback) starting this week!" (I guess you don't have to be in a league with friends to do this, but it certainly has a bit more meaning when you're rubbing a victory in your buddy's face.)
So who will be the players to bring you a victory, and provide shame to your opponents in Week 6? Here are a few recommendations.
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
The Tampa Bay defense will line up against Joe Flacco and the Ravens this week, which makes him a top play as a quarterback streamer. The Bucs have been horrible on defense this season, allowing big plays and failing to make the simplest of tackles against all of their opponents through five games.
That's why they rank dead last in our Adjusted Defensive Passing Net Expected Points (adjusted for strength of schedule) metric, despite picking off Drew Brees multiple times in their last game. The Bucs can (and do) get occasional pressure on quarterbacks, but once the ball leaves the quarterback's hands, it's almost certainly going to wind up with an offensive skill position player.
Flacco has been in the middle of the pack so far this season among quarterbacks according to our data, so he's more than reliable enough to pick apart a defense that has been torched by Austin Davis and Derek Anderson.
Tennessee Titans Starting Quarterback
Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, Zach Mettenberger...it doesn't matter. If there's an NFL player lining up under center against the Jacksonville Jaguars, you want them in your fantasy lineup.
Jacksonville has allowed 250 yards or more to opposing quarterbacks in every game this year, and have allowed multiple touchdowns in all but one game so far this season. They rank as our third-worst defense, and look to be the easiest target for quarterback streaming.
Locker is still dealing with a hand injury, and the Titans may be willing to make the move to Mettenberger instead of the veteran Whitehurst, but any of these three players are capable of returning value and having a solid day for your fantasy team against the Jags.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
Last season it would have been crazy to recommend a quarterback against the Carolina Panthers defense, but with Greg Hardy out and the defensive backfield in disarray, it's become one of the worst pass defenses in the league.
The Panthers have allowed over 28 fantasy points in their last two games, and sit just outside of the bottom 10 in our NEP data for pass defenses. This week they face Andy Dalton and the Bengals, who look to bounce back after a tough game against the Patriots.
Dalton has posted 17 or more fantasy points in every game outside of the Tennessee matchup, which saw the Bengals race out to a huge lead and run out the clock for most of the afternoon. His numbers so far this season have been similar to Flacco's, in the middle of the pack, which is sufficient for an easy matchup against a struggling defense.
Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns
Brian Hoyer has quietly been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL this season, sitting in ninth in our Passing NEP rankings after five weeks. His schedule only gets easier over the next month, and that begins with a game against the banged up Pittsburgh defense.
The Steelers have the fourth-worst passing defense (per our data), and allowed a decent stat line to Hoyer in the team's first matchup of the season (when Pittsburgh was much healthier on defense). Hoyer went for 230 yards and a touchdown in the first game against the Steelers this season, and should easily top those numbers in round two.
Arizona Cardinals Starting Quarterback
Like the Tennessee situation, we'll have to wait and see who actually starts under center for Arizona, but whoever it is will be a solid play against Washington this weekend. They have the seventh-worst pass defense, which has allowed back-to-back 35 point outings by opposing quarterbacks, and will be easily broken down by Carson Palmer or Drew Stanton.
It should even be easy enough for rookie Logan Thomas, should he get the start this week, although he certainly shows signs of being ill prepared for life as an NFL quarterback. If Thomas is the starter, this becomes a more risky play, but still worth it due to Washington's incompetence on defense.
Arizona's at home for this game, making it an easier task for whoever winds up starting at quarterback. And if it's Palmer in particular, you definitely want to plug him into your lineup, as this is the kind of matchup where he could post a very good day in his return to the field.
