Week 13 Fantasy Football Quarterback Streaming: Searching for Volume on the Waiver Wire
Bye weeks are over, and there haven't been any big changes due to injury or otherwise at the quarterback position over the past couple of weeks. So if you're reading this article, that means you've been streaming all season, or picked up mid-season and are staying the course. Well done.
There have been plenty of great streaming options this season, and this week is no different. If you're in need of a new signal-caller for Week 13, fire up these players and make that final push to the playoffs.
Mark Sanchez, Philadelphia Eagles
According to Yahoo and ESPN, Mark Sanchez is owned in only 50% of leagues. If you're in a league where this is the case, you better have a damn good reason why you're not rostering the Sanchize.
The USC product has thrown the ball 44 and 43 times in his last two games, and gone over 300 yards in each one of his starts. These two statistics aren't disconnected, as Sanchez's volume is the driving factor in his fantasy volume. Chip Kelly's system gets the most out of quarterbacks from a fantasy perspective, and that makes Sanchez a safe play every week.
The Eagles have used Sanchez heavily in three games decided by around 30 points. This week's contest with Dallas should be a bit closer, meaning the Eagles may be forced to throw the ball even more than they have recently. Combine that with Dallas' passing defense (27th according to our Defensive Passing Net Expected Points data), and this is a match made in heaven. Dallas has given up 17 or more fantasy points to quarterbacks in three of their last four, and the only one to fail to reach that mark was Blake Bortles. Sanchez isn't Bortles. Start him this week.
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Remember what I was saying about volume? Quarterbacks playing the Denver Broncos have ridiculous levels of volume, as opponents of John Fox's team are often chasing the high-powered Denver offense all game. Alex Smith doesn't usually get a great amount of volume, but he will almost certainly have a higher amount of attempts this week as compared to his usual workload.
Denver allows the fifth-most points to opposing quarterbacks, and are in the middle of the pack against the pass according to our metrics. Smith has scored 15 or more points in three of his last four games, and also topped 14 points in his first meeting with the Broncos. No team has attempted fewer than 29 passes against Denver, and no quarterback has started and finished a game against them with fewer than 11 points.
Smith has a decent floor thanks to his rushing ability, and has a healthy Jamaal Charles, who can take any of his short throws for a long touchdown. Kansas City will be at home, and this is a huge game for them, so Smith should be fully motivated to play well and make a big play or two.
Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
Another quarterback, another situation with plenty of volume to target. Ryan Tannehill has thrown the ball at least 34 times in his last four starts, and has run the ball four or more times in five of his last seven games. He's getting tons of opportunities, and they're leading to fantasy points more often than not.
Take away a tough game at Detroit, and Tannehill is on a seven-game streak of 14 or more points, with four of those games being 20-plus pointers. He throws it often, he runs it well, and he has a pretty good track record. Could this get any better?
How about a matchup with the Jets this week? New York allows the most points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and ranks 25th in our pass defense metrics. Tannehill might not have a high ceiling thanks to a potential blowout over the Jets, but his floor is secure. And if he's out there in your league, he's one of the safest streaming options you'll find.
Drew Stanton, Arizona Cardinals
In a deep league and need a streaming option this week? You're probably unhappy about the first three options, who are already taken in your league, so here's the first of two very deep sleeper picks for this week. Drew Stanton did not look good this past week against Seattle, but who does? This week he faces Atlanta, who about as far from the Seattle defense as you'll get in the NFL.
Atlanta does have a talented cornerback in Desmond Trufant, but otherwise lacks in physicality or aggression at every spot on defense. They don't get after the quarterback well, and they struggle to handle receivers not covered by Trufant. That has led to a bottom-two ranking against the pass, according to our numbers, and above average points allowed per game.
Stanton has scored 15 or more in two of his four extended appearances this season, while Atlanta has only kept two opposing signal-callers under 14 points all year. Don't try to guess who will catch his touchdown passes, but expect a couple of scores from Stanton in a cupcake matchup for those needing a deep streaming option.
Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
Teddy Bridgewater hasn't quite lived up to his pre-draft hype from most of the NFL Draft writing community, who saw him as one of the most pro-ready passers in recent years. But he is playing well enough to score points against bad defenses, and he'll have a chance to do that this weekend against Carolina.
The Panthers rank 23rd against the pass according to our math, and allow the sixth-most points per game to quarterbacks in fantasy. They'll be on the road for this one, further decreasing the odds that they'll play above their heads and slow down Teddy this weekend.
Bridgewater has scored 16 or more points in two of his last three games, and both of those high-scoring affairs came at home. That's enough for me to trust him to score double-digits again this week in the chilly northern midwest, and that makes him a solid option for those in search of a deep streaming pick this weekend.
