Fantasy football managers are always looking for an edge, and at this point in the season, the best defense can be a good offense. The fantasy QB streamers this week should interest everyone — let me explain.
The first two quarterbacks on this list are fresh off their bye and have a favorable couple of weeks ahead. There are no bye weeks this week, but there are four in each of the next two, which means the value of these streamers will spike with time.
We are in the second half of the fantasy regular season. Every week matters. If you can pluck one of these options off the wire and hinder a future opponent, why not do it? Maybe you have Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, or Trevor Lawrence and want to get ahead of your backup QB situation before needing the help in Week 9.
Whatever the case, there is value in at least considering how these options fit into the mix long-term, understanding that there are no teams on a bye this week and other managers may not be looking at the big picture.
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Top Fantasy QB Streamers for Week 8
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (at Panthers)
The Houston Texans rookie has thrown multiple touchdown passes in four of his past five games and has an extra week to prepare for a defense allowing 7.0 yards per pass.
The poise of C.J. Stroud is what has impressed me most with time. During his first two games, Stroud was sacked 11 times despite a conservative approach. This offensive line was a problem, and he was paying the fantasy bills with sheer volume.
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Since then, he’s only been dragged down twice, and it’s not because they’ve dialed back the aggression — his aDOT is up 10.7% over that stretch from those first two games. He’s begun to count on his chain-moving tight end in Dalton Schultz, and that increases the floor of this offense.
- Schultz, Weeks 1-3: 7 catches, 14 targets, 47 yards, 0 TDs
- Schultz, Weeks 4-6: 14 catches, 20 targets, 168 yards, 3 TDs
This game features the two worst defenses in terms of missed tackles per game, so if you can’t get Stroud, he’s not the only rookie signal-caller in this game worth a look.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (vs. Texans)
Bryce Young has yet to throw for 250 yards as a pro and only has one multi-TD game on his resume thus far, but with the bye week to prepare for an underwhelming defense, there’s an avenue for him to crack the top 15.
Bryce Young is going to be just fine pic.twitter.com/CfcqsPPP3y
— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) October 18, 2023
The Texans rarely blitz and are the fifth-worst defense at getting off the field on third down. We can knock Carolina for its lack of pass-catching depth, and that’s fair, but Young has seen just 1.8% of his passes dropped (less than half of the league average).
They may not elevate plays in a significant way, but they make the plays they are supposed to, and that might be enough in this spot.
The Carolina Panthers have scored a touchdown on 60% of their red zone trips this season, and that should put him in a position to produce against a defense that ranks in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to the QB position.
Gardner Minshew II, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Saints)
Well, it doesn’t get much more impressive than that! Against the best defense in the league, Gardner Minshew II racked up 305 yards through the air (his two TDs totaled 134 yards) to go along with a pair of rushing scores.
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The New Orleans Saints defense is good, but with a low pressure rate, Minshew could have time to throw, especially if this run game continues to produce. The idea of playing him with no teams on a bye might seem gross, but with a lot of those fringe options in tough matchups (namely Sam Howell, Matthew Stafford, and Joe Burrow), Minshews in your mirror are closer than they appear.
QB Rankings for Week 8
1. Patrick Mahomes | KC (at DEN)
2. Josh Allen | BUF (vs. TB)
3. Jalen Hurts | PHI (at WAS)
4. Lamar Jackson | BAL (at ARI)
5. Justin Herbert | LAC (vs. CHI)
6. Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (vs. NE)
7. Jared Goff | DET (vs. LV)
8. Trevor Lawrence | JAX (at PIT)
9. C.J. Stroud | HOU (at CAR)
10. Jordan Love | GB (vs. MIN)
11. Kirk Cousins | MIN (at GB)
12. Sam Howell | WAS (vs. PHI)
13. Matthew Stafford | LAR (at DAL)
14. Bryce Young | CAR (vs. HOU)
15. Joe Burrow | CIN (at SF)
16. Gardner Minshew | IND (vs. NO)
17. Dak Prescott | DAL (vs. LAR)
18. Deshaun Watson | CLE (at SEA)
19. Geno Smith | SEA (vs. CLE)
20. Derek Carr | NO (at IND)