Fantasy managers are always looking to improve their rosters. We tend to focus overwhelmingly on running backs and wide receivers, but we’ve got a quarterback who is becoming a star right before our eyes. How much of a priority is Justin Fields for fantasy football managers to add off the waiver wire ahead of Week 9?
Justin Fields Has Been a QB1 for a Month
I grabbed Fields in a league ahead of last week to be my quarterback long-term. Unfortunately, I was afraid to start him against the Cowboys’ elite pass defense. Instead, I started Malik Willis, which will almost certainly have cost me a win by the time you read this.
Fields showcased why he’s a matchup-proof QB1, making me look foolish for doubting him. Once again, Fields attempted fewer than 25 passes. As an aside, taking the lower on Fields’ pass attempts on Underdog Fantasy has now hit in seven out of eight weeks. As fantasy managers, we don’t care if Fields isn’t throwing, though. We want him running. And that’s exactly what’s been going on.
Fields carried the ball eight times for 60 yards and a touchdown. It was his second consecutive game with a rushing score. He added two in the air, giving him his third multi-touchdown game of the season and his second game with two passing touchdowns.
For those keeping score at home, Fields has more multi-touchdown passing games than Tom Brady. Not that this is a contest between Fields and any specific quarterback, but there’s no question I’d drop Brady for Fields.
MORE: Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups
The biggest change I’ve noticed in watching the Chicago Bears — and this is something that doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score — is the nature of Fields’ rushes. They’re not mostly tactical scrambles. Rather, the Bears are calling more designed rushes for their quarterback.
Finally, the Bears are catering their offense to what their young quarterback does well. If this keeps up, and we have no reason to believe it won’t, Fields comes with an incredibly high weekly floor. He will be a passable QB2 even in weeks where he doesn’t find the end zone on the back of his rushing alone.
Fields has at least seven rushing attempts in every game this season. Week 3 is where things began to change. Since then, his lowest rushing output is 47 yards. Over the past three weeks, he’s averaging 76 rushing yards per game.
Even if he only throws for 100 yards, Fields just needs one touchdown to get to around 14-16 points. If he scores twice? Or throws for over 200 yards? He’s a QB1.
How Aggressively Should Fantasy Managers Pursue Fields Off the Waiver Wire?
We’ve entered a new era of fantasy football as it pertains to the QB position. For the better part of the past decade, quarterbacks didn’t matter. You could find any old QB in the double-digit rounds or just stream the position.
Not anymore. The elite quarterbacks are giving fantasy managers too big of an advantage. And any quarterback averaging 16 ppg or better is rostered.
Fields was useless to start the season, but he’s really come into his own lately. Since Week 5, Fields is averaging 21.7 ppg. On the season, those numbers would put him inside the top six.
I very much believe what Fields is doing is sustainable. It also doesn’t hurt that his next three games come against the Dolphins, Lions, and Falcons.
If you need a quarterback and Fields is out there, which he is in about 60% of Yahoo leagues, he’s worth paying up for. I would go at least 10-15% of my FAAB on him.
If you are still playing in a league that uses the continual rolling list waiver system and you don’t have a viable QB1, burn it on Fields. He has all the makings of a set-it-and-forget-it QB1 for the rest of the season.