Week 5 QB Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Teddy Two-Gloves Keeps Rolling

Week five is upon us, and the fantasy-relevant waiver wire options are growing scarce. Have no fear though if you’re desperate for a quarterback, because I have five great streaming options for you right here. Let’s take a look.

Teddy Bridgewater

It’s time we start taking the Atlanta Falcons passing defense seriously in that you should start every possible streaming option against them for the remainder of the season. Through three games, the Falcons are giving up a preposterous average of 363 passing yards and three touchdowns per game. In addition to this, they’ve given up a total of 90 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground to quarterbacks as well. Bridgewater, who just put up one of his best fantasy days ever against the Cardinals, showed off his legs with an 18-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of that game. He is averaging a passing touchdown and nearly 300 yards passing per game through four games. Combine a mid-level fantasy option with an opponent who has yielded more fantasy points to the quarterback position than any other team and you have a great streaming option. Consider holding Bridgewater beyond week five, as his next three opponents are Chicago, New Orleans, and Atlanta again.

Kirk Cousins

Much like Atlanta as an opponent, it’s time you start looking at which quarterback gets to play Seattle each week. This week, it’s none other than Kirk Cousins. Combine the Vikings’ weak defense with the explosiveness of the Seahawks offense and you’re likely to find Cousins playing catchup for much of this game. Other than his torrid week two performance against the tough Colts defense, Cousins hasn’t killed you as a streaming option. Weeks one and three were top-12 performances, and the Texans’ inefficiency on offense and inability to slow down Dalvin Cook limited Cousins’ need to pass in week four. Seattle’s offense, however, is not inefficient, and they’re much stronger against the run than Houston is. Additionally, the emergence of Justin Jefferson has given Cousins another weapon in the passing game. Looking ahead, consider picking up and holding Cousins as a streamer for the next handful of weeks. His next five opponents and their rank against the QB are as follows: Seattle (#31), Atlanta (#32), Bye, Green Bay (#19), Detroit (#22).

Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert has scored north of 20 fantasy points in two of his three career NFL starts. He’s averaging over 300 yards passing per game, and has scored at least one touchdown in all three games. Most notably, this past week against a tough Buccaneers defense, Herbert completed 20 of his 25 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to rushing five times for 14 yards. It’s clear that Herbert has a propensity to make plays, and he’s been doing it against a handful of teams that are not otherwise getting scored on fantasy-wise against the quarterback. His last two opponents, Tampa Bay and Carolina, are number-four and number-three respectively in terms of fantasy points against the quarterback. This week, Herbert will take on New Orleans, who are in the bottom-third of the league in terms of fantasy points against the quarterback. As Herbert looks to keep up with the explosive offense of the Saints, expect another high-volume passing game from Herbert. After New Orleans, the Chargers take on the Jets, The Dolphins, and the Jaguars. Consider rostering Herbert and holding on to him for this stretch.

Daniel Jones

I can’t believe I am typing this, but consider streaming Daniel Jones this week. Why? He plays the Cowboys, who are giving up more fantasy points to the quarterback position than nearly any other team in the league (only the Falcons, Seahawks, and Browns have given up more). If we have learned anything in fantasy this season, it’s that we like games involving the Cowboys, Falcons, or Seahawks. Yes, i’ll admit, the Giants have looked historically bad on offense. However, they’ve yet to face a defense as bad as the Cowboys. In fact, their first four opponents, Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Francisco, and the Los Angeles Rams, were fairly tough defensive opponents. While Jones was wildly inconsistent in 2019, he did have four boom games of 28 points or higher. I’d look elsewhere at first, but if you’re in a pinch, roll the dice with Jones against an opponent that has yet to stop anyone.

Philip Rivers

Thus far, Philip Rivers’ fantasy outlook has been severely limited by Indianapolis’ ability to run the ball and play defense. However, their week five opponent poses the opportunity for a much different game. The Cleveland Browns have a clear weakness in their pass defense. While they have been much more respectable stopping the run, they have given up the third-most fantasy points to the quarterback position. Meanwhile, the Browns offense has posted three straight weeks of 30-plus points. Much like Daniel Jones, look elsewhere first, but consider streaming Rivers against one of the worst teams in the league in terms of allowing fantasy points to the quarterback position.