How to navigate bumps in QB road
MOST people take a similar path to work every day. You travel the same roads, catch the same buses, wait on the same trains. This is reliable, it is safe, it is the best way to approach the task at hand. Your daily route is as dependable as waiting until late to draft a fantasy quarterback, because that is what works best.
But that doesn’t mean it always works. Who knew waiting to draft Drew Brees meant you were going to get sideswiped by a thumb injury. How could you have foreseen the Ben Roethlisberger bus suffering an elbow problem at its second stop? There was no way to forecast the Nick Foles train barely pulling out of the station before picking up a broken collarbone. Heck, if you ignored the draft guide and took one earlier than we recommend, you might have ended up with Cam Newton — which is like following a wildly inaccurate GPS that also has mechanical problems. And now there is speculation
regarding Eli Manning’s starting status.
So here you are, playing catch-up, already off to a slow start, and you have the added hurdle of heavy traffic in front of you — since more of your leaguemates will be turning on those busy waiver-wire-QB roads as well.
Brees is expected to miss at least six weeks. We prefer to keep him on our roster, but that will be increasingly difficult when the bye weeks begin. We aren’t ready to fully endorse dropping Newton, but that destination isn’t far away. Roethlisberger’s ride is over, move along without him.
To replace these fantasy vehicles, you should drive over to the waiver wire. Sure, you could trade, but in basic one-QB formats, you likely will be able to find a usable replacement without having to sacrifice a productive player.
Some possible free agents include, in order of preference: Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Josh Allen, Andy Dalton, Matthew Stafford, Jameis Winston or Derek Carr.
These are safer options with at least as much upside as the replacements. But we do like the potential of Roethlisberger sub Mason Rudolph better than the other fill-in options. He was drafted as a potential heir to Big Ben, so he’ll get a chance to earn that role.
Foles backup Gardner Minshew, the Dirk Diggler of QBs, has been surprisingly competent since stepping in early in Week 1. He was impossibly efficient in the opener (22-of-25, 275 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) and engineered a late TD drive Sunday that nearly won the game.
Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t performed well since landing in New Orleans, and he wasn’t a strong fantasy option as a Vikings starter years ago. Manning heir Daniel Jones is on the radar, but there are no guarantees when he actually takes over the starting job.
Hopefully our fantasy GPS helps you navigate some difficult QB traffic. Just remember, despite these unexpected hurdles, come next season, your normal draft route still is reliable.