Streaming Quarterbacks: Week 11 Targets

Nov 11, 2014

C.D. Carter

Here’s to you, Carson Palmer, for serving as a living, breathing example of why streaming works, and how replaceable quarterback points truly are in this fickle little game of ours.

I hope not to gloss over the tragic part of Palmer’s gut-wrenching knee injury – one that throws his NFL career into doubt – but whatever his future holds, his 2014 fantasy viability, despite being a late-round flier, was an invaluable lesson into how to get the most out of our rosters.

Palmer’s injury-shortened performance, Derek Carr’s hilariously inefficient outing and Mark Sanchez’s top-7 Week 10 numbers combined to drag down our weekly average a bit. We now sit at 16.8 points per game for quarterback streaming picks, or QB8 numbers, while optimal plays are scoring 22.1 fantasy points. That’s equivalent to QB2 numbers.

While Sanchez wasn’t incredibly accurate in the Eagles’ decimation of the horrendous Carolina defense – he completed just 57 percent of his throws –that doesn’t much matter in the fantasy creation that is Chip Kelly’s offense. Sanchez’s emergence serves as a critical reminder about separating fantasy from reality football.

Forget about what you know about Sanchez, about the butt fumble, about his questionable hairstyle decision, and embrace him as the beneficiary of a wondrous offensive system stocked with pass catching weapons from top to bottom.

Let’s get into Week 11 streamers, with continued focus on 4for4’s schedule-adjusted fantasy points and fantasy points per attempt (FPAT).

Robert Griffin III (WAS) vs. Tampa Bay Bucs

The one-time fantasy deity, beleaguered by a Vick-esque cascade of injuries, is now available in 54 percent of Yahoo leagues, putting him firmly in streamer territory.

Matt Ryan managed last week to do the near impossible: post mediocre numbers in a pass-heavy attack against the historically terrible Bucs’ secondary. Ryan was beset by some good, old-fashioned bad luck though, as Devin Hester dropped a wide-open touchdown that would’ve put Ryan in top-7 range for Week 10.

The Bucs are allowing 19.7 adjusted fantasy points per game to signal callers – third worst, only behind Washington and the defense formerly known as the Bears. RGIII’s appeal goes beyond adjusted points: Quarterbacks are completing 68.1 percent of their passes against Tampa and Griffin III, on 68 pass attempts this year, has completed 79 percent of his throws. That’s an encouraging statistical combo.

RGIII’s FPAT sits at a frighteningly low 0.37, but with a little rushing production and trust in this objectively mouthwatering matchup, he heads into Week 11 with a sky-high fantasy floor and a nice ceiling.