Streaming Quarterbacks: Week 17 Targets

Dec 23, 2014

C.D. Carter

Our Week 16 quarterback streamers sent us out with something less than a bang, though two of the three highlighted last week in this space lost fantasy title games for their owners.

Alex Smith did precisely what we thought he'd do against a heinous Steelers' secondary, posting 312 yards but somehow failing to toss a touchdown despite a handful of red zone trips that either ended in field goals or complete disaster.

Andy Dalton, meanwhile, overcame an ugly start on Monday night to post 15.5 fantasy points against the Broncos. Probably it took some guts to deploy Dalton in a prime time matchup -- he's been a debacle under the lights -- but I maintain he was a solid play against a Denver defense that hadn't given up much on the ground before Jeremy Hill did them in.

Josh McCown suffered a fate worse than any game flow nightmare I've seen this year, as the Packers simply milked the clock and the Bucs did precious little with their limited possessions. McCown, unlike Smith and Dalton, lost championship games for quarterback streamers. I joined you in that sad, sad boat.

With 16 weeks in the bag, our quarterback streaming options are averaging 17.3 fantasy points per contest, or QB9 numbers. Optimal streaming plays are notching 22.4 points, or QB4 numbers. Optimal options are scoring more points per week than Peyton Manning, thanks to his recent struggles.

Here are three quarterbacks I'm targeting in Week 17. Each guy is available in at least 40 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues:

Teddy Bridgewater (MIN) vs. Chicago Bears

Probably my biggest regret of 2014 is failing to include Bridgewater as a central piece of the quarterback streaming strategy. A couple of his hideous early season performances scared me off the rookie. His ceiling seemed decent, but his fantasy floor seemed to be, well, zero, and that's not what we're seeking in streaming.

Bridgewater, even after a few top-12 performances, is available in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues. He has a prime matchup against the ghost of the Bears' defense in Week 17. Chicago, now in official meltdown mode, has allowed a 71.3 percent completion rate over the past month. Only Atlanta' porous defense -- which Bridgewater scorched back in October -- allows more passing yards per game than the Bears.

The rookie's fantasy points per attempt (FPAT) is a meager 0.39, though that has a lot to do with a few disastrous performances in October and November. Bridgewater's FPAT over the past month has been a fine and dandy 0.57, meaning that we'd expect him to score around 17 fantasy points if he throws it 30 times.

Bridgewater is averaging 2.3 fantasy points per game on the ground -- nothing to ignore for streamers. Fire him up as a top-end streaming play against Chicago.