Streaming quarterbacks may not be the most accurate descriptor for this column Week 1.
Given zero teams on bye and no critical injuries to starting quarterbacks (Geno Smith notwithstanding) the outlook for whoever you picked in your draft is probably a relatively positive one. Most people will end up with a top 10 quarterback, and it's not an easy sell for me to tell you to pick up one of the guys below if you've got Matt Ryan or Tony Romo available to start this week.
So generally speaking, the strategy that ultimately results in streaming is passing over quarterbacks until later rounds in order to draft more skill position players than your fantasy league cohorts, and it may ultimately result in having a figurehead starting quarterback like Eli Manning or Colin Kaepernick. Not necessarily a great situation out of the gate.
But even if you didn't take that strategy as far as some would suggest, there are still good reasons to consider these players and read this column each week. Specifically, daily fantasy league players can find value in these guys, which is why I'm including the DraftKings price for each in addition to his current availability in ESPN fantasy leagues. That also leads me to the cutoff point I somewhat arbitrarily chose: None have an “owned” rate greater than 50 percent. In other words, you'll find them on the free agent market in a majority of leagues.
It also eliminates popular picks like Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater, quarterbacks who I otherwise would consider on a week-to-week basis. (And in case you’re wondering, Bradford would certainly be on the list this week.)
I’ve also included an assortment of other quarterbacks considered, however briefly, and some brief reasoning behind excluding them. These aren't assorted picks from a hat filled with players no one wants for a full season. They're quarterbacks I consider poised to have a solid showing Week 1, either due to the circumstances of their opponents (i.e., those opponents being not good) or their respective teams (e.g., new offense, healthy teammates, etc.).
The first week of the season is arguably the most uncertain, despite rosters generally filled with healthy players. It’s a brief period of essentially unlimited potential meeting the realities of an opposing defense. I’ll follow up next week with more picks and some perhaps humbling retrospectives on these selections. Hopefully they’re not too humbling.
Stream these 3 quarterbacks
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