The quarterback position has seemingly taken an awkward step back in fantasy football this season.
Rushing QBs like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts are considered the gold standard.
Seeing youngsters like Jayden Daniels and even Bo Nix improve their value with added rushing yards and touchdowns seems to be what everyone covets most.
But there aren’t enough of them to go around, even in a 10-team league.
That puts the onus on us to find quality pocket passers who can contribute consistent points.
Easier said than done in an era when people are looking to bench Patrick Mahomes.
But Week 9 offers us a few matchups for pocket passers in which we need to invest.
Sure, you could grab a high-floor guy like Sam Darnold or Jared Goff, but the ceiling for both — based on scheme, matchup and history — is a bit capped and doesn’t excite anyone.
If you need to stream in a quarterback and you are looking for upside, then look at either Matthew Stafford or Caleb Williams.
Both are in strong matchups and could reach that ceiling-level of production you need.
With Stafford, it should be easy to see.
The returns from Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua elevate the Rams passing attack in such a way that 300 yards and three touchdowns by Stafford seems more like a legitimate possibility than a pipe dream.
This is an important game against the Seahawks, as the two teams jockey for position in the NFC West, and the Seattle defense has had its struggles while losing four of the past five games.
Streaming Williams might be tough for some, especially after last week’s struggles against what should have been a soft Commanders defense.
The Bears rattled off three straight wins against subpar opponents then had their bye week.
They weren’t properly prepared to face Washington.
This week, they will be ready to face the Cardinals — a defense that ranks 29th in DVOA against the pass, is allowing the seventh-most passing yards per game and has allowed 11 touchdowns through the air.
On top of that, opposing quarterbacks have a combined 101.4 QB rating against them.
With the arsenal of pass catchers he has, Williams should deliver in style.
Betting on the NFL?
The quarterback position is too important to dismiss in fantasy football.
Find the one who can give your team the best chance to win.
Ideally, you would like to have someone you can trust every week, but given the current landscape, streaming is a viable option.
You just need the right guy.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.
