Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books. Hopefully, your team pulled out the victory. However, the only easy win was last week’s win. So, let’s look at the top streaming quarterback options for Week 9.
All the quarterbacks in this article are rostered in under 50% of ESPN 1QB leagues and under 25% in superflex leagues.
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Fantasy Football Quarterback Streamers & Waiver Wire Pickups
Streaming Targets in 1QB Leagues
Sam Darnold (MIN) vs. Indianapolis Colts (46.5% Rostered)
While Darnold hasn’t put up elite fantasy numbers lately, the veteran quarterback has played well this season. He has averaged 17.1 fantasy points per game this year, totaling 16.3 or more in all but one game since Week 1. The former USC star has been productive despite averaging 27 pass attempts per game, totaling 28 or fewer in all but one contest. More importantly, Darnold has averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game in the six contests not against the New York Jets, positing a 14-5 touchdown to interception ratio.
Fantasy players should also expect T.J. Hockenson to make his season debut in Week 9. The star tight end won’t have a massive impact on Darnold’s production but will give the veteran quarterback a weapon in the middle of the field. More importantly, the Colts have held quarterbacks to 10.9 fantasy points per game over the past three weeks. However, they faced Will Levis and Tyler Huntley in those three games. By comparison, Indianapolis had surrendered 1.6 passing touchdowns and 20.4 fantasy points per game over the first five weeks.
Bo Nix (DEN) vs. Baltimore Ravens (36.7% Rostered)
The 2024 NFL Draft class has produced several excellent fantasy quarterbacks over the first half of this season. Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams have gotten all the headlines. However, Nix has been a top-10 quarterback over the first eight weeks, averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, the former Oregon star has been outstanding lately, averaging 1.8 passing touchdowns and 21.9 fantasy points per game over the past four weeks. The rookie quarterback is coming off the best performance of his career against the Carolina Panthers.
Nix completed 75.7% of his pass attempts for 284 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a rushing score, ending the game with 29.8 fantasy points, the second-most heading into Monday night. Meanwhile, the Ravens defense has been a fantasy goldmine for quarterbacks, giving up 2.1 passing touchdowns and 21.3 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, quarterbacks have averaged 341.3 passing yards, 3.3 touchdowns, and 26.3 fantasy points per game against Baltimore over the past four weeks. Expect Nix to score at least 24 fantasy points for the second connective game.
Streaming Targets in Superflex Leagues
Matthew Stafford (LAR) vs. Seattle Seahawks (18.5% Rostered)
Thankfully, Stafford and the Rams’ offense was significantly better in Week 8 compared to the first seven weeks. The veteran was awful before last week, averaging 9.2 fantasy points per game, totaling 6.6 or fewer in half of those contests. He had only three touchdowns over the first six games, throwing his last in Week 5. However, fantasy players expected Stafford to struggle with Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) out of the lineup. Los Angeles scored a season-high 30 points in the Week 8 win on Thursday night.
More importantly, the veteran had 24.8 fantasy points after totaling 34.1 in the four contests without either superstar receiver. Stafford’s four passing touchdowns were the most he had since Week 12 of the 2015 season (five). Meanwhile, the Seahawks have surrendered two passing touchdowns and 20.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the past five weeks, giving up at least two and 19.8 or more in all but one contest. Stafford had 334 passing yards in the matchup in Seattle last year without Kupp in the lineup.
Jameis Winston (CLE) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (3.3% Rostered)
It’s amazing how much Cleveland’s offense and playoff outlook has changed after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. Winston was outstanding in his first start since the 2022 season on Sunday, completing 65.9% of his pass attempts for 334 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 23.6 fantasy points against the Baltimore Ravens. More importantly, he has played well despite the lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver. The former top NFL Draft pick has averaged 0.62 fantasy points per pass attempt over the past two weeks.
Last week, the Chargers “held” Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener to zero passing touchdowns and 12.1 fantasy points. However, quarterbacks had averaged 18.1 fantasy points per game over their previous four matchups against Los Angeles, scoring 18.4 or more in all but one contest. Furthermore, the Chargers surrendered 20.4 or more fantasy points to quarterbacks in back-to-back games before last week. Don’t be surprised if Winston has a Joe Flacco 2023 season-like run over the next several weeks, making him a top-seen quarterback for the rest of the year.
Streamer to Avoid
Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) vs. Buffalo Bills (47.9% Rostered)
Typically, streaming articles provide which players to target off the waiver wire. However, I will give one quarterback that fantasy players should avoid streaming each week.
Everyone was happy to see Tagovailoa back on the field in Week 8 after missing the previous four games with a concussion. The star quarterback played well, completing 73.7% of his pass attempts. However, he only had 14.7 fantasy points after totaling 234 passing yards and a touchdown in a 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. After totaling two or more passing touchdowns in nearly half of the games last year, Tagovailoa has thrown only one in every contest this season. More importantly, he has an awful matchup on Sunday.
Tagovailoa faces the division rival Bills in Week 9. Buffalo has held quarterbacks to 13.4 fantasy points per game, one of the lowest averages in the NFL. They have surrendered fewer than 10 fantasy points to quarterbacks in half of their matchups, including back-to-back games. Tagovailoa had only 145 passing yards and 5.5 fantasy points on 25 attempts in the Week 2 matchup against the Bills. Furthermore, the veteran has had under one or fewer passing touchdowns in seven of eight career matchups against the divisional rivals, including three straight.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.