Fantasy Football: 3 Quarterback Streamer Options for Week 13
Streaming quarterbacks remains an integral part of fantasy football for those who were willing to wait on the position in favor of loading up their lineups in drafts.
It's not always the preferred option as putting top-shelf guys in your lineup and forgetting it is always nice, but you can get some great value on the waiver wire each week to start at the position, keeping you competitive on a week-to-week basis.
Whether it's 10-team or 12-team leagues, there are going to be options out there to choose from.
When it comes to streaming a quarterback, there are multiple factors in play with none being more important than the defense they're opposing. From there, you can look at the situation they're in, what they've been doing as of late, and more. All of this matters -- especially when you're trying to find points at the most important position in football.
The bye weeks are back, and it'll leave fantasy owners without Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Here are the best quarterback streamers for Week 13.
Week 13 Quarterback Streamers
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Week 13 Opponent: Detroit Lions
Another week, another chance to recommend Derek Carr as a quarterback streamer.
It's very rarely been pretty with Carr this season, but he's an option -- even if unexciting. After getting knocked out of the Saints' Week 10 game with a concussion, Carr returned from the bye to throw for over 300 yards for the fifth time this year. The bad part was that it included zero touchdowns.
The other bad part was that Chris Olave left in the third quarter with a concussion while Rashid Shaheed left with an injured quad. Olave will have six days to get cleared to face off with the Detroit Lions.
There is good news for Carr this week, however. The Lions are coming off a game where they allowed 26.6 fantasy points to Jordan Love on Thanksgiving, showing that their defense has been lacking. Overall, they're giving up the seventh-most points per game to the quarterback position (18.7).
Even with two of his weapons potentially out, the Saints have enough to work with to push Carr over the top with bye weeks returning this weekend. The game has a 45.5 total, meaning that points are expected throughout. Whether it's garbage time or not, Carr should do enough to be a competitive fantasy quarterback and a comfortable option streaming-wise.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Week 13 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Change has arrived in Carolina with the goal of helping the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich this morning after starting their season with a 1-10 record. As a result, Chris Tabor will take over as interim head coach while Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to the offense. Ultimately, it's been a tough year for the Panthers, and it's all about making things better for Bryce Young, who we believe could be a bold but good streamer this weekend.
As we've already seen this season with the firing of Josh McDaniels, teams can play inspired when change happens in the locker room. Young hasn't had much consistency at all to lead off his career. He's thrown for just 1,877 yards and 9 touchdowns in his first 10 games as a pro. All that being said, there's reason for hope.
Young is going to have an ideal matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend. The Bucs are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game (19.0) so far. The Panthers' quarterback had his best outing against the Lions back in Week 5, finishing with 20.3 fantasy points. Tampa Bay is allowing more points per game to the position, setting up Young to potentially top his best day yet.
What could lead to Young having more success is continuing to utilize his rushing skill. He's had 30 or more rushing yards in five of his last six games. Continuing to use his legs and improving his overall passing numbers could see him close the season strong -- or at least be better than it's been.
Change can be good, and for Young, it's time to see what the Panthers truly have in him.
Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 13 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jake Browning experience in Cincinnati has started, and the results aren't too bad.
While he isn't going to be putting up Joe Burrow numbers any time soon, Browning proved to be a fine option for the Cincinnati Bengals. That makes him a fine streaming choice with so many key quarterbacks on bye.
In his first start, Browning threw for 227 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also ran for nine yards. Nothing jumps off the page, but against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that only allows 13.7 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, it's pretty good.
The best news for Browning is that he will be set up for a far better matchup here in Week 13. Cincinnati will face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. That's the same Jaguars team that just saw C.J. Stroud finish with 30.9 fantasy points. Considering the weapons that Browning has at his disposal, he should be able to do the damage you're looking for out of a streamer.
Jacksonville is allowing 19.5 fantasy points per game to opposing passers, which is the fourth-most of any team in the NFL this season. Those are numbers that have lasted all year, giving Browning a chance to really shine in primetime.
Whether it's 10- or 12-man leagues, the Bengals' signal-caller is a great option and could be the best of the week for streamers.
Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.
Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!
The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.