There are three things that are certain in life: Death, Taxes, and injuries to your fantasy football team. A few major blows have come through the NFL the past couple weeks on starting quarterbacks. Players such as Jay Cutler, Sam Bradford, and Michael Vick have all been bitten by the injury bug. Not to mention that there are plenty of underperforming quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Colin Kaepernick. If your fantasy team is struggling with the quarterback position there is no need to worry just yet. You may be surprised at the talent you can pick up off of waivers. This list of quarterbacks are all starting in less than 30 percent of all fantasy leagues. Some of these players need to be steady starters and others are a great option for replacing an injured quarterback or filling in for the bye weeks.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
Dalton has his ups and downs just like every other quarterback in the league. He started the season pretty slow but the past two games he threw for over 300 yards with three touchdowns. With a deep threat and a red zone magnet in A.J. Green, it’s easy to see why Dalton has decent numbers. Don’t be surprised to see his weekly fantasy output to stay in the 15-20 point range for the rest of the season.
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
One of the main reasons Luck isn’t started at a higher percentage in fantasy leagues is because the yardage just isn’t there. Only once has he gone over the 300 yard mark and twice he has gone under the 200 yard mark. What makes him a worth starting is his consistency. Luck only had one bad fantasy game and that was week six against the Chargers. Other than that he has remained steady in the upper teens, lower twenties range of fantasy points. Luck is on bye this week but after that he has a very favorable schedule that will help his fantasy numbers even with star wide receiver Reggie Wayne out for the season.
Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
I am baffled as to why Rivers is not started in more leagues and not even 100 percent owned on some websites! Everyone knows that the Chargers are a pass happy team. I assume that people are still not trusting Rivers as much as they used to because he has fallen off from being an elite fantasy quarterback by having poor performances the past few years. This season he has at least one touchdown in every game but his total yards vary week to week. Some weeks he is over 400 yards and others he is under 300. If Rivers is available in your league, do not hesitate to pick him up before someone else does. He is worth starting over many other quarterbacks in the league.
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
Before his injury, Vick was performing pretty well under Chip Kelly’s new regime. He had five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns the first three games of the season. Now that the hamstring injury has hit him, I understand how hard it is to trust him. Who knows how well he feels or if his hamstring will hold up the rest of the season. If Vick proves that all is well in his leg this weekend against the Giants then I am jumping back on the bandwagon. A mobile Vick will put up more points than a pocket passing Vick so hopefully he is fully healed soon. He has a very favorable schedule for the next few weeks so if Vick is 100 percent then make sure he is 100 percent starting on your fantasy team.
Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders
Pryor is one of those up and coming young quarterbacks of the league. The Raiders took a shot at him and so far it’s not that bad. What helps him be an impact in fantasy is his mobility. He has rushed for over 30 yards in every game he has started and rushed for 50 yards or more in three of them. As Pryor plays more games and gains experience he will eventually become a decent dual quarterback. As for now he is a solid fill-in for starting quarterbacks on the bye.
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs offense is not very prolific. What is keeping them undefeated is that hard-nosed defense and the amazing run ability of Jamaal Charles. It hurts Smith’s fantasy value from not being able to get the ball into the end zone through the air since he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since week four against the Giants. Once the passing offense starts to gel, Smith can be a great fantasy option.
Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Even though the Buccaneers haven’t won a game yet this year doesn’t mean that there isn’t fantasy value on the team. Since starting in week four over Josh Freeman, Glennon has five touchdowns in just three games. A lot of that has to do with Vincent Jackson playing out of his mind. Glennon has a great opportunity to put up respectable fantasy numbers and should be considered a serviceable backup quarterback for any fantasy team.
Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
Locker has been a good surprise this year for the Titans. What worries us about him is that hip he injured in week four. Luckily he had a speedy recovery and showed no signs of weakness last week against the 49ers where he passed for over 300 yards with two touchdowns. Locker is on bye this week and can rest his hip even more which hopefully will boost his performance for the rest of the season. he had six touchdowns the first four games he played before getting hurt and now that he seems almost completely healthy, Locker will go back to putting up excellent fantasy numbers.