Bye week season is behind us and the fantasy football playoffs are here. But that certainly doesn’t mean that streaming QB season is over. Considering only maybe five quarterbacks are true every-week must-start options, plenty of teams will have made the fantasy football playoffs that are looking for a new QB every week based on who has the best matchup in front of them.
With every single team back in action for Week 15, there are a lot of options out there. Here are the three best streaming quarterback options who are available in at least 50% of ESPN fantasy football leagues.
1. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (@ JAX) — 60.4% Available
Fantasy football managers who have trusted Aaron Rodgers this year probably feel the same way New York Jets fans do about his time with the team. But there’s an old saying in sports that I can’t quite remember, but goes something like, “the Jacksonville Jaguars cure everything.”
The Jags have allowed the NFL’s most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks in 2024. They’ve allowed the second-most passing yards in the league and the most net yards per attempt. PFF has them ranked bottom-10 in overall defense, pass rush, and coverage.
Aaron Rodgers snapped a string of bad starts with a strong showing against the Miami Dolphins last week, and his 80.9 passing grade from PFF was actually his best since Week 1. I’m not saying he’s back to MVP form, but there are also plenty of signs that he’s not completely washed at this point.
It won’t feel good to look at Rodgers in your starting lineup in a playoff game, but at this point “not completely washed” certainly surpasses the minimum of what you need from a QB to be a great fantasy option against the Jags.
Rodgers is also one of the top waiver wire adds in Michael Fabiano’s Week 15 Waiver Wire article.
2. Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns (vs KC) — 80.1% Available
Unless your league penalizes you extra for pick-sixes, the announcement that Jameis Winston is still the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback means he’s also still a nice high-upside fantasy option.
His 32-point eruption in Week 13 was the highlight, but that was far from his first big fantasy game of the season. He dropped 23.6 against the Ravens in Week 8 and 26.6 against the Saints two games later.
Even with the roller coaster of performances, Jameis ranks as the QB5 with 21.9 fantasy points per game since Week 8. So yes, he could blow up and post a dud when you need him most, but he could also singlehandedly win your first-round playoff matchup for you.
The Chiefs have allowed top-12 fantasy production to opposing QBs this year, and while they’re not the shootout-prone squad they once were, allowing 15-plus points to Aidan O’Connell, Bryce Young, and Bo Nix over the last five games certainly shows this to be a plus matchup.
3. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (vs DAL) — 95.7% Available
Here’s a cut for those of you in deeper leagues.
Bryce Young’s recent play has the Carolina Panthers favored for the first time in over two years (a 33-game streak as underdogs), and that should tell you something about how much better this spot is than usual for the second-year QB.
Dallas is one of five teams giving up over 20 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs this season, and even fantasy duds like Drew Lock (15.8 in Week 13) have looked respectable in this spot.
Bryce Young is coming off one of the hardest QB matchups out there against the Philadelphia Eagles, and even still he had a respectable showing. And the last time he had a matchup like he does this week, against the Bucs in Week 13, he went off for 23.6 fantasy points.
And if Young continues his improvements and lights up the Cowboys? He gets another matchup against the Bucs when it’s fantasy football championship time in Week 17.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
As the playoff season heats up, the pressure is on for fantasy managers to make the right calls. Whether you’re rolling with Rodgers, Winston, or Young, remember that the right streaming option can be the difference between advancing to the next round or heading home early. Embrace the excitement, trust your instincts, and may your fantasy team thrive in these crucial weeks!
