Shoulder injuries are not good. They’re horrible for athletes and they’re extraordinary bad for quarterbacks. Well, last year’s top fantasy points score is going to be out with a throwing shoulder injury. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has a partially separated shoulder, which may cost him additional starts on top of missing Week 4.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 quarterbacks to target for Week 5
The quarterback well might be getting kind of dry, but there are some decent streams on the horizon for fantasy owners.
If you own Luck, you had better be ready to add a backup. Chances are you didn’t draft one because you thought you’d just start Luck every week. If you’re in a Two-QB league, you probably have to make a trade you don’t want to make, too.
Owners in one-QB leagues should be able to find some help and there may be some nice options out there. Here are five possibilities.
Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles (owned in 63 percent of leagues)
Hey, so maybe we all overreacted on Mr. Bradford. After looking like a third-string QB for most of September, he busted loose against Washington for 270 yards and three scores. No turnovers, too!
After seeing how great he was in the preseason, you have to add him. Pretty simple.
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (owned in 64 percent of leagues)
He was on fire coming into Week 4 with a back-to-back 300-yard games with five TDs in that span. Unfortunately, he cooled off a tad with two scores and just 196 yards. This isn’t devastating even against an awful Chicago Bears defense, and he’s still shown nice pocket presence and is taking better care of the ball. Plus, his running backs weren’t at their best with some fumbling issues.
Carr’s offensive weapons are really good and he could be a QB1 the rest of the way.
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (owned in 68 percent of leagues)
A bye week can cause some people to make a cut. Mariota had a bye in Week 4, so maybe someone cut bait to help out. If that did happen, he should be picked for anyone with a QB concern.
After this week against the Buffalo Bills, his schedule is really good. He gets the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans in the next three weeks. He should be a top-12 QB in that span, especially with other QBs getting byes.
Michael Vick, Pittsburgh Steelers (owned in 19 percent of leagues)
A desperation heave, Vick could be a decent pickup for those needing help in the worst way. He wasn’t a disaster on Thursday, picking up 14.1 fantasy points with 124 passing yards, 33 rushing yards and one passing score.
His schedule is also nice. The San Diego Chargers have made a lot of quarterbacks look good at times and that’s who Vick has next. Although, they shut down the Minnesota Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater, but that’s nothing to brag about. Give Vick a look in a deep league.
Brian Hoyer, Houston Texans (owned in 1 percent of leagues)
Well, if you’re really, really, really desperate and need a QB, Hoyer could be your guy. Quarterback Ryan Mallett was yanked on Sunday after he had one of the ugliest performances I’ve seen in a long time. It may have been a lapse of judgement, but he just doesn’t give the Texans a chance to win. That said, he is going to start for another week. Unless coach Bill O’Brien wants to lose his job and have his players dislike him, you’d think a QB change should happen.
Hoyer was actually good, throwing for 232 yards and two scores in limited playing time. He also gets the Colts and Jaguars in the next two. You could do worse.
