Streaming Quarterbacks for Week 3 (Fantasy Football, 2023)

The quarterback landscape looks different today than it has historically. Drafting a quarterback in the early rounds of your fantasy football draft hasn’t been an optimal strategy. Things have changed since the emergence of players like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Locking in a top-tier option at the position offers a distinct advantage over your opponents.

With that being considered, streaming the position allows you to load up on players elsewhere. This strategy still has the capability of yielding great results. There are a good number of leagues where managers overpay to grab the bonafide studs. Personally, I watch league-mates draft Mahomes in the first round year after year. If you take the patient approach, you’re often combing the waiver for the next weekly sleeper. We’re going to be reviewing some of those diamonds in the rough for the rest of the season. Without further adieu, here are our top quarterback streamers for Week 3 of the 2023 fantasy football season.

Jared Goff vs. Atlanta Falcons

The perpetually under-appreciated Jared Goff is enjoying a nice start to the 2023 season. While he was average in Week 1, he boasted incredible play in Detroit’s home debut against the Seahawks. Undeniably, his ill-timed interception cost the Lions dearly. However, he was nearly spotless prior to that mistake.

Goff’s home/road splits are well-defined. This is largely in part due to the advantage he has of playing in a dome for at least half of the season. He has the opportunity to capitalize on this edge this week against Atlanta. The Falcons may not be as friendly of a matchup as the Seahawks, but they’ve yet to face an offense as potent as Detroit’s. Despite Jordan Love’s average play last week, Atlanta allowed him to score just over 20 fantasy points in the game.
Furthermore, an important factor to note is the injury that Amon-Ra St. Brown sustained against Seattle. He suffered a turf toe injury in the second half, but he was able to return to the field not long after. Luckily for Goff, he’s not expected to miss any time, but he won’t be playing at 100%. Alongside St. Brown is secondary receiver, Josh Reynolds. The veteran pass-catcher has enjoyed a relative breakout to begin the year. He’s currently the WR12 in PPR leagues.

When you add in the impressive rookie tight end, Sam LaPorta, Detroit’s stable of pass-catchers has the ability to elevate Goff’s stat line on a weekly basis. With their starting running back, David Montgomery, battling his own injury, the passing game may need to carry more of the offensive load against the Falcons.

Overall, Goff is likely rostered in more leagues than the next few players on our list. However, if you see his name on the waiver wire, he’s certainly worth an add and someone you can start just about weekly.

Baker Mayfield vs. Philadelphia Eagles

If you had told fantasy football managers before Week 1 that Baker Mayfield would be on this list against the Eagles, you would have likely been laughed off. Yet, here we are. With Philadelphia’s injury report beginning to tally more and more defenders, they should be considered a prime matchup for opposing quarterbacks.

Mayfield has started the season looking the best we’ve seen him in quite some time. This is surprising when you think back to the lackluster reports coming out of Tampa Bay’s training camp. He racked up a noteworthy 314 yards and a touchdown in last week’s showdown against the Bears. This week, he’s up against a defense that has allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks than any other team in the league.

CJ Stroud @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Despite the lack of dangerous weapons at his disposal, CJ Stroud has thus far put up the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL. Additionally, Houston’s defense is hemorrhaging points to their opponents and forcing their offense into a negative game script. While it isn’t beneficial to Stroud to play with his back against the wall every week, as fantasy football managers, we’ll happily take these circumstances. Heading into Week 3, The Texans aren’t likely to pose any threat to Jacksonville’s offense.
Furthermore, the Jaguars have so far proven to be a plus matchup for quarterbacks in fantasy football. They allowed more than 20 points to Anthony Richardson and Mahomes respectively. With Stroud likely chasing points and his developing connection with Nico Collins and Tank Dell, he’s a worthy candidate to stream this week.

Matthew Stafford @ Cincinnati Bengals

Matthew Stafford’s fantasy output has yet to match the quality of his play this year. However, the two are bound to merge sooner or later. On paper, Cooper Kupp’s injury should have completely derailed Stafford’s fantasy value. However, the rise of rookie Puka Nacua offers a counter to this blow. The fifth-round rookie out of BYU has shocked the league by logging more receptions than any wide receiver in the history of the NFL through their first two games. There’s no reason to believe that he’ll fall back down to earth against the Bengals in Week 3.

Despite Stafford’s relatively mediocre fantasy performances, he’s playing at an elite level. Notably, he’s put over 300 yards passing yards in his first two outings. If and when the touchdowns follow, he’ll likely be a low-end QB1 for the remainder of the season.

Furthermore, Cincinnati’s struggling offense is keeping their defense on the field longer than they would like to be. As a result, they’re having problems slowing down opposing offenses. In terms of fantasy points allowed, they’re tied with Jacksonville in points given up to quarterbacks. With that in mind, Stafford’s ceiling against the Bengals is sky-high. Don’t be afraid to grab Stafford off the waiver wire and stream him this week.

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