If you are still in the fantasy playoffs and have Jalen Hurts on your roster, your chances for a championship took a hit after reports surfaced Monday that he may miss the next two weeks of the season. There have been rumors circulating he could play this weekend against Dallas, but those reports seem to be more smoke than anything. The question now becomes what do you do if you had Hurts on your roster and need a replacement. Can you trust picking up his backup, Gardner Minshew, against a defense that is only giving up 13.7 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks? Or do you trust other streaming options that are out there on the waiver wire? Let's dive in and look at all the possible scenarios to help you make a decision.
Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia (Rostered 3%)
- Opponent: @ Dallas Cowboys
- Weather Outlook: Dome
- Defensive Ranking Against Opposing Quarterbacks: #6 (13.7 FPTs)*
- Footballguys Projections: QB13 16.9 FPTs**
Minshew is most likely available on your waiver wire, and there’s a chance if you have Hurts, you’ve been stashing him away on your roster. In his career, Minshew has been a solid backup who has been a stable fantasy option in fantasy. Last season, he started two games in Nick Sirianni’s offense. Here were his numbers and fantasy finishes:
- Week 13 @ NYJ: 20/25 242 Passing Yards, Two Touchdowns, 11 Rushing Yards (18.78 FPTS QB10)
- Week 18 VS DAL: 19/33 186 Passing Yards, Two Touchdowns, INT, 10 Rushing Yards (15.44 FPTS QB17)
To put the Dallas game in context, Minshew was essentially playing with backups in a game that did not matter for the franchise. When looking at his numbers, historically, he has shown he can be at least a high-end QB2 in Nick Sirianni’s offense. Something else to look closely at is his attempts in both those games. This team and coaching staff trust Minshew and won’t limit his passing attempts against the Cowboys. Hurts is averaging 28 attempts per contest, and it can be assumed we’ll see close to that number again this weekend especially considering Hurts rushing attempts will have to be distributed somewhere. Minshew also has better weapons this year, getting to throw to A.J. Brown, and the Eagles have confirmed that tight end Dallas Goedert will be off the IR this week and available to play against Dallas. While Dallas’s defense has done well against opposing quarterbacks for the season, they have concerns about their defense. They will be without starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. They also lost cornerback Anthony Brown to a season-ending injury, and his replacement Kevin Joseph has struggled in the CB2 role. A matchup the Eagles could exploit with DeVonta Smith and their receiving core. Similar to how the Jaguars exploited Dallas with Zay Jones, who had 109 yards and three touchdowns Sunday. Trevor Lawrence finished as QB5 last week, scoring 24.9 fantasy points in the contest. Minshew’s ADOT last season was just 6.0 yards per attempt, so we’ll see fewer downfield shots, but given Dallas’s injuries and the Eagles' potential game script, this could help bolster his numbers. DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert could have excellent numbers in this matchup.
Based on the game script and those injuries, we could see a lot of points scored. The current over/under for the game is at 46.5 making it one of the highest-scoring contests projected this week. If you have Minshew on your roster or are considering adding the quarterback off the waiver wire, he is a solid fallback option for your fantasy team. He also has a good matchup against the New Orleans Saints in week 17 if Hurts were to miss more time.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco (Rostered 12%)
- Opponent: VS Washington Commanders
- Weather Outlook: High 67 Degrees. Winds at 5 to 10 mph
- Defensive Ranking Against Opposing Quarterbacks: #16 (16.2 FPTs)
- Footballguys Projections: QB19 15.1 FPTs
Another high-priority waiver add that could be an option this week is San Francisco’s Brock Purdy. He has played very well for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, throwing 678 yards and six touchdowns in three games this year, averaging 17.8 fantasy points per game. He has been the overall QB10 and QB13 in fantasy points per game in that short timeframe. This week he faces a Washington defense that only gives up 15.6 fantasy points per game to opposing team running backs (#7) and 16.2 fantasy points to opposing teams' quarterbacks (#16). There is a scenario where Purdy’s efficiency numbers decline this week when asked to throw the ball more against a defense that will look to stop Christian McCaffrey. This may be the first week Purdy is more than a game manager, and with Deebo Samuel expected to miss this week, you should be cautious with Purdy’s overall outlook. He is also dealing with an oblique injury that should be watched as the week progresses. If Minshew is unavailable in your league, Purdy would be the quarterback add with the safest floor. If both Purdy and Minshew are available, Minshew would be my desired target.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (Rostered 43%)
- Opponent: @ Minnesota
- Weather Outlook: Dome
- Defensive Ranking Against Opposing Quarterbacks: #26 (18.9 FPTs)
- Footballguys Projections: QB11 17.3 FPTs
If Jones is available in your league, he could be a great streaming option this week against a Minnesota defense that has allowed 300 or more passing yards in five straight contests before their Week 15 game against the Indianapolis Colts. He has the most rushing upside of any option on this list and has had 26 carries in the past three games. He was second on the team in carries against the Commanders with ten and has already scored five rushing touchdowns this year. The only reason why he is third on this list is because of the Giants' lack of offensive weapons on the outside. Minshew and Purdy both have better weapons, giving them a much higher ceiling heading into the week.
Sam Darnold, Carolina (Rostered 7%)
- Opponent: VS Detroit Lions
- Weather Outlook: High 33 degrees. Winds 10 to 15 mph
- Defensive Ranking Against Opposing Quarterbacks: #32 (23.0 FPTs)
- Footballguys Projections: QB18 15.2 FPTs
If you are in a pinch at the position this week, another risky add could be Sam Darnold. Since taking over as the starter in Week 12, he has averaged 13.95 points per game, which isn't necessarily notable, but he has a great matchup against the Detroit Lions this week. He’s been a game manager since he took the helm with the Panthers leaning on their rushing attack, but the matchup against the Lions can’t be overlooked. The Lions allow the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in the league and let New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson finish as QB9 in Week 15. If you strike out on other options, Darnold is a viable option in week 16.
*Defense vs QB Stats per Pro Football Reference
**Projections being used are from Footballguys Senior Writer Jason Wood. Consensus Projections will be updated when available.
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