It’s that time of the year. Some of you have been in the streamer trenches since Week 1, but with the injuries and bye weeks piling up, it’s high time for streaming season. Sam Darnold is one such injured quarterback and has already been ruled out for Week 10 after missing Week 9. Drew Lock will step into his shoes for the third time this season on Sunday against the Raiders; will he be a viable streaming option in fantasy football leagues?
Year-to-Date Production
For the 30-year-old Lock, this will be the third start of the season, but practically his fourth since Darnold exited so early against the Patriots. So far, it’s been a respectable effort for him in fantasy football. Lock was QB24 in Week 1 against the Patriots, scoring 13.78 points. He followed that up with a strong QB9 effort against the Cardinals, roasting them for 24.4 points. Darnold returned to the lineup for Weeks 3-8, but a separate injury forced him to the sidelines for Week 9, again against the Cardinals. Lock nearly repeated his Week 1 performance, scoring 13.6 points, but it was good for QB18 given the byes and injuries. His 17.26 fantasy PPG as a starter would make him QB16 for the year, putting him in respectable back-end QB1 talks.
Efficiency hasn’t been the problem for Lock; it’s opportunity. It’s a weird scenario when a backup enters the game early, but Week 1 against the Patriots was even weirder; despite completing 16-of-22 passes (73%) for a strong 8.5 yards per attempt, Seattle played it conservatively and leaned heavily on the run. It was the same story in Week 2, where the Seahawks dominated the Cardinals, but Lock took the efficiency to new heights with three passing scores to Jaxon Smith-Njigba while soaring to 9.0 yards per attempt. Opportunity was limited once again in Week 9, finishing with under 30 passing attempts yet again, and throwing for 175 yards with one score.
We have reason to believe that Drew Lock can be productive on a down-to-down basis, but he has been limited in his opportunities. Is this matchup against the Raiders the kind of spot where he can put up a strong fantasy week?
Week 10 Outlook
Drew Lock may just be the luckiest man in town. Two of his three games have come against the Cardinals, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in the NFL. Right behind them are the Las Vegas Raiders, the second-worst defense against opposing quarterbacks. Incredibly, the Raiders’ defense has allowed 30+ points in six straight weeks.
As bad as they are against the pass, they’re worse against the run, which will have the Seahawks licking their chops to run the ball. This could be another situation where Lock succeeds early and takes a back seat. Is that going to be enough to knock him out of the streamer conversation?
Fantasy Verdict
Week 10 has a few important QB byes: Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, and Baker Mayfield. Starters like Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Darnold have all been ruled out. Patrick Mahomes is banged up and could be out. The Giants, Vikings, Browns, and Cardinals all have messy QB situations. Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones, Michael Penix Jr., Malik Willis, Cam Ward, and Geno Smith are unplayable. The quarterback pool gets increasingly limited with each week.
Among the players likely to be on waivers for Week 10, Lock is your best streaming option. He won’t lose you points with turnovers and could get extra passing attempts because of Las Vegas’ strong offense. If you’re desperate for a starter this week, Lock is your man.
