Cam Ward Headlines Week 1 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups At Quarterback

Fantasy football is a mindset, and when adding a quarterback off the waiver wire ahead of Week 1, the context of how you view your team is paramount. In most 10- or 12-team leagues, even carrying a backup quarterback on your bench is overkill.

Whether you agree or not, the position is as strong and deep as it's ever been. Even in the low QB2 range, there are mountains of upside (J.J. McCarthy) and proven veterans who perform when healthy (Matthew Stafford).

It’s important to understand what your team needs in the first place. With that in mind, we’ll be segmenting each QB pickup by team context: streaming, spot-start duty and full-season potential.

Week 1 QB pickup: Streaming option

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (51% rostered on Yahoo)

We’ve been there and done that with Lawrence. The 25-year-old is a few months older than Bo Nix, so maybe we were too quick to judge. This selection is two-fold: He’s a plus option given the Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, and there’s the potential he finally puts it all together.

New head coach Liam Coen may just have been what the doctor ordered for the former No. 1 draft pick. Coen orchestrated Baker Mayfield’s best statistical season last year, and he’s from the Sean McVay coaching tree. The Bucs, under Coen’s offensive stewardship, were fourth in points scored and third in yards. Everybody loves Brian Thomas Jr. this season, and Travis Hunter has incredible body control and natural hands.

In 2022, Lawrence was a low-end QB1 by points per game, so beyond this week’s game against Carolina, we’re also hoping he is this year’s lotto ticket at quarterback like Sam Darnold was in 2024.

Week 1 QB pickup: Bye week spot-starter

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (27% rostered)

If you’ve had concerns about the 37-year-old signal-caller’s status this offseason, as he’s been dealing with an aggravated disc, it appears to be all for naught. Stafford is scheduled to start in the Rams’ season opener against the Houston Texans.

Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters that QB Matthew Stafford, who missed much of camp with a back injury, is expected to start Sunday’s opener against the Texans. pic.twitter.com/PJOaZTepPn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2025

As long as Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are in the starting lineup, Stafford is a slam-dunk backup plan and plug-and-play spot-starter should the need ever arise. The Rams have upgraded their offensive line and should have enough offensive balance to keep defenses honest.

Is Stafford good enough to be a regular starter? Probably not. However, his lingering back injury has him off everyone’s radar, and I’d rather zag when the herd is zigging.

Week 1 QB pickup: Season potential

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (26% rostered)

The reality here is that Ward is a rookie, and that’s why his potential is so great. We simply don’t know what he is yet. Minnesota’s McCarthy is the preferred stash at the quarterback position, but he’s likely already rostered. If not, add him over Ward. If he’s unavailable, that leaves us with the Ward.

This isn’t a call or a prediction. It’s a dart throw. The Titans had the No. 1 overall pick for a reason, so stashing the former Miami Hurricanes star is a wait-and-see strategy.

If you’re going to roster a backup quarterback, you should be aiming for players with high ceilings like Ward. Chig Okonkwo and Tony Pollard should be excellent release-valve options to bail out the rookie should he need a short-field option. Calvin Ridley has at least 1,000 yards in his last three healthy seasons.

Just remember that every year, a quarterback or two comes completely out of left field, so you want to try to use one bench spot to guess who that player might be.