Thursday wasn't kind to fantasy football owners who thought they found a gem in Deshaun Watson or were waiting for Andrew Luck to return to the field, as both were shut down for the season.
Related:
• Report: Deshaun Watson suffers ACL tear in practice
• Colts shut Luck down for rest of season
Luck's placement on season-ending injured reserve comes as little surprise, as his recovery didn't seem to be going well for months, and the Colts' chances of a playoff appearance dwindled. However, fantasy owners who spent a high pick on Luck had their hopes of a late-season return shattered.
Watson's injury damages the value of every other member of the Texans' offense other than new starter Tom Savage (who's not worth a fantasy pickup). DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller are certainly still worth starting, but Will Fuller's dependency on big plays and touchdowns will hurt him under Savage.
For owners of either QB, the pickings for a replacement are slim. Finding a valuable signal-caller might require some luck.
If roster issues have forced bye-week passers Ben Roethlisberger or Philip Rivers to be available on the waiver wire, spending any remaining FAAB money is worth the risk. On the trade market, Jared Goff is probably the best target that isn't viewed as a full-time QB1 yet. He faces only one team in the next five weeks that has a pass defense ranked in the top half of the league.
Among the more likely available waiver-wire options, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, and Jacoby Brissett are the best options. While none of them play in high-flying offenses, their teams are susceptible to giving up early leads, forcing a lot of pass attempts. Even if Manning, Dalton, and Brissett don't put up a ton of points on the scoreboard each week, they can pick up enough yards attempting comebacks to carry value.
