4 Jalen Hurts fantasy replacements for in championship week lineups
As fantasy football players gear up for league championships, teams that start Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts could be in some trouble.
Hurts spent the week in concussion protocol after exiting last week’s loss to the Washington Commanders. He was still in concussion protocol on Friday ahead of Philadelphia’s Sunday contest against the Dallas Cowboys, and he has been ruled out for the game. The team is moving forward with Kenny Pickett as the starter in Week 17.
With Hurts likely to be out of the lineup, fantasy owners are likely looking for a replacement in a pinch. Here are several starting quarterback options who may be available in your league.
Eagles QB Kenny Pickett
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If you want an option that’s practically guaranteed to be available, you could roll with Hurts’ backup, Pickett. He’s only appeared in three games this season with the bulk of his action coming against Washington last week. He completed 58.3% of his passes in that game for 143 yards, a touchdown and an interception. There are better options, and I’d proceed with tremendous caution when it comes to Pickett.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson
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Wilson hasn’t been especially productive this season, but he’s been efficient while leading the Steelers to a successful 2024 campaign to this point in his 10 starts. Because of his fairly unimpressive week-to-week numbers, he’s likely to have some availability, especially in smaller leagues, and could be a reliable placeholder option for Hurts.
Patriots QB Drake Maye
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It’s been an up-and-down rookie campaign for Maye, who has 14 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on the year. That hasn’t made him a particularly viable fantasy option this season, but he’s been playing fairly solid football over the last month or so. Throw in his rushing ability which has produced nearly 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season, and you could do a lot worse than a young quarterback who seems to be progressing.
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.
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After a five-game stretch of sub-par play from offseason free-agent addition Kirk Cousins, the Falcons turned to first-round NFL draft pick Michael Penix Jr. to take over the offense. The former Heisman finalist from Washington has appeared in three games this season, but his only expanded action came when he got the start in a win over the New York Giants. While Penix threw for just 202 yards with a pick and didn’t find the end zone, he has a lot of weapons to work with as he looks to grow down the stretch.