Drew Lock (QB, DEN) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 2QB Leagues

OWNED IN: 6% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: Either you’re uniquely great, or you’re going to struggle as a rookie passer. That is how pro football works. Ask Drew Lock, who has seen it all. The Denver Broncos now-starting quarterback had an average first game (16.2 fantasy points), a booming second one (29 FP), and came all the way crashing back to earth this past Sunday (10.7 FP). If we are honest, though, the weather conditions of that last game in Kansas City were horrid at best, and even with that he somehow finished with 208 yards on 18 completions and was picked only once (40 attempts).

If I was tasked with assessing Lock’s fantasy value, I’d say his current average of 18.6 fantasy points in his three games defines him very good. I don’t think Lock is as bad as a 10-point player, nor as good as a 30-point one, but the 20 fantasy points per game don’t look out of his weekly reach. In “normal” conditions, Lock has passed for 134 and 309 yards and five combined touchdowns while being intercepted just twice. He had a 72.7 completion rate in those two games and torched the Texans with an 11.4 YPA mark.

The Broncos have the softest two-game ROS schedule, and for fantasy purposes, they face Detroit next weekend. The Lions have the 27th-best (sixth-worst, that is) defense against QBs on the season, so this could be a get-right game for Lock before his season finale. At this point, it will be hard for you to find much better options available for free, no matter the league you play at. Pass on Lock if your league is made of 12 or 14 teams, but if you are in a deeper/2QB one and need a must-add filler (preferably as a secondary/complementary play) consider adding Lock. Definitely not a no. 1 starter, but more than viable as a QB2 or emergency start in case your current no. 1 gets injured during the week or something weird happens between now and kickoff time.