Aaron Rodgers Injury: Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds

Aaron Rodgers

Getty Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers suffers injury vs. Chicago Bears.

In a painful scene for Green Bay Packers fans, quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with an apparent leg injury during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears. It came during the Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup, and while it’s unknown the severity of the injury, the situation doesn’t look good.

As ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, Rodgers was carted to the locker room.

The Packers turned to DeShone Kizer to hold down the position moving forward, and it remains to be seen if he can be a solid starting option should Rodgers miss time. And while Packers fans and players have obvious concern over the star quarterback, it also means fantasy football owners may be searching for potential waiver wire replacements immediately.

We’re going to take a look at a few of the top waiver-wire targets at the quarterback position ahead of Week 2.

*Note: All ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Sports.


Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (51 Percent Owned)

Depending on the size of your league, there’s a chance Carr isn’t available. But if he is, then I’d happily snatch him up in a Jon Gruden-led offense. While the Raiders defense has serious question marks, I believe it will lead to Carr airing it out early and often this season.

It’s worth noting that if you do pick up Carr, there are going to be a few weeks where you’ll likely look at using another quarterback instead (specifically against the Denver Broncos).


Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (35 Percent Owned)

Dalton is available in far more leagues, understandably. It was unknown exactly what to expect from the Bengals offense this season, and while they hit the ground running, I’d still tread lightly. Dalton isn’t my favorite waiver wire target, but he completed 21-of-28 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 1 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

With that said, the Colts ranked No. 28 in the NFL last season in passing yards allowed per game, so this isn’t the greatest measuring stick. Dalton does have weapons such as A.J. Green, John Ross, and Tyler Eifert working in his favor, though, and that’s a selling point for me.


Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (18 Percent Owned)

The second-year quarterback out of North Carolina and former No. 2 overall pick had a very up-and-down first NFL season. He failed to throw more than one touchdown in any single game, but his ability to take off and run bolsters his fantasy football value. Based on raw talent, Trubisky has the potential to be a major breakout candidate this season.

We’ve already seen some of that upside begin to shine through in the team’s opener against the Green Bay Packers. At halftime of the Sunday Night Football matchup, Trubisky had hit on 11-of-14 attempts for 109 yards and scored a rushing touchdown.


Case Keenum, Denver Broncos (25 Percent Owned)

Case Keenum completed 25-of-39 passes for 329 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions during a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. So, should we expect to see more of the guy who threw three touchdowns, or the one who threw three picks? I’m predicting somewhere in the middle, which is just fine.

Not all of Keenum’s interceptions were his fault, and he showed great rapport with Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. I love the connection specifically with Sanders (10 receptions, 135 yards, one touchdown), and I think Keenum will continue to post solid fantasy lines in the right matchups.


Tyrod Taylor, Cleveland Browns (12 Percent Owned)

I’m touting a guy who just completed 15-of-40 passes during the first game of the 2018 NFL season, but there’s a reason for it. While 197 passing yards and one touchdown doesn’t look great, we saw Taylor’s ability to dominate on the ground at times in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In Cleveland’s 21-21 tie, the former Buffalo Bills quarterback rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown. The passing numbers also become far less concerning when you consider the game was played with 20-30 MPH winds swirling and rain coming down the entire time. I’m buying on Taylor, who had a solid day from a fantasy perspective, even in a mediocre actual performance.