Honestly, I am still in shock. Making an argument for or against picking up New York Jets‘ quarterback Zach Wilson in fantasy football just a few days ago would have been a very short article.
“No.” Print and publish.
But reality has changed dramatically in New York. As news broke around the NFL that Aaron Rodgers ruptured his Achilles tendon in his first game as a Jet, which ended his 2023 season, fantasy managers had to ask themselves a question they never thought they would be uttering this year: “Should I pick up Zach Wilson?”
Let’s dig in and figure out if the Jets’ now-first-string signal-caller is worth a waiver bid as we enter Week 2.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Should Zach Wilson Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 2?
Zach Wilson has had a frustrating first two years in the NFL. Drafted second overall by the Jets in 2021, Wilson has never lived up to that draft capital.
Wilson earned an 8-14 record as a starter and recorded 16 passing touchdowns, 19 interceptions, and averaged 181 yards passing per game. This isn’t the kind of quarterback you hope to get as the second-overall pick. The frustration deepens with the Jets having a very talented and young team everywhere else on the field.
This is why when the opportunity came up for the Jets to bring in legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers, they didn’t hesitate. Rodgers came to New York with a resume of winning and making opposing defenses look foolish. He was the final piece to a win-now Jets team that had Super Bowl aspirations.
MORE: PPR Rankings
Now, Wilson takes over with 16 games to go in the regular season. Even though the Jets were able to pull out an overtime win on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, the offense was not very impressive.
Wilson, who played all but four offensive snaps, was 14 of 21 for 140 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. 87 of those 140 yards came after the catch.
We have been down this road before. Wilson had two years with the Jets where he was given ample opportunities to succeed, and he never grabbed the bull by the horns. He didn’t even dance in front of it with a red muleta.
If you are in a 1QB league, you can stop reading now. Zach Wilson is not worth rostering in your league. Maybe if he puts three or four straight performances together of top quarterback play, you could make a bid. But he doesn’t deserve a roster spot in your leagues just because he fell backward into a starting job.
In Superflex and 2QB leagues, it gets a little more complicated. Wilson should probably be rostered in all of your leagues. He is going to get game action, and that is worth something. There are only 32 starting quarterbacks max per week, and Wilson — for now — will be one of them. He is near the very bottom of that list of 32, with only Joshua Dobbs possibly behind him.
MORE: 2023 QB Fantasy Football Rankings
Being a starting quarterback, Wilson is still worth 8-10% of your FAAB budget in a Superflex league. But really, this is only a move you should be making if you have no legitimate third quarterback on your team. Wilson will be the last option for you at QB. Even if you were down to only two active quarterbacks for the week, Wilson may still ride the pine as an RB or WR starts over him in your Superflex slot.
I’d pass on Wilson in most leagues unless a quarterback is absolutely a desperate need.
