Josh Freeman Injury: Emergency Replacements for Inactive QB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Josh Freeman is inactive for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

Playing the Panthers probably would have brought double-digit fantasy points because of their porous defense.

Week 13 is one of the more crucial weeks in fantasy football. It makes or breaks playoff hopes.

Now that Freeman’s certain double-digit performance is gone, who should you scramble to now? These five quarterbacks would be solid plays in this situation.

No 5: T.J. Yates

Well, if you are out of options, I’m sure T.J. Yates is on the market. Houston has struggled with health all season, but the injury bug has hit them the hardest at the quarterback position.

All you have to go by from a numbers standpoint is 8-15 for 70 yards last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But, one thing that he could benefit from is his running back Arian Foster. He has 805 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground this season. Foster has scored a touchdown in six of the nine games he participated in.

He’s the type of player that could take a screen to the house. He could also set the offense up in the red zone. Then, Johnson may be the beneficiary of great field position.

Atlanta’s defense is 23^rd against the pass. Yates could have a decent day passing. It may be worth a look. 

No 4: Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson may not be the greatest play, but it may be the only option if no other starting quarterback is on the market. Johnson is Josh Freeman's backup in Tampa Bay.

There really isn’t anything definitive about it being a good idea, but Johnson is playing against the 16^th best passing defense and 28^th best rushing attack.

The X-factor with Johnson is his ability to rush the football. If you are in a league where 10 yards is equal to one point, Johnson may actually be a solid play. He has 204 rushing yards in 31 attempts throughout his four year career. His career long is 29 yards.

If you don’t have another option, it may be best to grab Johnson in free agency. He, at least, gives you a chance of putting up points because he is playing a poor defensive club. 

No 3: Caleb Hanie

Caleb Hanie wasn’t awful in his first career start against the Oakland Raiders. He threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a quarterback that will lead the Chicago Bears to a playoff victory, but he shouldn’t be terrible against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Chiefs are 12^th against the pass and 26^th against the rush.

Expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte. Hanie could be the biggest beneficiary of Forte’s success if he is given quality field position.

Hanie has at least shown some type of NFL talent unlike a few on this list.

No 2: Colt McCoy

The reason why I don’t have Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy at No. 1 is because he may not be available in your league and he is playing the Baltimore Ravens.

Other than that I would feel a little more at ease with McCoy than the others.

Nevertheless, McCoy and the Browns will be playing the Ravens, a team notorious for playing down to their competition this season.

After defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans, the Ravens lost to the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars. Cleveland is better than the Seahawks and the Jaguars.

Another letdown could be on the horizon.

McCoy has tossed 13 touchdowns on the season to go along with 2,332 yards passing. 

No 1: Matt Moore

If he's still available, which he may not be, Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore would be a great option for your fantasy team.

Aside from turnovers, Moore has been effective in completion percentage. He has completed at least 59 percent of his passes in every game but one this season. He has 1,607 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.

Oakland’s defense has been suspect. They allow 239 yards passing per game, 20^th in the NFL. Christian Ponder and Caleb Hanie have thrown for two touchdowns against the Raiders this season.

Miami has played solid football in the past four weeks. They won three-of-four games. Moore will provide another solid opportunity for a victory with a big day passing.