You’re not playing fantasy football right if you’re not streaming in any of your leagues. In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, streaming is the act of rotating starters at a position and playing someone off the waiver wire based on a favorable matchup. There’s a good chance you should be streaming at least one of your positions each week unless you drafted the perfect team this summer — there’s a chance you did since you subscribed to this site!
I’m almost always streaming defenses in all my leagues during the season so I highly encourage you to check out Justin Varnes’ weekly streaming defenses piece. I’m also not afraid to stream at the typical one-starter skill positions like quarterback and tight end. Every week in this space, I’ll take a look at some lesser-owned players you might want to start based on a matchup, increased opportunities, and/or other factors that might boost their value in a given week. I’ll also highlight some typical weekly starters that you might want to shy away from because of a tougher matchup, an injury, and/or playing time issues.
Important note…
These are not strict Start/Sit recommendations. This article is meant to give you players who are widely available and are looking better than usual this week. Conversely, I’ll also give you players who are widely owned and are looking a little worse than usual this week. Also, ownership percentages are from Yahoo leagues.
Quarterback Streamers
Players to consider benching this week
On bye: None.
In danger of postponement: Ryan Tannehill (vs. Pit), Ben Roethlisberger (@Ten), Deshaun Watson (vs. Min), Kirk Cousins (@Hou)
In danger of missing: Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle), Drew Lock (shoulder), Tyrod Taylor (lung)
In tough matchups: Tom Brady (vs. LAC, 18th in FPG), Carson Wentz (@SF, 27th in FPG)
Top options if they’re available…
Joe Burrow (vs. Jax, 73%) — It hasn’t been pretty for Burrow in the early going, but he’s currently the QB10 with 21.1 FPG. The Jags allowed both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Tannehill to score 24+ FP and Burrow has thrown for multiple TDs and 300+ yards in consecutive games.
Jared Goff (vs. NYG, 63%) — You may have guessed that Russell Wilson or Josh Allen is leading the league in yards per attempt, but it’s actually Goff that’s pacing all QBs with his 9.6 YPA average. The Rams should do whatever they want against the Giants this week and the big concern is that the Rams could take their foot off the pedal late in this contest as 13-point home favorites.
Gardner Minshew (at Cin, 58%) — Minshew let down streamers last week with just 11.2 FP against the Dolphins, but he has a chance to bounce back this week against the Bengals. D.J. Chark’s impact on the Jaguars offense can’t be understated after watching Chris Conley make three critical errors that cost the Jaguars any chance of winning against the Dolphins last week.
Players to consider streaming this week
Ryan Fitzpatrick (vs. Sea, 7%) — Fitz has been working his magic over the last six quarters, completing 82.2% of his passes and averaging 8.0 YPA in two quarters against the Bills and four quarters against the Jags. Fitz completed 18/20 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3, and he added 7/38/1 rushing for his second straight performance of 24+ FP. Fitz is once again on the streaming radar this week in an exploitable matchup against the Seahawks if you’re in need of a strong one-week option. The Seahawks are giving up the second-most FPG to QBs through three weeks (30.2), and they could be without S Jamal Adams (groin) and CB Quinton Dunbar (knee) in Miami this week.
Baker Mayfield (@Dal, 43%) — Baker has yet to reach 17 FP in any of his first three games so his ownership percentage is likely to dip even more as the week goes along, but he’s truly one of the best streamer options this week. The Cowboys have played in shootouts the last two weeks because of their weak defense and their strong offense, and the Browns and Cowboys have the second-highest total of the week at 55 points. The Browns enter this week as 4.5-point road underdogs so it’s going to be difficult for the Browns to choke out the Cowboys with their rushing attack like they did to the Bengals and the Football Team the last two weeks. The Cowboys have allowed nine passing TDs the last two weeks so there’s hope that Baker will get his first 20+ FP performance of the season.
Nick Mullens (vs. Phi, 2%) — The 49ers fielded some trade offers for Mullens this off-season, and he once again showed why teams were interested in the fourth-year quarterback. Filling in for Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 3, Mullens completed 25/36 passes for 343 yards (9.5 YPA) and one touchdown in an easy victory over the Giants. He’s now averaging an insanely strong 8.4 YPA in 11 career appearances under HC Kyle Shanahan, and Mullens will likely get his boy George Kittle back this week from his knee injury. Kittle averaged 6.4/99.1/.4 receiving per game on 9.9 targets in eight games with Mullens back in 2018. The Eagles have allowed 265+ passing yards and multiple passing TDs to Jared Goff and Joe Burrow the last two weeks.
Players to consider streaming the next couple weeks
Teddy Bridgewater (vs. Ari, @Atl — 7%) — Teddy has yet to throw for multiple touchdowns in a game this season, but he’s averaging a strong 290.3 passing yards per game while averaging 8.4 YPA and completing 74.0% of his passes. He’s due for a big breakout performance and it could happen soon while Christian McCaffrey is out of the backfield to steal goal-line rushing touchdowns. The Panthers have a promising implied team total at 24.5 points going against the Cardinals this week. Arizona has allowed 250+ passing yards and two TDs to the two NFL-caliber QBs they’ve faced so far this season (Jimmy Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford). Teddy also has a matchup looming with the Falcons in Week 5, which has allowed by far the most FPG to QBs (34.5) through three weeks. Week 5 is also in the first week with byes so you could add Teddy now if you won’t have Stafford and/or Aaron Rodgers at your disposal next week.
Tight End Streamers
Players to consider benching this week
On bye: None
In danger of missing: Jared Cook (ankle) Dallas Goedert (ankle)
In danger of postponement: Jonnu Smith (vs. Pit), Eric Ebron (@Ten), Jordan Akins (vs. Min)
In tough matchups: None of note.
Top options if they’re available…
Austin Hooper (@Dal, 53%) — Hooper has yet to top 30+ receiving yards and 6+ FP in his first three games with the Browns, but I’m expecting his first signs of life to come against the Cowboys this week. Baker Mayfield will have to air it out more this week with the Browns and Cowboys lined at 55 points, which is the second-highest total of the week. Hooper is going to be dropped in a ton of leagues this week, but he might be worth an add for a week if you’re dying at the position.
Rob Gronkowski (vs. LAC, 57%) — HC Bruce Arians has been a professional troll to fantasy owners this season. The latest example came in Week 3 with Arians and Gronk talking about how they signed him to be a blocking TE. Gronk, of course, went out and posted 6/48 receiving against the Broncos last week, and his only missed target came on an end-zone pass from his buddy Tom Brady. Gronk isn’t the easiest player to trust after he recorded just four targets in the first two games, but he should be featured more going forward now that he has his playing legs underneath him. It also helps that Chris Godwin (hamstring) will be out of the lineup for the next couple weeks.
A player to consider streaming the next couple weeks
Jimmy Graham (vs. Ind, vs. TB — 10%) — Graham is the TE7 through three weeks with 12.8 FPG, and his outlook for the rest of the season is looking much better with the TE-friendly Nick Foles in charge of the Bears offense for the foreseeable future. He posted 6/60/2 receiving on 10 targets against the Falcons last week, which means Graham has already matched his three touchdowns from all of 2019. The Colts have allowed the fewest FPG to TEs through three weeks, but they haven’t exactly faced the best TEs or the best passing games through three weeks against the Jags, the Vikes, and the Jets. He also has a tougher matchup against the Buccaneers waiting in Week 5, but Graham has the potential to be a high-end TE2 going forward.
Players to consider streaming this week
Dalton Schultz (vs. Cle, %) — Schultz blew up in Week 2 with 9/88/1 receiving in his first game without Blake Jarwin (ACL, IR), and it was a positive sign to see that he didn’t disappear in Week 3. He posted a solid 4/48 receiving on six targets against the Seahawks, and he now gets an excellent matchup against a Browns defense that’s struggled to defend TEs this season. Tight ends have seen a whopping 10.3 targets per game (3rd-most) going against the Browns this season, and they’re allowing the fourth-most FPG (15.63) to the position.
A player to consider streaming if his game isn’t postponed
Eric Ebron (@Ten, 27%) — Ebron is obviously at risk of not playing this week because of the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak. If the Steelers and Titans would play this week, Ebron is looking like a strong streamer option if Diontae Johnson (concussion) would miss this week after leaving Week 3 early with a concussion. It was no coincidence that Ebron had his best performance with the Steelers after Johnson left Week 3 early as he posted 5/52/1 receiving on seven targets against the Texans. Ebron scored on a red-zone fade route from 10 yards away and his aDOT is currently sitting at a juicy 10.4 yards through three games. The Titans have allowed a receiving TD to tight ends in each of the first three weeks.
