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: Aaron Rodgers (GB), Matthew Stafford (Det)
In danger of missing: Cam Newton (NE, COVID-19 list)
In tough matchups: Joe Burrow (@Bal, held three of four QBs under 19 FP), Carson Wentz (@Pit, allowing 18.65 FPG)
Top options if they’re available…
Ryan Tannehill (vs. Buf, 49%) — We don’t know exactly what the Titans will look like this week after their COVID-19 scare this past week. Tannehill will likely be without slot WR Adam Humphries, whom the Titans placed on the COVID-19 list, but Tannehill should get WR A.J. Brown (knee) back in the fold this week. The Bills have allowed 300+ passing yards and two passing touchdowns in three straight games.
Gardner Minshew (@Hou, 46%) — Minshew has topped 20+ FP in three of his first four starts and he’s averaging 42.3 pass attempts per game in losses the last three weeks — they enter Week 5 as 6.5-point underdogs against the Texans. Houston has been more of a run-funnel defense in the early going, but the Jaguars just faced another run-funnel defense in the Bengals last week and Minshew threw for 351 yards and two TDs.
Players to consider streaming the next couple weeks
Justin Herbert (@NO, vs. NYJ, @Mia, vs. Jax — 16%) — Joe Burrow became the first rookie QB to throw for 300+ yards in three straight games, and Herbert almost joined him in the club last week. The former Oregon QB just missed his third consecutive 300-yard game by 10 yards against the Buccaneers last week, but he did throw for multiple TDs for the first time in his career while averaging 11.6 YPA. Herbert is now averaging 310.3 passing yards per game and 15.7 rushing yards per game, and he has an absolutely pristine upcoming fantasy schedule over the next month. It’s less than ideal that he’ll be without Austin Ekeler (hamstring) during that stretch, but Mike Williams (hamstring) could return soon to give him a potent deep threat. Herbert should be a priority add in most leagues for his upcoming schedule, and he’ll get a Saints defense this week that’s allowed three passing TDs in three straight games.
Kirk Cousins (@Sea, vs. Atl — 29%) — The Vikings have posted 30+ points in three of their first four games and they have a great chance to make it four out of five games with a matchup looming against the Seahawks. Kirkie is averaging just 25 passes per game but he’s averaging a healthy 8.8 YPA with rookie Justin Jefferson breaking out the last two weeks. Cousins is currently leading the league in deep-ball rate at 25%, and he’s going to take his chances downfield to Jefferson and Adam Thielen against a defense that’s allowing the most passing yards per game (408.5) and the second-most FPG to QBs (28.32). Cousins has a chance to reach 30+ pass attempts for the first time this season since the Vikings could be chasing points as seven-point road underdogs in a game with the highest total of the week (58 points).
Players to consider streaming this week
Teddy Bridgewater (@Atl, 19%) — Bridgewater is being slept on a bit in the early going, but he has the chance to remain among the mid-QB2 range going forward. Teddy Two Gloves is completing 73.0% of his passes and he’s averaging 8.1 YPA, but he’s thrown a TD pass on just 2.8% of his passes, which ranks 27th out of 33 QBs. He’s going to see some positive regression if he keeps playing as well as he has and, more importantly, the supremely talented D.J. Moore isn’t going to stay quiet all season — he’s topped 10+ FP just once this season. I hope you followed my Teddy recommendation last week as he threw for multiple TDs for the first time and he added a rushing TD to finish as the QB3 for the week. Bridgewater is now averaging 17.5 rushing yards per game while attempting 35.5 passes per game. He now gets the best fantasy matchup for opposing QBs against a decimated Falcons defense that’s allowed four passing TDs in three of their first four games. Bridgewater has an outside shot to stay in the top-five at the position for another week.
Daniel Jones (@Dal, 34%) — Streaming Jones this week is a leap of faith in the struggling second-year quarterback since the Giants have scored just three touchdowns this season. Jones hasn’t accounted for a touchdown pass in three weeks and he has seven turnovers compared to just two total touchdowns this season. The Giants have faced an absolute gauntlet of games to this point (Pit, @Chi, SF, @LAR) and they’ll finally catch a scheduling break against an awful Cowboys defense that’s allowing the third-most FPG to QBs (25.61). Baker Mayfield (165/2 passing) and Jared Goff (275/0) failed to put up huge numbers against the Cowboys because their rushing attacks dominated Dallas, but I don’t think that will be the case this week. I’m expecting Jones to have to do the heavy lifting against the Cowboys since I’m not expecting Devonta Freeman to go crazy this week.
Tight End Streamers
Players to consider benching this week
On bye: T.J. Hockenson (Det), Robert Tonyan (GB)
In danger of missing: Jared Cook (NO, groin), Jordan Akins (Hou, concussion)
In tough matchups: Mike Gesicki (@SF, allowing 3.2 FPG)
Top options if they’re available…
Rob Gronkowski (@Chi, 56%) — Gronk is quietly trending upward despite his most invisible start to the season. He ran a season-best 31 routes last week and O.J. Howard is now done for the season with an Achilles injury. Chris Godwin (hamstring) won’t play this week and Mike Evans looked severely hampered in Week 4 so Tom Brady might have no other choice but to get his buddy Gronk more involved. The Bears have allowed three TDs to tight ends in three of their first four games so maybe Gronk can break the seal and find the end zone for the first time with the Buccaneers.
A player to consider streaming the next couple weeks
Dalton Schultz (vs. NYG, vs. Ari, @Was — 52%) — How is Schultz still owned in only 52% of leagues? He’ll be a top waiver priority this week next to Robert Tonyan, who happens to be on bye this week or he would be featured in this report after this three-TD explosion. Schultz now has 4+ receptions in three straight games since Blake Jarwin (ACL, IR) went down for the season, which includes two games with 70+ yards and a touchdown. Dallas’ terrible defense is propelling their weekly offensive explosions. I’m slightly worried the Giants offense won’t push this offense in Week 5 since they have just three offensive TDs, but Schultz and the rest of this offense is too hot to fade right now. This is your last chance to add Schultz since he’ll be snapped in more league this week.
Eric Ebron (vs. Phi, vs. Cle, @Ten — 27%) — It might be time to jump aboard with Ebron, who has been trending upward in his first three games with the black and gold. He had his best performance with the Steelers after Diontae Johnson left Week 3 early with a concussion as he posted 5/52/1 receiving on a team-best 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. Diontae will be back this week to kill some of Ebron’s momentum, but the veteran TE gets three priority matchups over the next three weeks against defenses that rank in the top-11 in FPG allowed to opposing TEs in the Eagles, the Browns, and the Titans. The Eagles just got crushed by George Kittle (15/183/1 receiving) last week, and they allowed three touchdowns to Tyler Higbee earlier this season.
Players to consider streaming this week
Greg Olsen (vs. Min, 22%) — Olsen, our Blue Wire Podcasts teammate, is quietly picking up steam in his new home in Seattle. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are rightfully stealing all the headlines with Russell Wilson, but Olsen has now seen 13 targets while running a route on 65.9% of Wilson’s dropbacks (56 of 85) the last two weeks. He’s turned in consecutive five-catch games for a combined 96 yards against the Cowboys and the Dolphins. The Vikings are allowing 14.8 YPR to TEs so far and the seventh-most yards per game to the position (66.8). The Vikings have yet to give up a touchdown to a tight end this season but that could change this week since Russell Wilson is averaging four touchdown passes per game.
Ian Thomas (@Atl, 8%) — Thomas has just 30 receiving yards through four weeks so needless to say he’s more of a deeper streamer this week. However, he is showing some signs of life since Christian McCaffrey (ankle) left the lineup. He scored his first touchdown of the season last week and he saw five targets against the Cardinals, which was more than the four targets he saw in the first three weeks of the season. He also ranks in the top-15 in routes run for the position with 109, and he’ll now run into a Falcons defense that’s been decimated in the middle of the field. S Ricardo Allen (elbow) and S Keanu Neal (hamstring) both missed last week and their backups Damontae Kazee (Achilles, IR) and S Jaylinn Hawkins (concussion) each left Week 4 early with injuries. Thomas will look to become the fifth straight tight end to hit double-digit FP against the Falcons this season.
