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: Carson Wentz, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff
In danger of missing: Gardner Minshew (thumb/benching), Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle, out)
In tough matchups: Drew Brees (@TB, 3rd-fewest FPG allowed)
Top options if they’re available…
Cam Newton (NE, 63%) — It hasn’t been pretty for Cam since he came off the COVID-19 list, but he’s still mustered two performances of 19+ FP around an ugly 2.82 FP performance against the 49ers in Week 7. Cam has thrown five INTs with no TD passes in that three-game span, but he does have six rushing TDs overall this season. He’s also finally developing a connection with one of his receivers (Jakobi Meyers, of all players). The Jets are a get-well defense as we saw with Patrick Mahomes last week, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Cam and HC Bill Belichick take out some of their frustration on New York’s defense this week.
Players to consider streaming the next couple of weeks
Derek Carr (@LAC, vs. Den, vs. KC — 42%) — I’m throwing out Carr’s performance against the Browns last week in absolutely disgusting conditions, but that’s not to say I wasn’t impressed by his work in Week 8. He ran for a three-year high 41 rushing yards as he was willing to do anything necessary to win against the Browns. His performance last week snapped a five-game run of 250+ passing yards with multiple touchdown passes. He has a great chance to get back on track this week going against a Chargers defense that just got lit up by Drew Lock for 248/3 passing. Los Angeles’ defense fell apart late last week after Joey Bosa left in the second half with a concussion. Chargers games are now averaging a combined 63.8 point per game over their last four contests, and the Raiders have been an over-team all season until last week. Carr is looking like a starting fantasy option for the next month-plus with an excellent stretch of games in Weeks 9-13 (LAC, Den, KC, Atl, NYJ).
Players to consider streaming this week
Drew Lock (@Atl, 9%) — Lock isn’t the easiest player to trust since he went seven consecutive games without multiple TDs, dating back to last season. He nearly extended that not-so-pretty streak to eight games last week. The Broncos had just two first downs midway into the third quarter before Lock awoke from his slumber in the final 21 minutes to pull out an improbable victory. Lock threw for a season-best three touchdowns and 248 yards for his first game with 20+ FP. The second-year QB has now thrown 40+ times in consecutive games and there’s a chance he does it again this week against the pass-funnel defense in Atlanta. The Falcons held Teddy Bridgewater and Matthew Stafford in check the last two weeks, but they allowed multiple scores to quarterbacks in each of their first six games. It’s a small leap of faith to use Lock this week but his confidence should be at an all-time high. It also doesn’t hurt that his top perimeter receiver Tim Patrick (hamstring) should be back this week, and rookie WR Jerry Jeudy started to show some signs of life in their comeback victory.
Kirk Cousins (vs. Det, %) — The Lions just got roasted by a decrepit Philip Rivers and his shaky cast of receivers to the tune of 263 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions own the eighth-worst sack rate and Kirkie could have even more time to throw this week as Detroit lost their best pass-rusher Trey Flowers to a wrist injury. Cousins does have floor potential this week if the Vikings jump out to an early lead against the Lions and they ride Cook like they did last week when Cousins attempted just 14 passes. He does have some ceiling potential, too, if the Lions show a little fight as the Vikings have an implied total sitting around 29 points. Hopefully, Cook doesn’t hog all the touchdowns for the Vikings once again this week like did against the Packers.
Tight End Streamers
Players to consider benching this week
On bye: Dallas Goedert, Tyler Higbee
In danger of missing: George Kittle (foot, out)
Top options if they’re available…
Eric Ebron (@Dal, 46%) — I wasn’t expecting Ebron to be the steadiest receiver in the Steelers offense in the first half of the season but here we are. He’s posted between 43 and 52 receiving yards in five of his last six games, and he scored his second touchdown of the season last week in a tough matchup against the Ravens last week to finish as the TE3 in Week 8. Dallas Goedert didn’t make any noise against the Cowboys in his first game back last week, but Logan Thomas went for 4/60/1 receiving against Dallas back in Week 7.
Jimmy Graham (@Ten, 58%) — Graham failed to reach 3+ catches and 30+ yards against the Saints last week, which ended his five-game run of hitting those marks with Nick Foles at quarterback. He’s at least seen 5+ targets in seven of his eight games, which is excellent for the position, and the Titans have allowed a solid four touchdowns to the position this season.
A player to consider streaming the next couple of weeks
Jordan Reed (vs. GB, @NO — 3%) — Reed is eyeing a return to the 49ers lineup this week after a five-week layoff for his knee sprain. The 49ers activated him from the injured reserve last week, and they desperately need Reed this week and going forward after news broke that George Kittle (foot) will miss the next eight weeks. He averaged seven targets and 4.5 receptions per game when Kittle missed earlier this year, which included a 7/50/2 receiving performance against the Jets in Week 2. New starting QB Nick Mullens has funneled passes to his TEs throughout his career, which included six targets to Reed in Week 3 despite Reed playing just 18 snaps because of his knee injury. If Reed can’t play this week, Ross Dwelley would be the next man up for anyone needing a streaming option this week.
Trey Burton (vs. Bal, @Ten — 22%) — The Colts are splitting up the work at tight end among Burton, Jack Doyle, and a once-again healthy Mo Alie-Cox. Burton led this group in catches (3), targets (4), and routes run (15) last week, but he turned those looks into just nine receiving yards. Luckily, he scored a rushing touchdown for the second straight game lined up as a Wildcat QB, which isn’t that unfamiliar for him since he played quarterback at Florida during his college career. Burton and these TEs could be a little more active this week and for the near future with T.Y. Hilton out with a groin injury. Burton will square off with the Ravens this week, who just allowed the third-best TE performance last week to Eric Ebron last week.
Players to consider streaming this week
Logan Thomas (vs. NYG, 23%) — Thomas has some renewed life ever since Kyle Allen took over as the team’s starting quarterback. The former Virginia Tech quarterback has seen 4+ targets in every game this season, but his efficiency has skyrocketed with Allen compared to Dwayne Haskins. Thomas has 7/102/2 receiving on eight targets in his last two games with Allen, which includes a 3/42/1 receiving performance against this week’s opponent, the Giants. Thomas is averaging 1.85 yards per route run in that span after averaging a pathetic .58 yards per route run with Haskins in Weeks 1-5. The Giants have allowed 11+ FP in three straight games, which includes Thomas’ performance against them in Week 6.
Jordan Akins (@Jax, 2%) — Akins will return to the lineup in Week 9 after missing Houston’s last three games for an ankle injury and a concussion. Akins saw more snaps and more targets than Darren Fells in each of his three full games to open the season with two performances of 11+ FP. Fells had a pair of 13+ FP performances with Akins out of the lineup in Weeks 5-6 before he failed to see a target against the Packers. One of his blow-up games came against the Jaguars when he caught his only two targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. Fells won’t go away this week, but Akins is the better bet to post serviceable fantasy production against a Jaguars defense that’s allowing a league-high one TD to tight ends per game, including four TDs in their last three games.
