Finding the right fantasy football streamers at quarterback, tight end, defense and kicker has been a strategy I've successfully used for years.
I've parlayed that success into a series of weekly recommendations for the top streaming options at those three positions, as well as tight end, which can be of assistance in a pinch.
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The concept behind streaming is that you add someone for a given week based on the matchup, rather than putting the emphasis behind a player's long-term projection.
I’m only highlighting players who are available in at least 40% of Yahoo! leagues. Please refer to my player rankings based on your league settings to see who is the best available player in your league.
Note: The optimal strategy for streamers is to add the player I have ranked the highest that is available in your specific league. I have no way of knowing who is the best option for your league, so I’m just highlighting the player I have ranked the highest that is available in more than 40% of leagues.
Use my rankings to see if there's a player who's available in your league and ranked higher than those mentioned below.
QB Baker Mayfield (47% owned)
at Colts
Anytime Mayfield is featured as the top streaming option, it usually means it’s a below-average week for streaming options. No teams are on bye this week, so it’s less likely people are looking for a one-week rental anyway.
Mayfield has been solid in Tampa Bay this season as the run game has struggled, forcing the Bucs to lean on the pass. He has one of the best WR duos in the league in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, which has been a big help. Mayfield also offers sneaky rushing upside at times, making him a solid mid-range QB2 option.
Ideally, you have a top-12 QB rostered already or access to someone I have ranked higher. If not, Mayfield is a decent streaming option this week as my QB15.
TE Isaiah Likely (5%)
at Chargers
With Mark Andrews expected to miss potentially the rest of the season, Likely will take over most — if not all — of his snaps.
While Likely has nowhere near the talent of Andrews, he still has the potential to become a TE1 in the lead role. In the three games Likely played for an injured Andrews last season, he posted receiving lines of 6/77/1, 1/24/1 and 8/103/0.
Let’s not overthink this one: Likely needs to be added if you are in need of a TE and/or an Andrews owner. He opens the week as my TE11, but he has upside for even more.
I’m not sure which TEs are available in your league, so be sure to see my initial Week 12 rankings to get a sense as to where I would rank Likely as a waiver add. He should be added in all 12-team leagues and probably in a lot of starting lineups.
K Matt Prater (7%)
vs. Rams
Kyler Murray’s return should help provide Prater with more scoring chances.
This week against the Rams, the Cardinals are either a pick‘em or even a slight one-point favorite. They’ve been held under 17 points in six of their 11 games but have a team total of 22.5. That indicates that Prater should see more scoring chances than usual in this game.
Prater opens the week as my K6 overall.
Patriots D/ST (27%)
at Giants
I realize Tommy DeVito channeled Tom Brady last week, but he did get sacked nine times and Bill Belichick has had a bye week to prepare for the undrafted rookie.
The Giants have the lowest team total of the week at 15 and are a great matchup for sacks and turnovers. As always, a team isn't always a slam dunk just because it ranks highly for more stable stats to project. Defenses are still very volatile in fantasy, especially ones that are widely available on the waiver wire.
Having said that, the Pats project well in the more stable metrics for a fantasy defense and are worth a stream.
