"Streaming" quarterbacks, defenses and kickers has been a fantasy football strategy I've successfully used for years. I've parlayed that success into weekly recommendations for those three positions as well as tight end — a position I don't recommend streaming week-to-week, though still offer recommendations for fantasy players who may need a short-term rental.
Note that these players are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo! leagues as of writing on Tuesday, but that these recommendations do not mean that they are the best streamer play for your league — be sure to check my up-to-the-minute rankings to see who the best available player is in your league.
Bears QB Justin Fields at Seahawks (26%)
Justin Fields opens the week as my QB15 and looks like the top streaming option for Week 16. The dual-threat quarterback has a fairly easy matchup against a Seattle defense that has recently coughed up 300 or more yards to Colt McCoy, Jimmy Garoppolo and Davis Mills.
Eagles Defense vs. Giants (49%)
The Eagles open the week as my No. 1-ranked DEF since they’ll likely be facing Jake Fromm under center.
However, remember that just because a defense is ranked No. 1 for any given week doesn't mean it’s likely to end the week as the top-scoring defense. Jonathan Taylor is way more likely to end the week as the actual RB1 than the Eagles will end the week as the actual DEF1. This is because defensive stats are way more volatile and tougher to predict. I would interpret the Eagles' top ranking as they’re more likely to give you an above-average score than any other defense.
Chargers K Dustin Hopkins at Texans (30%)
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley's aggressive fourth-down decision-making usually comes at the expense of Hopkins' fantasy value. However, Staley may opt for a more conservative approach against the Texans this week. Either way, the Chargers have the fourth-highest team total, and I expect Hopkins to get plenty of scoring opportunities.
Elliott Fry is a sneaky early week add since he will be the Chiefs kicker if Harrison Butker cannot be cleared from the COVID list in time to face the Steelers. Fry will rank inside my top three and become my updated K streamer if he starts this week. I will be adding Fry to begin the week and switch over to Hopkins if/when Butker returns from the COVID list.
Raiders TE Foster Moreau vs. Broncos (13%) or Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah vs. Ravens (16%)
If Darren Waller is held out for a fourth straight game, Foster Moreau will be the top streaming option for Week 16.
Outside of Moreau, the TE streaming landscape is pretty dire. C.J. Uzomah at least offers some upside against a Ravens defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to TEs. Uzomah has fared much better against man coverage this season, and the Ravens play man at the third-highest rate. He opens the week as my TE17.
