"Streaming" quarterbacks, defenses and kickers has been a fantasy football strategy I've successfully used for years.
I've parlayed that success into a series of weekly recommendations of the top streaming options at those three positions as well as tight end — a position I don't recommend streaming week-to-week — which can be of assistance in a pinch.
The concept behind streaming is that you add someone for a given week based on the matchup they face, rather than putting the emphasis behind a player's long-term projection.
Note that these players are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo! leagues, 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.
Last week, recommended streamers performed well. Robert Tonyan came in as the TE12 in half PPR leagues while Cade York was the K13. The Giants defense also had a strong week with a D2 showing.
Of course, the best selection of the lot was one that I moved away from, as I pivoted from Jared Goff (QB1) to Marcus Mariota (QB32) due to the injuries that the Lions were dealing with. Those are the breaks sometimes!
Read on for my Week 5 streaming analysis.
Dolphins QB Teddy Bridgewater vs. NYJ (2% Rostered)
Bridgewater will get at least one start due to Tua Tagovailoa's injury, and I view him as a fringe QB1/2 option this week.
He's very much a "system" quarterback and one of the best backups in the league, so he should be able to replicate a lot of what we've seen from Mike McDaniel's scheme. It's also easier on a backup when you get to come in and throw to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
We got a sneak peek of what Bridgewater is capable of against the Bengals, as he posted a 193 yard, one touchdown and one interception stat line in about two quarters of play.
Bridgewater opens the week as my QB13 and top streaming option.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas vs. TEN (24% Rostered)
Editor's note: Koerner's pick has changed to O.J. Howard, as of Sunday morning.
Thomas opened the season getting eased back from injury, and as expected, we've seen his playing time has increased in recent weeks. His routes run rate jumped to 73% last week and there is likely still room to grow.
A possible absence for Jahan Dotson could also clear the way to additional targets for Thomas. He's my TE14 and his stock is rising.
Chiefs K Harrison Butker vs. LV (39% Rostered)
Butker was dropped in a number of leagues due to his injury issues, so it would be wise to try and scoop him up this week on the cheap.
If he is able to play this week he would be my K2 and a long-term solution at the position, but if not, check out my latest Week 5 projections for the next-best addition to make.
Titans DEF vs. WAS (9% Rostered)
This is a great option due to the matchup presented. Carson Wentz has been sacked a league-high 17 times and his five interceptions are tied for second-most in the NFL.
The Titans open the week as my D2, but it's always important to note that defensive scoring is variable. Rather than projecting the Titans as the second-highest scoring defense, I'm projecting that it is the second-most likely unit to post a top-16 score this week.
