"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, 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, 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.
49ers QB Trey Lance @ ARI (31% Rostered)
This year, my draft strategy was to stash Trey Lance if I missed out on a top-12 QB in the draft. The plan was to stream QBs until Lance eventually took over as the 49ers starter; at that point, I felt he would offer low-end QB1 value.
Well, here we are.
Lance took over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in the second half last week. Despite only playing a half and not looking 100% NFL ready quite yet, Lance posted the QB13 score in Week 4. It just shows how valuable he will be given his dual-threat ability and the system he plays in.
If you do not have a long-term option at QB now and Lance is available, you need to make an aggressive bid for him. It's unclear how long Jimmy G will be out (there is a chance he may even suit up this week), but there is a chance Lance could run away with the job if he plays well this week and be a low-end QB1 the rest of the way.
Vikings Defense vs. DET (16%)
The Vikings are a great streaming option this week as they are 7.5-point favorites — at home no less — against the Lions. LB Anthony Barr should make his season debut, and I believe they offer a high floor this week.
Vikings K Greg Joseph vs. DET (10%)
This week, the Vikings sport one of the highest implied team totals (28.5) and should offer Greg Joseph plenty of scoring opportunities in a domed environment.
Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz vs. NYG (34%)
I have targeted Jared Cook and Dawson Knox over the past few weeks, but both are rostered in over 50% of leagues. It's only a matter of time until Schultz gets scooped up in 50%+ of leagues, and you will likely need to spend 20-30% FAAB to land him after another big game (6/58/1).
His underlying data fully supports the breakout we have seen. In Week 4, Schultz nearly doubled (76%) the routes run rate of Blake Jarwin (36%). He is one of Dak Prescott's favorite targets right now, which is why he's my TE10 in my initial Week 5 projections.
