Fantasy Football Streaming Options: Time to Believe in Dak Prescott
Week 10’s stream was a productive one, as two of our quarterbacks—Baker Mayfield and Blake Bortles—were among the top seven at the position in scoring, while Nick Vannett and Ricky Seals-Jones ranked among the top-16 tight ends. Six teams—the Patriots, 49ers, Jets, Dolphins, Browns and Bills—go on bye this week, which should create a fair amount of holes in starting lineups. Whether you’re looking to replace Tom Brady, David Njoku, George Kittle or any of these strong defenses, the stream has you covered.
For streaming purposes, 4for4’s schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA) is a metric we rely on heavily to determine weekly matchup strength. As the season progresses and more data is available, aFPA becomes more and more reliable, using rolling 10-week data. Targets and efficiency metrics are also considered when choosing weekly streamers.
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott, Cowboys at Falcons
Prescott turned in another useful performance in Week 10, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown, and adding a score on the ground, in the Cowboys’ 27-20 win over the Eagles. He’s been trending upward the past three games, with six total touchdowns, one interception and an average of 262 passing yards per game. He gets a dream matchup in Week 11, facing the Falcons 31st-ranked defense in quarterback aFPA. He has some long-term value, as well, with three of his next five opponents ranking 28th or worse in that same category.
Marcus Mariota, Titans at Colts
Mariota completed 16 of 24 pass attempts for 228 yards and two scores in the Titans’ surprising win over the Patriots in Week 10. He also had a 21-yard catch and rushed for an additional 21, marking the second straight week for him as a top-10 quarterback. He draws in Week 11 an Indianapolis defense ranked 29th in quarterback aFPA. This game has significant shootout potential, making Mariota even more attractive.
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Blake Bortles, Jaguars vs. Steelers
Bortles had one of his best games of the season in Week 10, throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 10 loss to the Colts. The Jaguars’ signal caller has now gone three consecutive games without an interception, and is in better shape with Leonard Fournette finally back on the field. This isn’t necessarily an easy matchup with the Steelers 13th in quarterback aFPA to opposing quarterbacks, but Bortles still carries streaming value.
Tight Ends
Ricky Seals-Jones, Cardinals vs. Raiders
Seals-Jones got nine targets last week, catching five for 51 yards. Chad Williams was out in Week 10, which opened up additional opportunity, and it appears he will miss this week’s game with the Raiders, as well. The Raiders have been terrible against tight ends, ranking 29th against the position in aFPA.
Jeff Heuerman, Broncos at Chargers
Heuerman had a team-high 11 targets in Week 9 against the Texans, Denver’s last game and its first contest without Demaryius Thomas. He hauled in 10 of them for 83 yards and a touchdown, his best game of the season. What’s more, Heuerman was Case Keenum’s favored target inside the 10-yard line, a position previously held by Thomas. This could be a trend for the tight end, which would have him on the stream radar, at the very worst, most weeks. Don’t worry too much about a tough on-paper matchup with the Chargers. Heuerman’s role is growing, and that makes him a top stream play at tight end this week.
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James O’Shaughnessy, Jaguars vs. Steelers
Back from a hip injury, O’Shaughnessy assumed his role as the Jaguars primary tight end, nabbing five of six targets for 46 yards. It was nothing flashy or exciting, but it was decent production from a low-level tight end. This year, that’s the best we can hope for on the stream. O’Shaugnessy’s consistent presence in the Jacksonville offense makes him a decent stream target this week.
Defenses
Arizona Cardinals vs. Raiders
It’s been an up-and-down season—mostly down—on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals in 2018, but they’ve shown flashes along the way. They’re third in the league in sacks with 29, and held the Chiefs to 26 points, their season-low, in Week 10. They get the polar opposite in terms of matchup this week with the Raiders heading to the desert. This is the top defense to chase on the stream this week.
New Orleans Saints vs. Eagles
In Week 10, New Orleans shut down the Bengals’ offense, sacking Andy Dalton four times and picking him off twice. The Saints rank sixth against the rush, and, crucially considering this week’s matchup with the Eagles, third in tight end aFPA. If the Saints can find a way to slow down Zach Ertz, they will make life tough on Carson Wentz.
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Washington Redskins vs. Texans
While it doesn’t have the easiest matchup this week against Houston (15th in defensive aFPA), Washington has been a bankable fantasy defense this season. It ranks fourth in total fantasy points through Week 10, racking up 25 sacks and 18 takeaways. That’s enough to get them on the stream radar in a tough week for defenses.
