2020 Fantasy Football: Streaming Tight End Strategy Guide

Many fantasy owners will stream defenses and sometimes even quarterbacks for ideal matchups each week of the season. SI Fantasy analyst Roy Larking makes a case to consider that same strategy for tight ends in 2020.

Another action-packed Fantasy Football World Championship (FFWC) is fast approaching, and contests are being offered daily in the FFWC Draft Lobby. This feature helps fantasy owners get up to speed on tight ends that have streaming potential during the 2020 NFL season.

This is an article from our Strategy series. If you're a FullTime Fantasy subscriber, you can read this premium article here.

Unlock premium access to the full outlook by subscribing to FullTime Fantasy where we will help you dominate with our Draft Kit, customized rankings, expert consensus rankings, Preseason Pro, Advanced ADP, Premium forums to ask our experts unlimited questions 24/7 & more. Check us out! Click here to subscribe now using promo code TD30 for 30% off your first two months!

What is Fantasy Football Streaming?

Streaming is a fantasy football strategy that players employ when they don’t have consistent “stud” starters at any particular position. While kickers and defense/special teams are the most commonly streamed positions, streaming can be used to fill out a weekly roster at any position. Streaming requires owners to properly manage their roster and make savvy waiver wire moves weekly.

Most NFL teams have at least one tight end they rely on as a receiving option. A handful of teams use two tight end sets regularly as well. In some leagues, like the FFWC World Championship contests, tight ends can be used as a flex player, limiting the number available on the waiver wire. Keep that in mind when deciding to stream tight ends as usually just ten of them post double-digit points each week.

Upper echelon tight ends are often matchup-proof players that can be plugged in all season long. Owners who draft one of the top tight ends turn to streaming to cover the bye week. When the need exists, fantasy owners are advised to check the ideal bye week tight ends recommended by the FullTime Fantasy Sports experts. That fantasy feature recommends possible bye week replacements for the top 12 tight ends.

Fantasy owners looking to draft mid-level tight ends can use the FFWC tight end by committee tool to pair up quality players. The goal here is to pick players that are not projected to produce low point totals during the same week. Using that tool makes inter-roster streaming simple and stress-free. FullTime Fantasy Sports also offers rankings on every player, which helps make tough draft-day decisions easier.

Owners who build their roster with low ranked tight ends use a streaming strategy throughout the entire season. Paying close attention to players available on the waiver wire can help uncover tight ends that have favorable matchups. Streaming tight ends can be risky as there’s no guarantee that quality players will be available on the weekly waiver wire. It is wise to own at least one point producing tight end.

There is a limited number of top-level players available on draft day, so fantasy players need to be aware of which tight ends are streaming candidates. Owners who miss out on studs like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Zach Ertz can pick up lower-ranked tight ends in their drafts. Less consistent undrafted tight ends, scheduled to play a weak defense, can be added via the weekly waiver wire.

For example, the Cardinals (18.6) Cowboys (16.1) and Seahawks (15.2) allowed the most tight end fantasy points per game during the 2019 fantasy season. Fringe players, like Ricky Seals-Jones, Will Dissly, and Kyle Rudolph, produced like top tight ends at various points during the year against those teams. Here are some lower-level tight ends that have streaming potential during the NFL 2020 season.

Irv Smith – Minnesota Vikings

Looking to build on a decent rookie season (36-311-2), Irv Smith will challenge Kyle Rudolph for the TE1 position in Minnesota. Smith and Rudolph posted similar numbers last year, and the Vikings have high hopes for their 2019 second-round draft pick out of Alabama. Smith doesn’t have a prototypical tight end size (6′ 2″, 240), but he has great speed, athleticism, and solid route-running ability. With top receiver Stefon Diggs in Buffalo, Smith is a prime candidate to receive some of the 94 targets Diggs garnered last season.

To check out the FULL list of top TE streaming candidates, subscribe HERE and use code TD30 for 30% your first two months!