Top Fantasy Football Streaming Options for Week 9
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy owners are likely scrambling for trades or hitting the waiver wire, with the potential losses of David Johnson, Davante Adams and Adam Thielen due to injuries. Additionally, owners also need to find bye week replacements for Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, Todd Gurley and Cooper Kupp. However, as we all know, you can’t get too depressed or too confident after just one week. Adding players, researching, and picking up players to stream is a critical part of fantasy success.
Streaming is always a difficult task because most owners must resist the temptation to overreact to the previous week. For example, many owners were burned in Week 81 by highly-ranked players like Dede Westbrook (0 PPR points), Larry Fitzgerald (2.8) and Brandin Cooks (0).
Depending on the options afforded to you in your league, don’t panic and bench any of the aforementioned players. If you have more underperforming players in your starting lineup, or have sustained major injuries, you need to be aggressive. If you stream the right player, it could be the difference between earning a win or falling further behind your league leaders. Here are several players to consider streaming in Week 9.
Quarterback
Derek Carr, OAK (vs DET)
Carr, started in less than 18% of leagues, has been great the last two weeks, throwing for 578 yards and five touchdowns against the Packers and Texans. Carr has actually been quietly solid posting an 11-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio through seven games.
In Week 9, he gets a home matchup with the 31st ranked Detroit Lions’ defense. The Lions have surrendered four touchdowns passes in back-to-back games to Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones. Carr cracks my model’s top-5 rankings for the first time this season and should be streamed with extreme confidence as a QB1 with a plus-matchup in Week 9.
Running Backs
Devin Singletary, BUF (vs WAS)
Singletary, started in less than 26% of leagues in Week 8, lands atop this list for the first time this season. The rookie back who missed three games with an injured hamstring
has posted double-digit PPR fantasy points in three of his first four career games. On Sunday, he will face a Redskin defensive unit that ranks fifth-worst in the league against the run, yielding 137.8 yards per game on the ground. Singletary is a solid streaming option in Week 9 against a 26th-ranked Washington defense that has surrendered 31 receptions to opposing pass-catching backs over the last four games.
Jordan Howard, PHI (vs CHI)
Howard, started in less than 28% of leagues, has settled in as the lead back in the Philadelphia offense. The former Chicago Bear is averaging 16.2 touches per game over the last five weeks. On Sunday, the fourth-year back, who has five rushing touchdowns in his last six games, will be extra motivated when he faces his former team. Howard, who has an average of 15.06 PPR fantasy points since Week 4, is a great streaming option against Chicago, especially if Miles Sanders is forced to sit out with a shoulder injury.
The Bears have allowed running backs of the Raiders, Saints and Chargers to find the end zone seven times over the last three weeks. Howard should be considered by owners looking for bye week replacements for Todd Gurley or Alvin Kamara or perhaps as an injury replacement for David Johnson. You can safely stream Howard as an RB2 or flex due to the plus matchup in Week 9 against Chicago.
Wide Receivers
DK Metcalf, SEA (vs TB)
The promising rookie lands on this list for the second straight week after a solid 16.3 PPR fantasy points in Week 8 against Atlanta. Metcalf, who is being started in less than 39% of leagues, has quietly posted double-digit PPR performances in five-of-eight games to start his career. The wideout continues to gain the trust of Russell Wilson with every passing week. The rookie is beginning to emerge as Seattle’s top red-zone target.
My model expects Metcalf to build upon his his three touchdowns in the past four games in a favorable matchup against a Buccaneer defense that ranks second-worst in the league against the pass. Tampa Bay has allowed 64 receptions and seven touchdowns to opposing wideouts over the last four games. Fantasy owners who are looking for bye week replacements for Michael Thomas, Julio Jones or Copper Kupp should look to stream Metcalf with extreme confidence in Week 9.
Emmanuel Sanders, SF (at ARZ)
Sanders, started in less than 42% of leagues, produced four receptions for 25 yards and a score in his first game since being acquired from Denver. Despite having an ineffective Joe Flacco as his quarterback, the 10-year veteran still quietly posted 11-plus PPR fantasy point performances in four-of-seven games with Denver. In Week 9, Sanders will face an Arizona defense that has surrendered a league-high 20 passing touchdowns. Sanders is a solid streaming option as a WR2 with a tremendous ceiling in an excellent matchup with the Cardinals.
Tight End
Jason Witten, DAL (at NYG)
Witten, owned in less than 40% of leagues, has been quietly effective this season with three-plus receptions in every game thus far. The 16-year veteran has performed at the highest level when facing the Giants, as evidenced by his 157 receptions and 16 touchdowns in 31 career games against the NFC East rivals. Witten, who came out of the Monday Night Football TV booth to return to the Cowboys, will be extra motivated to find the end zone for the third time this season in front of the national audience.
Kicker
Jason Myers, SEA (vs TB)
Myers, owned in less than 38% of leagues, who the model indicated was a strong streaming option in Week 8, did not disappoint. Myers posted his highest-scoring game of the season. The fifth-year pro connected on both field goal attempts from 42 and 54 yards out while going a perfect 4-of-4 on extra points. Expect plenty of scoring opportunities for Myers in Week 9 against a Tampa Bay defense that currently ranks 18th overall. The experts in Vegas have posted the game with the highest expected point total on the board (52), lending more support to fantasy owners who expect Myers to post his fifth multiple-field goal performance in six games.
D/ST
Denver Broncos vs Cleveland Browns
The Broncos defense and special teams, started in less than 8% of leagues, had one of their best fantasy games of the season in Week 8 against the Colts. Denver, who ranks fourth in overall team defense, have stepped up their play with 12 sacks and four turnovers in their last three games. This week the Broncos return home to face off with the struggling Cleveland Browns (2-5). The boys out in Vegas are predicting a low-scoring affair, evidenced by a 38.5-point total. Fantasy owners should stream the Broncos with confidence against a frustrated Baker Mayfield, who has been sacked 21 times in eight games while throwing twice as many interceptions (12) as touchdowns (6).
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