Fantasy Football: Week 15 Streamers to Consider
The fantasy playoffs are here! I hope you survived last week’s bye-pocalypse and made it to the first round of the postseason. Now it’s time to forget about the previous 14 weeks and focus on winning this next matchup. Bye weeks are over, so there is no excuse. You must conjure the best possible lineup to beat your opponent and advance to the next round.
This is where streaming can be your ally. In this weekly article, you’ll find some widely available viable plug-and-play quarterbacks, kickers, defense/special teams, and even a tight end to stream and help your team get as many points as possible from these positions and finish the week with a victory.
Don’t forget to look into Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings for further assistance. You might also find some insights using the Ultimate Dashboard to get specific suggestions based on your roster.
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers – New York Jets (37% rostered)
After losing to the Dolphins in overtime, the Jets are officially eliminated. Aaron Rodgers has not been the great leader they expected, but he’s had some decent streamable games. Despite the loss, he completed 27 passes for 339 yards and a touchdown pass to his buddy Davante Adams last week. This week, he’ll play against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have been a very favorable matchup for quarterbacks most weeks, allowing the most passing yards and second-most fantasy points per game to the position. Rodgers might be unlikeable, but he could help take your team to the next round of playoffs.
Matthew Stafford – Los Angeles Rams (56% rostered)
The Rams are playing really good football since they got all their playmakers back from injury. Matthew Stafford completed 23 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns last week against the tough Bills defense. He should be able to continue delivering fantasy goodness this week against the inconsistent 49ers defense. If you’re lucky enough to find him available in your league, he might be among the best streaming options for the first round of playoffs.
Bryce Young – Las Vegas Raiders (13% rostered)
Try to forget about how Bryce Young struggled against the Eagles this past week. Philadelphia has been tough on QBs this season. Instead, focus on how good he looked two weeks ago against the Buccaneers when Adam Thielen returned from injury. Young has been improving based on what we saw at the beginning of the season. He is far from being an everyday starter, but he’s shown us he is capable of delivering decent fantasy performances on favorable matchups. This week, he’ll play against the Cowboys, who have been rising on the points allowed to QBs rankings. Since Thielen came back, I’m willing to trust Bryce Young in my lineup in a matchup like this one.
Desmond Ridder – Las Vegas Raiders (0% rostered)
It might take some titanium underpants for this one. Still, if you’re desperate for a quarterback this week, Desmond Ridder is available in every redraft league, and he will likely start for the Raiders this week in a favorable matchup after Aidan O’Connell hurt his knee this past Sunday. Ridder did a decent job as a backup. He only played for 14 minutes, and he completed 12 passes for 101 yards. The aforementioned favorable matchup is against his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, who have been struggling in the secondary, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. There might be some less-risky, more proven options on your waiver wire, but Ridder will try his best to prove the Falcons wrong for letting him go.
Kickers
Jason Myers – Seattle Seahawks (21% rostered)
The Seahawks’ veteran kicker continues on a perfect streak since Week 5. Let’s face it—he is one of the league’s most reliable kickers, and he can be a top-fantasy option when this offense is inspired. Last week, he nailed three field goals and three extra points against the Cardinals. And he should once again be a viable streamer against the Packers in what should be an exciting offensive matchup with many kicking opportunities on both sides of the ball.
Brandon McManus – Green Bay Packers (19% rostered)
If you’ve been following this weekly article, this might seem like a third-time deja vu. But if he keeps being this available, I can’t stop recommending Brandon McManus as a streamer for two main reasons: First, the Packers have been constantly involved in games with high over/under lines. And second, McManus has been doing his part, not missing a single attempt since the Packers signed him in Week 7. The Packers’ matchup this week against the Seahawks is once again among the highest Vegas lines, so I wouldn’t hesitate to stream McManus this next Sunday.
Joshua Karty – Los Angeles Rams (6% rostered)
Karty’s rookie season has been far from perfect, but since the Rams’ playmakers returned from their various injuries, the offense has been firing on all cylinders, advancing the ball, and constantly getting into scoring position. Last week, Karty had seven kicking attempts against the Bills. That’s a lot of opportunities. Yes, he missed one extra point, but sometimes you just have to ride on volume, and he should get a lot of it this week against the 49ers in what Vegas projects to be the second-highest-scoring game of the week.
Defense & Special Teams
Cincinnati Bengals (26% rostered)
After several weeks of unfavorable matchups, the Bengals’ D/ST finally had a breather against the Cowboys this past Monday night, and they did a decent job, sacking Cooper Rush three times, intercepting him once, and recovering a fumble. They have a couple more “easy” games in the next two weeks against the Titans and Browns. Tennessee has constantly been the best matchup for D/ST, allowing over three sacks and over 11 fantasy points per game to the position.
Atlanta Falcons (10% rostered)
Yes, I mentioned Desmond Ridder as a titanium underpants streamer against the Falcons’ secondary this week. And yes, he can be streamed, but the Falcons’ D/ST can also be streamed against him and the Raiders’ offensive line. There’s a chance we see some turnovers and sacks, which has been the Falcons’ specialty since their bye week (nine sacks in two weeks).
Green Bay Packers (35% rostered)
The Packers’ D/ST was massively dropped last week in fear of their matchup against the Detroit Lions. Whoever dropped it in your league dodged a bad matchup but threw away the chance of having a D/ST with one of the best playoff schedules. This week, the Packers will visit the Seahawks, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position. Then they’ll host the Saints in Week 16. Grab them if you can.
BONUS: Tight End
Juwan Johnson – New Orleans Saints (18% rostered)
This season, injuries have depleted the Saints’ offense of almost all of their weapons. After losing Taysom Hill to injury two weeks ago, Juwan Johnson’s volume has increased considerably, and he might become one of the most reliable tight ends (if something like that exists) for the fantasy playoffs. Last week, he received four of five targets for 50 yards and a touchdown in what didn’t look like a great matchup for tight ends. This week, he’ll face the Commanders, who have allowed over nine points on average to the position, and then he’ll get the Packers and Raiders, who are both among the top-10 defenses in points allowed to TEs. It might be crazy to consider him a league-winner, but he could offer a solid floor for a particularly volatile position, even if Derek Carr can’t pass concussion protocol on time.