Fantasy Football: Week 15 Streamers To Consider
If you’re reading this, it means you made it to the fantasy playoffs. So first of all, congratulations! Now it’s time to focus on getting that title, one win at a time.
Not enough people harness the power of streaming through the fantasy playoffs. Many fantasy managers feel that if a certain roster takes them to this stage, they should stick with it and hope for the best. But being open to streaming some key positions might help you get that cherished championship.
So before going into this week’s streamers, let me share with you a couple of quick notes about the power of streaming quarterbacks, kickers, and D/ST during the fantasy playoffs:
QB: Benching the signal caller that brought your team to the playoffs might feel like some kind of treason. But a lot of good QBs have bad matchups during these weeks, so consider streaming a QB with a better matchup. Believe me: Tua won’t mind sitting on your bench.
K: Don’t follow the big names, follow the big real-life points. Not every “elite” kicker has a high-scoring matchup in front of them every week. For example, the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker is playing against New England in a game with one of the week’s lowest over/under lines. Maybe you could look elsewhere and get more points out of this frequently forsaken position.
D/ST: Bad weather is a very good friend of fantasy defenses, and it can be found all around the country right now. Target matchups against low-scoring teams with mistake-prone QBs and if possible, in poor weather conditions.
And don’t be afraid of rostering two kickers or two D/ST during these weeks. Thinking ahead can give you a great advantage over your opponents. So let’s get into Week 15’s streamers and of course, don’t forget to check Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings for further help.
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford – Los Angeles Rams (53% rostered)
Matthew Stafford has been playing really good football recently. He has overcome even some very tough matchups against the Browns and the Ravens, connecting with all his weapons and scoring 10 passing touchdowns over the past three weeks. This week he’ll get a juicy matchup against the Washington Commanders, who have allowed the most passing TDs and the second most fantasy points per game to QBs this season. I’m even considering keeping him as my starter for the rest of the playoffs, but let’s take this process one week at a time.
Geno Smith – Seattle Seahawks (60% rostered)
After surprising everyone with his best fantasy performance of the season two weeks ago against the Cowboys, Geno Smith was ruled out this past Sunday for the Seahawks game against the 49ers due to a groin injury he battled during the whole week. But since he was almost a game-time decision, Geno should be able to suit up on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been the fountain of eternal fantasy points for QBs this season, especially in recent weeks. They have allowed 28.6 fantasy points on average to the position over the last four games. If Geno is active, he should be a great streamer. Let’s just hope he is named the starter before the Sunday games.
Russell Wilson – Denver Broncos (65% rostered)
DangeRuss is starting to appear in this weekly article a little more often than I would feel comfortable with. But let’s face it, the Broncos have been turning things around and Russell Wilson has been making fewer mistakes. Last week I even ventured to say he would throw for over 200 yards -something he had done only once since Week 5- and he delivered! We could even say he made some amazing plays, like that beautiful 46-yard passing TD to Courtland Sutton. So I’m starting to warm up to Mr. Unlimited and this week I would be willing to stream him against the Detroit Lions, who have allowed 21.7 fantasy points per game to QBs during the past four weeks.
Jordan Love – Green Bay Packers (78% rostered)
The fantasy football community has been finally showing some love to Jordan Love and that’s why he might not be as available as he was a couple of weeks ago. But he should be highlighted here because he is one of this week’s most interesting streamers. Even though he struggled against the Giants on Monday night, his accuracy issues seem to be a thing of the past. He has a 64.2% completion percentage over the past five weeks and he just keeps making big plays and racking up yards. This week he’ll play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed the second most passing yards this season. Jordan Love is a solid one-week rental for this first week of fantasy playoffs.
Sam Howell – Washington Commanders (73% rostered)
Want another one-week rental? How about the current QB6 of the season? Sam Howell has been one of the most valuable late-round QBs and might finish the season outperforming his ADP more than any other QB. He’s been finally unleashing his rushing ability and this week he has a great matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, who have allowed 18.2 fantasy points on average to QBs over the past four weeks. Stream Howell with confidence.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Kickers
Tyler Bass – Buffalo Bills (58% rostered)
Fantasy managers don’t forget easily. Those who drafted Tyler Bass enjoyed his elite talent for a few weeks and then had to endure a rough run from Weeks 5 to 10. He simply didn’t get enough opportunities during that span, resulting in him scoring six points or less each week. Almost half of those managers dropped him during the Bills’ bye week and didn’t pick him back up. But things have been turning around for him and the Bills, who have been finally playing in high-scoring games against top-tier teams. Their matchup against the Cowboys has this week’s second-highest score projection according to Vegas. So go get this widely available kicker if you want to start your playoffs with a potential double-digit score from this position.
Wil Lutz – Denver Broncos (21% rostered)
As the Broncos get better, their box scores get higher. This means more attempts for their veteran kicker, Wil Lutz. Since Week 11 -in which he nailed five field goals- Lutz has been perfect, nailing every opportunity he’s had. This positive momentum should continue this week when the Broncos play the Detroit Lions in a game with a 46.5 over/under line. The Broncos are underdogs in this one, but only by four points. They could score more points than expected and maybe, maaaaaybe even win this game.
Matt Gay – Indianapolis Colts (40% rostered)
The Colts’ kicker had a game to forget last Sunday. He attempted only two kicks (a PAT and a field goal) and he missed both! But don’t be so hard on Matt Gay. He has been one of this season’s most reliable kickers and volume is usually on his side. He has scored double-digit fantasy points more often than most kickers and is still very available. This week he should see enough opportunities in a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lucas Havrisik – Los Angeles Rams (0% rostered)
After the Rams brought in veteran kicker Mason Crosby, everybody assumed Lucas Havrisik was about to lose his job. But the rookie seems to work well under pressure, since he was perfect against the Baltimore Ravens, nailing three field goals and two extra points with zero misses. This Sunday the Rams will be 6.5-point favorites against the Washington Commanders in what’s projected to be this week’s highest-scoring affair. I like Lucas Havrisik a lot as a streamer for this Sunday. Just remember to check if he is still the starter some minutes before kickoff.
Defense & Special Teams
New Orleans Saints (48% rostered)
After a very disappointing fantasy performance against the Lions in Week 13, fantasy managers ran away from the New Orleans Saints’ D/ST, leaving them widely available. But last week I told you not to panic and stream them against the Carolina Panthers. If you followed this advice, congrats on your win. Now you can confidently stream the Saints again as your D/ST this week against the New York Giants, who are now on pace to allow 90 sacks this season. This defense is still available in most leagues, so check your waiver wire. It’s definitely worth a small FAAB bid.
Atlanta Falcons (32% rostered)
I just spoke about what a great streamer the Saints were last week. Well, now it’s the Falcons’ turn to play against Carolina, who has been one of the best matchups to target for D/ST. The Panthers have allowed 51 total sacks and 11.5 fantasy points on average to the position. Atlanta has been a solid streamer in favorable matchups and this is a really good one against a new coaching staff that seems to be already thinking about 2024.
Kansas City Chiefs (60% rostered)
The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense and special teams have been good this season. Please notice I said good and not great. They were great before the Chiefs’ bye week but things have not been going their way recently. Well, this ends now. This week they will visit the New England Patriots, who have been awful this season. Yes, they got a surprising upset win last Thursday night against the Steelers, but even counting that game they have allowed 15 fantasy points per game to opposing D/ST over the past four weeks. The Chiefs might not be a D/ST to keep on your lineup during all the fantasy playoffs as we once thought, but they might be this week’s best streamer.