Fantasy Football: Week 3 Streamers To Consider
What a wild week! Lots of big scores and last-minute wins.. Now it’s time to shift focus to Week 3 and keep stacking those early-season victories.
Did you lose Joe Burrow last week? We can only hope he has a quick recovery, but in the meantime, you might need to stream a QB with a favorable matchup to stay competitive. That’s what this article is here for. Below, you’ll find a handful of intriguing one-week heroes who can help you maximize points from your QB, K, and D/ST slots, plus the occasional tight end. Just last week, we recommended Russell Wilson in a juicy matchup, and oh boy, did he deliver!
Not sure whether to bench or drop one of your starters for one of these options? Don’t forget you can always rely on Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings and the Fantasy Footballers Start/Sit tool, as well as the Ultimate Dashboard for personalized spot-start advice based on your roster.
Without further ado, let’s look at this week’s streamers.
Quarterbacks
Caleb Williams – Chicago Bears (63% rostered)
We have to trust the process here. Caleb Williams has been solid to start the season. His Week 2 fantasy output may not have wowed you, but given how the Lions dominated that game, he held up well. Williams connected with seven different pass-catchers and looked especially sharp in the first half, showing chemistry with WR Rome Odunze. Now, he faces one of the best matchups for QBs: the Dallas Cowboys, who just made Russell Wilson look like his prime self again. This is your time to shine, Caleb.
Drake Maye – New England Patriots (70% rostered)
He’s less widely available, but your league might be in the lucky 30%, so he’s worth mentioning. Drake Maye looked sharp against Miami, spreading the ball around, perhaps frustrating for the people rostering Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, or Hunter Henry. But this game style was great news for the young QB and his fantasy managers. He stayed composed in the pocket and chipped in 10 rushes for 31 yards and a TD (something we missed from him in Week 1). He remains a solid streaming option in matchups like this week’s against the Steelers, whose defense has been anything but a steel curtain so far, letting both Justin Fields and Sam Darnold shine these first two weeks.
Russell Wilson – New York Giants (13% rostered)
Back to the Mr. Unlimited well we go. The 36-year-old veteran threw for over 400 yards last week and nearly led the Giants to an overtime win. It seems he’s finally realized what a weapon he has in Malik Nabers. How long this will last is unclear. If the team continues to lose, we might see Jaxson Dart soon, but for now, Wilson is expected to start against the Kansas City Chiefs in a matchup that should favor the passing game. If you need a streamer, Russ is a high-upside option.
Mac Jones – San Francisco 49ers (5% rostered)
If you’re really desperate and no other QB is available, you might still be able to get Mac Jones. He completed 26 passes for 279 yards and three scores last week, leading the Niners to a win. Some argue that any pocket passer could thrive in this system, but don’t forget Mac Jones was on Kyle Shanahan’s radar during the 2021 draft before the team traded up for Trey Lance. Now they get to revisit that what-if scenario. And so far, it’s working. He will face the Cardinals this week, a defense that has looked solid but still allowed Carolina to rack up points and get dangerously close to tying the game late. Jones is a viable streamer this week.
Kickers
Before starting, just a quick reminder to check if Tyler Loop (74% rostered) is somehow still available in your league. He shouldn’t be. The Ravens are scoring at will, and the rookie kicker has been flawless. This week’s showdown with the Lions could be a shootout. Don’t miss out.
Riley Patterson – Miami Dolphins (0% rostered)
The Dolphins’ offense showed some signs of life last Sunday. Their defense remains a liability, and penalties continue to hurt, but they are moving the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities. With Jason Sanders still recovering from a hip injury, Riley Patterson has stepped in and should continue to do so this week against the Bills in one of the highest projected scoring games of the week. Buffalo may be heavy favorites, but Patterson should get his chances to be fantasy relevant.
Matt Prater – Buffalo Bills (23% rostered)
It might be time to start believing in Matt Prater’s 41-year-old season. As long as he remains accurate, he’s going to be fantasy-relevant on this offense. Even in lower-scoring matchups, the Bills are putting up points, and plenty of them come in the form of kicking attempts. Don’t be surprised if Prater hits double-digit fantasy points for the third straight week on Thursday night.
Cairo Santos – Chicago Bears (2% rostered)
After Chicago signed Jake Moody to the practice squad, Santos responded by converting all his Week 2 kicks, even if they were all extra points. His job may still be on the line, but it would be surprising for the Bears to bench him after a clean performance. This week’s game against Dallas has a 49.5 over/under, setting up plenty of kicking chances. Still, monitor any late-week news in case the Bears decide to pivot to Moody.
DST
Atlanta Falcons (2% rostered)
The Falcons put on a defensive showcase on Sunday night against Minnesota, sacking J.J. McCarthy six times and forcing four turnovers, including two picks. They will look to stay hot against Bryce Young and the Panthers. So far, Young has been sacked four times and thrown three interceptions over the first two weeks. The Falcons should feast on him.
Seattle Seahawks (24% rostered)
Despite facing tough opponents in Weeks 1 and 2 (San Francisco and Pittsburgh), the Seahawks have held up well, racking up four sacks, four interceptions, and no games allowing more than 20 points. They now face the Saints, who’ve looked better than expected but still represent a manageable matchup for this disciplined unit.
Indianapolis Colts (7% rostered)
The Titans are quickly consolidating themselves as a DST target for streamers. First-overall-pick Cam Ward has had a brutal welcome to the NFL: six sacks in Week 1 from the Broncos and five more in Week 2 from the Rams. The Colts are widely available after being dropped last week, and now they get this juicy matchup in which their DST should be a solid streaming option.
BONUS: Tight End
Juwan Johnson – New Orleans Saints (50% rostered)
Why is Juwan Johnson still available in so many leagues? Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright warned us about him months ago, and he’s now the TE2 in fantasy through two weeks. No other TE has seen more targets so far. He’s clearly a go-to option for Spencer Rattler, and now he will play against the Seattle Seahawks, who have been tough on defense, but somewhat permissive to TEs these first two weeks. Johnson offers consistent volume with TD upside. Here’s a bold proposition: whoever is your current TE, chances are he is less reliable than Juwan Johnson.