Fantasy Football: Week 5 Streamers to Consider
If you have Justin Herbert on your fantasy roster, congratulations! You are the proud manager of the current QB1 on the season. The bad news is that he won’t score any points for your team this week. Yes, the bye weeks are here, and you might need to stream some positions. If that’s your case or if you’re simply looking for a better QB, K, or D/ST than you already have, you’ve come to the right place.
This weekly article highlights streaming options to help your team score as many points as possible from the QB, K, and D/ST positions. But if you are trying to decide between two or more players to start, don’t forget to check Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings and the Start/Sit Tool.
Let’s take a look at this week’s streamers:
Quarterbacks
Sam Howell – Washington Commanders (20% rostered)
Thursday night streaming! Sam Howell recovered from the traumatic experience of being intercepted four times by the Buffalo Bills and played a very decent game against the Eagles in Week 4. He will now face the Chicago Bears, who have been one of the easiest matchups for QBs this season. Even last week, when the Bears seemed to finally be playing like an NFL team, they blew a two-touchdown lead against the Denver Broncos and allowed Russell Wilson 22.22 fantasy points. Sam Howell is one of the most interesting streamers this week and he is widely available.
Matthew Stafford – Los Angeles Rams (47% rostered)
We’ll have to monitor his hip injury during the following days, but Matthew Stafford should be ready for his Week 5 matchup against the Eagles. It’s the third time he makes an appearance on this list in five weeks and as long as he stays available in the majority of leagues, he might keep popping up here. Matthew Stafford threw for over 300 yards for the third time this season and he just keeps getting favorable QB matchups. You don’t have to be a top-tier quarterback to shine against the Philadelphia Eagles this season. Sam Howell is the most recent proof of that, so I’d start Stafford with confidence.
Week
Eagles’ Opposing QB
Points Allowed
1
Mac Jones
24.14
2
Kirk Cousins
28.56
3
Baker Mayfield
10.04
4
Sam Howell
19.60
C.J. Stroud – Houston Texans (54% rostered)
Last call at the fantasy bar for C.J. Stroud. His Week 5 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons isn’t particularly good, but he has been so impressive during his first four games as a professional NFL player, that almost any middle-of-the-pack matchup might feel favorable for him at this point. Last week he eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the second time this season and scored two touchdowns for the third consecutive game. The arrow is pointing up for C.J. Stroud, and the Texans’ commitment to the passing game makes him a solid streamer this week against the Falcons.
Zach Wilson – New York Jets (6% rostered)
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but Zach Wilson might actually be a decent streamer this week. Despite making some mistakes, he had one of the best games of his career against the Chiefs on Sunday night, passing for 245 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has a great opportunity to continue on the right path this week against the Broncos, who haven’t been able to stop anyone. Even the Chicago Bears had a get-right game against them. It will take a lot of guts and a bit of desperation, but I’d be willing to stream Zach Wilson in this matchup.
Kickers
Brandon McManus – Jacksonville Jaguars (31% rostered)
McManus has been a very accurate kicker this season. He nailed all of his opportunities in the London game against the Atlanta Falcons and this week’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills is a good chance to keep up the streak. This game has a high 48-point Vegas line, and despite being underdogs by 5.5 points, the Jaguars have good offensive weapons to try to keep up with the score. This should provide Brandon McManus with enough opportunities to score fantasy points in this game.
Graham Gano – New York Giants (17% rostered)
Graham Gano was great in 2022. And after a rough start this season against the Cowboys, he has been decent for fantasy purposes. He even scored nine points in that complicated Week 3 matchup against the 49ers, in which the Giants were underdogs by a wide margin. The G-Men are facing the Dolphins in what projects to be one of the highest-scoring games of the week. Even though they’re 9.5-point underdogs, Miami’s defense has been bad in general, allowing opposing offenses to move the ball constantly. But the Giants are not the Bills. They won’t be scoring a touchdown on every drive, which means Graham Gano might have the chance to attempt some field goals.
Greg Joseph – Minnesota Vikings (5% rostered)
Almost left for dead in the waiver wire due to his modest fantasy production so far, Greg Joseph has been one of the most accurate kickers this season. He has nailed all his field goal attempts. The problem is he’s only had two. However, his next matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs has the week’s highest over/under line. This game should be a shootout with plenty of opportunities for kicker points.
Brett Maher – Los Angeles Rams (9% rostered)
Despite missing two field goals in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Rams’ offense has been explosive enough to allow Brett Maher to score more than 10 fantasy points each week. Now they will be underdogs at home against the Philadelphia Eagles in what is expected to be another high-scoring game. Brett Maher should be able to continue his hot streak in Week 5.
Defense & Special Teams
Detroit Lions (6% rostered)
The Lions’ defense has been very good for fantasy the past two weeks, especially against inexperienced quarterbacks. They racked up seven sacks against Desmond Ridder in Week 3 and five against Jordan Love in Week 4, respectively. They will now face the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing D/ST. Bryce Young will have a hard time against Detroit’s pass rush this week.
Washington Commanders (13% rostered)
After a hot start in Weeks 1 and 2, the Commanders have had a couple of tough matchups against Buffalo and Philadelphia. That’s why their D/ST is available in so many leagues. They now have one of the best matchups for the position against the Chicago Bears, who have been making offensive mistakes constantly, allowing 14 fantasy points on average to opposing D/ST.
Miami Dolphins (35% rostered)
The Bills exposed all of the Dolphins’ defensive weaknesses last week. If this team aims to be a serious contender this year, Vic Fangio still has a lot of work to do. Having said that, they have the perfect get-right matchup on deck this week against the New York Giants. No team has allowed more points to opposing D/ST than the Giants. Daniel Jones right now leads the NFL in interceptions and is on pace to be sacked 93.5 times this season! So if you need a D/ST to stream this week, the Dolphins are a great option.
Indianapolis Colts (10% rostered)
Before playing against the Rams’ high-powered offense last week, the Colts’ defense was having a very solid streak. In Week 5 they will play the Tennessee Titans, who are coming off one of their best offensive games against the surprisingly inefficient Cincinnati Bengals. Even considering that game, the Titans have allowed eight points on average to opposing D/ST. With 14 sacks in four games, the Colts are a streaming option this week.