Fantasy Football: Week 8 Streamers to Consider
Week 8 has zero teams on bye but we’ve seen some relevant injuries that might force fantasy managers to look for streamers on the waiver wire. Of course, the most important is Jayden Daniels, whose rib injury doesn’t seem very serious, but right now it’s considered week-to-week, so it might be wise to plan ahead in case he misses this week’s game against the Chicago Bears.
Whether you’re in that situation or if you’ve been playing the streaming game for several weeks now, we’ve got you covered. This weekly article offers some quarterbacks, kickers, defense/special teams, and some occasional tight ends as viable streaming options to help you gain some upside from these positions and improve your chances of getting a W.
If you need further help deciding between two or more players in these or any other position, I always recommend checking Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings. And don’t forget to sync your roster in the Ultimate Dashboard to get spot-start suggestions.
Quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota – Washington Commanders (0% rostered)
This might be an obvious choice for some of Jayden Daniels’ fantasy managers, so let’s get him out of the way first. Marcus Mariota did a very good job as Daniels’ backup against Carolina, completing 18 out of 23 passes for 205 yards and two TDs. He also showed a glimpse of his rushing abilities, which is why he was hired as an adequate backup for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. So if Daniels can’t suit up, he might be an option. Having said that, the matchup is not great and we have seen Mariota choke in difficult games. I wouldn’t consider him the best streaming option, but he is a serviceable insurance policy until we know more about Jayden Daniels’ injury status.
Tua Tagovailoa – Miami Dolphins (46% rostered)
Tua was given the green light by his doctors to play almost two weeks ago, but he had to finish the IR four-week period. We should monitor his practices this week, but he should be back and ready to roll against the Arizona Cardinals, who have been one of the biggest pass-funnel defenses this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. It might be a little scary to start Tua on his first game back from injury, but the matchup is ideal for him to have a solid fantasy performance and make Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle’s managers happy again.
Bo Nix – Denver Broncos (23% rostered)
Bo Nix is one of the most interesting streaming options this week. His low fantasy production last week was mainly due to how little the team needed him against the Saints. That game was easily won by the defense and running out the clock, but he still rushed for 75 yards. He has scored over 19 fantasy points this season three times already. This week, he’ll have a chance to do it again and show his dual-threat abilities against the Carolina Panthers.
Russell Wilson – Pittsburgh Steelers (14% rostered)
The Steelers finally decided to start Russell Wilson in a matchup that was clearly planned as a make-or-break test for him against the tough New York Jets defense. But he passed it admirably, throwing for 264 yards, scoring three touchdowns (two through the air and one from the ground), and finishing as the week’s QB3. This grants him the starting job, at least for another week. Next Monday night he’ll face the New York Giants, who have allowed 17.4 fantasy points on average to quarterbacks. He can be considered a viable streamer.
Kirk Cousins – Atlanta Falcons (64% rostered)
He is not as available as Mr. Unlimited, but fantasy managers have been dropping Kirk Cousins after a couple of games with very low fantasy production. But this week he should bounce back up in a divisional showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose defense has been horrendous against the pass, allowing the fourth-most passing yards and the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. Pocket passers like Captain Kirk can definitely be streamed against the Bucs.
Kickers
Anders Carlson – San Francisco 49ers (4% rostered)
After losing Jake Moody and Matthew Wright to injuries, the 49ers elevated Anders Carlson from the practice squad, and he had a decent debut as a niner. He might have had a very bad season with the Packers, but he already nailed two field goals (one of them 55 yards long) last week against the Kansas City Chiefs in a game with only three kicking opportunities. This week the 49ers are seven-point favorites in what projects to be the highest-scoring game of the week against the Dallas Cowboys, so Carlson should get plenty of chances to score fantasy points.
Jason Myers – Seattle Seahawks (32% rostered)
The Seahawks have been firing on all cylinders and constantly getting themselves into scoring positions. Jason Myers has not been perfect this season, but he’s been good enough to take advantage of the many opportunities he’s been getting. Last week, he converted on all his kicks and nailed a 59-yard field goal that helped seal the victory against the Falcons. He should once again see plenty of opportunities this week against the Bills in the game with the week’s second-highest over/under.
Brandon McManus – Green Bay Packers (20% rostered)
Green Bay signed Brandon McManus last week and he immediately made an impact, scoring three PATs and a 45-yard field goal that gave the Packers a walk-off victory. This week, the Packers are favorites against the Jaguars in a game with a 48-point expected total. The veteran kicker should see a lot of action in this game.
Defense & Special Teams
Los Angeles Chargers (36% rostered)
The Chargers D/ST has been one of the most consistent units this season. Despite struggling against the Cardinals this past Monday, they have been putting up decent numbers in favorable matchups. This week, they should bounce back against the New Orleans Saints, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to the position and could be without Derek Carr again. Being rostered in only 36% of leagues, this D/ST presents a golden multi-week streaming opportunity since they will face the Browns and Titans in Weeks 9 and 10.
Houston Texans (35% rostered)
The Texans did a decent job forcing some mistakes against the Packers’ offense last week and now they’ll get a juicy matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Anthony Richardson might have won against the quarterback-less Dolphins, but he looked as bad as he did before his injury. His completion rate is still under 50% and he has only surpassed 200 yards twice this season. The Texans are a very attractive streaming option this week.
Detroit Lions (15% rostered)
Even without Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions were better than expected last week against the Vikings, sacking Sam Darnold four times and intercepting him once. This week, they have the single best matchup for opposing D/ST: the Tennessee Titans, who have been allowing the most fantasy points per game to the position and will most likely be playing once again with backup QB Mason Rudolph under center.
BONUS: Tight End
Hunter Henry – New England Patriots (29% rostered)
Yes, it’s Hunter Henry again folks. He shouldn’t be this available, considering how complicated the TE position has been this year and how involved he has been in the passing attack. He’s now had two games with Drake Maye as his starting QB and his volume has been great, averaging seven targets, 5.5 receptions, and 12.5 yards per catch. This week, Drake Maye might once again rely heavily on him to move the chains against the New York Jets.