Fantasy Football: Week 8 Streamers To Consider
I hope you survived the first Byepocalypse of the season. The good news is there are no teams on bye this week (who plans this schedules?!). However, injuries keep popping up all around the league, so this is when streaming becomes very relevant. If you’re looking for a quarterback, kicker, or DS/T to squeeze the most points out of these positions this week, you’ve come to the right place!
This weekly article highlights streaming alternatives to help your team stream the QB, K, and D/ST positions. But remember: if you need help deciding between two or more players at these or any other positions, you can always check Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings and the Start/Sit Tool.
So let’s jump into the streaming pool!
Quarterbacks
Mac Jones – New England Patriots (13% rostered)
After three weeks without scoring a touchdown, Mac Jones came back to life last week against the Buffalo Bills. He was unrecognizable, completing 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards and two TDs. He might not be the QB you want on your roster for the rest of the season, but he has proved he can be started in the right matchups. This week he has a much better matchup against the Miami Dolphins, who are still missing some key defensive players and have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. If your starting QB is injured or has a bad matchup, Mac Jones could be your guy this week.
Jimmy Garoppolo – Las Vegas Raiders (17% rostered)
Jimmy G might be the definition of a streaming quarterback. He’s had some good games and some terrible ones. He would’ve actually been an interesting streamer last week against the Bears, but he was ruled out because of his back injury and Brian Hoyer did a terrible job as his backup. Garoppolo is expected to return this week and the matchup against the Lions is pretty good. This season, Detroit has allowed 1,811 passing yards, 11 passing TDs and 17.9 fantasy points per game to the QB position. Jimmy G’s connection with Jakobi Meyers has been a nightmare for defenses as they focus on covering Davante Adams. I would consider starting him if I needed a one-week rental.
Sam Howell – Washington Commanders (59% rostered)
Fantasy managers seem to finally be boarding the Howell Express, as he is becoming less available. The truth is he’s been a very useful streamer this season. This week he’ll face the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time. The last time he played against Philly, he threw for almost 300 yards and scored 19.6 fantasy points. Even though the Eagles neutralized Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins last week with a little help from referees, Philadelphia has been a very favorable matchup for QBs this year, and Sam Howell knows it.
Kenny Pickett – Pittsburgh Steelers (24% rostered)
Kenny Pickett’s season didn’t start as hot as he made us believe during the preseason. But after the bye week, he came back inspired and had his season-best completion percentage. He has thrown for 220+ yards in four games this season and his best target-earner Diontae Johnson is finally back from the injured reserve. If we want Pickett to be fantasy-relevant as an old-school pocket QB, we need him to keep throwing the ball, racking up air yards, and ideally scoring some TDs. Luckily, his Week 8 matchup is perfect for that purpose. The Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed the second-most passing yards this season. With a healthy Diontae Johnson back on the field, Kenny Pickett should be a solid streamer this week.
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Kickers
Brandon Aubrey – Dallas Cowboys (23% rostered)
The bye week left rookie sensation Brandon Aubrey widely available so I suggest you take a look at your waiver wire because this is a kicker you might want to start for the rest of the season. After missing his first PAT attempt in Week 1, he has been busy and absolutely perfect, nailing 16 field goals and 12 extra points. This week the Cowboys’ game against the Rams has a 45-point Vegas line. Dallas is favored by 6.5 points, which means the Cowboys are expected to score around 26 points. Brandon Aubrey should have plenty of opportunities to score fantasy points this week.
Riley Patterson – Detroit Lions (35% rostered)
The Detroit Lions need a bounce-back game after last week’s disastrous performance against the Baltimore Ravens. It should be noted that Riley Patterson had nothing to do with that result since he didn’t attempt a single kick. Having said that, he should also have a bounce-back game this week against the Las Vegas Raiders. The over/under line isn’t too exciting, but the Lions are eight-point favorites, which raises Detroit’s expected point total to over 26. If you need a kicker for Week 8, Riley Patterson is a safe option.
Cameron Dicker – Los Angeles Chargers (15% rostered)
Cameron Dicker was perfect last week against the Chiefs, nailing all his opportunities. But there weren’t many. He only had two PAT attempts and one field goal, because the Chargers had a hard time putting points on the board in this divisional game. This team is constantly playing in games with a high over/under line and this matchup against the Bears will not be the exception. The difference is that this time the Chargers are favorites by 8.5 points. Dicker should have a solid fantasy performance in Week 8.
Cairo Santos – Chicago Bears (2% rostered)
On the other side of the ball in the same matchup, Cairo Santos is an interesting streamer. The Bears might be the underdogs against the Chargers, but this game is projected to be one of this week’s highest-scoring affairs. The Bears have been playing better lately, putting points on the board even without Justin Fields. So Cairo Santos should be able to score some decent points for your fantasy roster.
Defense & Special Teams
New York Jets (51% rostered)
The Giants’ offensive line is almost sad to watch. A few weeks ago it seemed impossible for any team to even get close to the amount of sacks the Commanders had been allowing, but the Giants have been catching up. They have already allowed 37 sacks, which is only three fewer than Washington. The New York Jets have a great defense and it’s available in almost half of the leagues due to being on bye last week. Take advantage of the matchup and stream the Jets D/ST.
Miami Dolphins (50% rostered)
Yes, even with Vic Fangio as Defensive Coordinator the Dolphins have not been great on defense this season. But they have been slowly improving. They just had their best fantasy D/ST performance last week against the Eagles’ tough offensive line. This week they will play against the Patriots, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing D/ST.
Kansas City Chiefs (57% rostered)
After a great fantasy performance against the Denver Broncos, a lot of fantasy managers dropped the Chiefs D/ST fearing a shootout against the Chargers. But Kansas City passed the test and proved once again that their defense is for real. If you were brave enough to keep the Chiefs on your roster and start them, you will be rewarded this week with another easy matchup against the Broncos. If not, it’s time to dig into your waiver wire to see if they’re available because they’re one of this week’s best D/ST streamers.
Seattle Seahawks (70% rostered)
They are not as available as other options, but the Seahawks’ D/ST is a very viable streamer this week. The Cleveland Browns’ defense is a nightmare for its opponents, but their offense has been quite the opposite, especially with Deshaun Watson’s lingering shoulder injury. Cleveland has allowed nine total interceptions and 11.1 fantasy points per game. The Seahawks’s defense should deliver a satisfying fantasy performance in Week 8.