Quarterback and Tight End Streamers: Week 1

Jay Cutler is likely to find himself in a shootout against the Packers

With more and more fantasy owners opting to wait on the quarterback and tight end positions in drafts, streaming each position has become a viable option. This is made easier by the fact that there are usually solid options on the waiver wire. Each week this column will scour the waiver wire and look for quarterbacks and tight ends who are less than 50% owned and could be worth starting for your fantasy team. All ownership percentages come from Yahoo.

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Quarterback

Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears (50% owned)
vs. Green Bay Packers

A lot has changed in just one year for Cutler. Last year he was being drafted as a top-10 quarterback and some expected him to put up a top-five season. The wheels fell off early in Chicago and expectations are much lower this year. Cutler will find himself in a shootout against Aaron Rodgers and an explosive Packers offense. The Bears and Cutler will have to throw early and often to keep up with Green Bay.

Tyrod Taylor – Buffalo Bills (8% owned)
vs. Indianapolis Colts

Taylor is the new starting quarterback for the Bills, partly because the competition was so lackluster. At this point in his career, his ability to effectively pass the ball is relatively unknown. What is known, however, is that Taylor is an explosive athlete and could make up for a lack of passing prowess on the ground. Dual-threat quarterbacks can be fantasy gold, as evidenced by Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III’s rookie seasons. Considering the Bills are facing a dangerous Colts offense, it is likely that Rex Ryan won’t be able to hide Taylor as much as he’d probably like to in this game, leaving the door open for a high number of pass attempts.

Tight End

Larry Donnell – New York Giants (50% owned)
@ Dallas Cowboys

Donnell exploded onto the scene last season against Washington with a seven-catch, three-touchdown game in late September. He failed to do that much damage again last season, but he did finish with 63 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns. The Giants and Bob McAdoo run a tight end-friendly offense that could make Donnell an excellent secondary option while defenses are focusing on Odell Beckham Jr. this year. The Giants-Cowboys game should be an offensive showdown with both teams throwing the ball all over the stadium, and Donnell stands to benefit.

Ladarius Green – San Diego Chargers (22% owned)
vs. Detroit Lions

Most of the fantasy community has been burned by Green in the past while expecting a breakout from the athletic youngster. There is a decent chance he finally gets to show what he can do in the early weeks of the season considering Antonio Gates is suspended for the first four games. Green is still just 25, and tight ends are notoriously slow to develop. He’s worth giving one more chance, especially considering he has a better opportunity in front of him than he has had at any point in his career.

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Matthew Terelle is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @supermt.