One of my few keys to success in fantasy football is in-season management. A successful draft is just part of the equation to solving the elusive riddle of winning a fantasy championship. It takes strong weekly team management and waiver wire pickups to complete the puzzle. Don’t underestimate the power of streaming positions of weakness and turning them into strengths by finding and playing the favorable matchups. Streaming has become a very effective strategy and one of my favorite forms of in-season management to help me reach the pinnacle of fantasy football. I am very excited to share with you my top weekly streaming options at the QB and TE position. Let’s start with week number one!
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Quarterback Streaming Options
QB Stream of the Week: Sam Bradford (MIN) vs. New Orleans (18 % owned in Yahoo Leagues)
You’ve got to love this matchup on Monday Night for Sam Bradford. Not only could the Saints high-powered offense force Minnesota to throw more often than they normally do, but they are also vulnerable against the pass. New Orleans gave up over 18 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs last season, which ranked 27th in the NFL. Another positive note is that Bradford finished the 2016 season strong by posting back-to-back three TD games, in addition to 250+ passing yards to close out the year. With a favorable matchup, potential shootout, home and season opener on Monday Night Football, all signs are pointing to Bradford picking up right where he left off.
Jay Cutler (MIA) vs. Tampa Bay (32 % owned in Yahoo Leagues)
The Dolphins brought in Jay Cutler to replace the injured Ryan Tannehill. This may be a downgrade for Miami in reality, but it’s a positive in the fantasy football world. Cutler brings a more aggressive down-the-field approach as opposed to Tannehill’s short dink and dunk passes. The Cutler acquisition reunites the quarterback with his former offensive coordinator and now head coach, Adam Gase. The familiarity and understanding of the offense is a huge positive in case you were worried about him starting slow out of the gate after signing just one month ago. The 12-year veteran faces a Tampa Bay defense that ranked right in the middle of the pack against opposing quarterbacks last season, allowing just over 16 fantasy points per game. While it’s not necessarily a favorable matchup, it’s also not one to shy away from if you are in need of a QB this week. DeVante Parker, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and Julius Thomas provide Cutler with a very strong group of weapons that are all capable of making big plays. Consider Cutler a solid streaming option playing at home to start out the 2017 season.
Jared Goff (LAR) vs. Indianapolis (6 % owned in Yahoo Leagues)
It’s never easy recommending to start someone like Jared Goff after seeing his rookie season, but there are a few things working in his favor. For starters, the head coaching change from Jeff Fisher to the young offensive mastermind in Sean McVay could do wonders for Goff’s confidence and play on the field. Oh and how about the upgrade of weapons Goff has at his disposal? Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp are a huge step up compared to what they had last year. Lastly, having a year under his belt to learn the speed of the NFL is never a bad thing either. The second year signal caller starts the season off versus a poor Indianapolis secondary that finished in the bottom seven against the pass last season. The Colts will also be without their top cornerback, as Vontae Davis will miss the game with a groin injury. Do I dare say start Goff with confidence?
Tight End Streaming Options
TE Stream of the Week: Charles Clay (BUF) vs. New York Jets (7 % owned in Yahoo Leagues)
The Bills enter this game with nothing but question marks on the offensive side of the ball. Sammy Watkins was traded, Anquan Boldin abruptly retired, Jonathan Williams was cut, and Jordan Matthews still hasn’t been cleared after suffering a chest injury shortly after joining the team. That leaves unproven rookie Zay Jones and Charles Clay as the two main targets. Clay is the reliable option with the most experience out of the receiving core in Buffalo. He finished last season on a tear, recording 21 receptions and four touchdowns through the final four games. The 28-year-old has a solid Week one matchup against a terrible Jets team that finished in the bottom half in fantasy points against at the tight end position in 2016.
Zach Miller (CHI) vs. Atlanta (6 % owned in Yahoo Leagues)
Miller finds himself in a very similar situation to Clay, and that is with minimal alternatives in the passing game. The injury to Cameron Meredith made a poor Bears pass attack even weaker and leaves them with an underwhelming Kevin White as their top receiver. Kendall Wright will likely make some kind of an impact as well, but Zach Miller is looking like the reliable security blanket for Mike Glennon heading into the season. This game is a perfect situation for Miller to succeed. I don’t think many people will argue the scenario that Atlanta gets ahead early in this one. If that scenario happens it will force the Bears to throw often to try and keep up and will likely result in some extra targets and potential garbage points for Miller and some of the other Chicago receivers. If that’s not appealing enough for you, consider this: the Falcons ranked 25th against opposing tight ends last season, and Zach Miller was on pace to be a top seven tight end before getting injured in Week 11.
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Mike Dente is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @1ststopfantasy.
