Week 7 went better expected, but it also showed me that streaming reliability wanes as the season goes on. My quarterback streamer of the week, Teddy Bridgewater, was QB11. My alternate, Andy Dalton, was horrific before he left the game due to a concussion. It was a case of injury added to insult.
My tight end recommendation, Dallas Goedert, didn’t play. Unfortunately, my article was published before I could inform you to pick up Richard Rodgers, who had himself a decent day. Anthony Firkser fell back to earth, but it wasn’t because Jonnu Smith dominated. And speaking of “fell,” Darren Fells totally fell out of existence last week by laying a big, fat goose egg. Yes, we are in desperate times where there are no guarantees. Except that Russell Wilson is always a stud, even in a loss.
So, we’re on to the midway part of the season. Week 8 is here. I hope you picked up Tua Tagovailoa and Dallas Goedert moving forward. They are the future, and they’ll either start this week or soon after.
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Quarterback Streamer of the Week:
Derek Carr (LV) at Cleveland Browns
Derek Carr has been sneaky good this season. In fact, Carr has been sneaky good for a few seasons now. Like Ryan Tannehill, he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. His arsenal has also improved and will only get better when Brian Edwards returns from injury and Henry Ruggs is utilized more. Carr has been known as a check-down artist, but this is not accurate. Currently, he has 8.2 yards per attempt, which is tied for the seventh-best among starters.
He’s also been very accurate. His 72.0% completion percentage ranks third in the league, and he’s only thrown two interceptions. In fact, next to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, Carr has the best touchdown to interception ratio in the NFL. He has thrown 6.5 touchdowns to every interception. That’s pretty incredible if you think about it. He has also been reliable in fantasy. His worst performance was 15 points in Week 1, and he has scored 24, 17, 24, 31, 20 points since then. He now faces the Cleveland Browns, who have a below-average defense; they are ranked 13th easiest for quarterbacks. Fantasy scoring has become more and more erratic lately, so starting Carr makes sense. He might not give you video-game production, but he shouldn’t blow the week for you.
Alternate Streamer of the Week:
Teddy Bridgewater (CAR) vs. Atlanta Falcons
Like Carr, Bridgewater has been “under the radar” good. He hasn’t been quite as consistent as Carr, but he has slightly better upside. He has had two bad fantasy performances, but he’ll draw Atlanta’s porous defense this Thursday. In their first meeting, Bridgewater had a solid performance, as he tossed two touchdowns and scored nearly 27 fantasy points. At the time, it seemed like a little bit of a letdown considering the matchup. With Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense starting to take off, look for this game to be high scoring. Believe it or not, but Matt Ryan has the most passing yards in the the league and Bridgewater is fifth. Not bad for a player many considered an average starter on a team many had finishing last in their division.
Dark Horse:
Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) at Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers are starting to get their 2019 mojo back. Jimmy Garoppolo hasn’t been great, but remember, he has been working his way back from injury. Also, Brandon Aiyuk is starting to deliver, and George Kittle is simply electric. Seattle’s defense continues to be very generous to opposing quarterbacks. Currently, only Atlanta, New Orleans, and the L.A. Chargers have been easier on quarterbacks for fantasy scoring. Perhaps consider this JimmyG’s breakout performance. The Seahawks games are always close, full of drama, and high scoring. It should be fun watching Garoppolo light it up on the field and help ignite your lineup.
Tight End Streamer of the Week:
Richard Rodgers (PHI) vs. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Goedert won’t be back until Week 10. Zach Ertz might be out for longer. Jalen Reagor will probably be out until after the bye, DeSean Jackson is hurt again, and Alshon Jeffery never seems to be ready to hit the field. This means it could be the reserves show yet again. This includes Travis Fulgham, Greg Ward, Boston Scott, and the only tight end remaining, Richard Rodgers. Last week, he had six receptions for 85 yards. He could receive similar attention this week, and he might even make it to the end zone against a Cowboys team that is spiraling out of control.
Alternate Streamer of the Week:
Gerald Everett (LAR) at Miami Dolphins
I hate recommending Everett — he has always been one of those players that seems to get me excited one week only to disappoint me the next. That said, I’m going to go down this road one last time. Let’s face it — he’s the most athletic tight end on the team, and Sean McVay has been talking him up all season. He only had four receptions for 28 yards last week, but he managed to get in the end zone. Miami has been tough against tight ends, so don’t expect Everett to light it up. Instead, hope he just gets involved and finds his way into the end zone.
Dark Horse:
Harrison Bryant (CLE) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
My dark horse this week is rookie Harrison Bryant of the Cleveland Browns. He appears to be the go-to tight end now that Austin Hooper is out. He does have David Njoku to compete with for targets, but he seems to be getting the lion’s share. He had four receptions for 56 yards and scored twice. Every time he plays a starting role, he seems to deliver.
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Marc Mathyk is a featured writer at FantasyPros and is a member of The Undroppables. For more from Marc, check out his archive and follow him @Masterjune70.
