In a word, brutal. Week 10 was a bad week for me for streaming. All in all it was a terrible week all around for fantasy. Quarterbacks were dropping right, left and center. The tight ends suffered the worst week in fantasy as far as I can remember. I don’t think I was alone. Safe options weren’t safe. Players who were hot turned cold. It was a week to forget. But I am forced to remember. I’m retaliating with a few apropos GIFs.
Seriously, we are now at this point in the season…
This GIF to me pretty much sums up the quarterback streaming landscape. Lots of cookies available. Not your mom’s delicious soft and chewy oatmeal raisin offerings, freshly baked and still hot from the oven. No, they are more like the store bought shortbread like the ones in the GIF. Nothing overly exciting but still tasty. They look similar but you know one has something hidden inside that makes that particular choice awesome. The problem is you don’t know which one it is. This week I’ll give you three possibilities for three different reasons and I’ll let you decide.
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Game-Script Quarterback Streamer of the Week
Derek Carr (LV) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The only team to beat Kansas City Chiefs were the Las Vegas Raiders back in Week 5. The Chiefs are the best team in the NFL. As good as the Raiders are, they were lucky. I do not envision the same game script this time. I think the Chiefs will win easily.
Derek Carr has been a terrible fantasy option for two out of the past three weeks. Ok, I’m not doing a good job so far selling this cookie. But hear me out. Carr faced the Browns three weeks ago in insipid weather conditions that would have made Patrick Mahomes look like he was playing for Adam Gase.
Last week, the Raiders pummeled the Broncos from the get-go so Carr didn’t even have to try. This week he’s going to have to play from behind and he’ll have to throw. He might have a pre-2020 Jameis Winston looking box score at the end of the night but he could reach his highest apex in terms of fantasy. The Chiefs are in full revenge mode and I think they will beat the Raiders easily. But Chucky and Carr won’t go down without a legitimate fight. Carr could be the fantasy gold you are after this week.
Plum-Matchup Quarterback Streamer of the Week
Jameis Winston (NO) vs. Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of Jameis Winson, let’s talk about Jameis Winston. He’s a quarterback that has not been discussed much so far in 2020. Drew Brees is out with a multi-week injury. There’s been talk about Taysom Hill possibly starting but I am not buying that at all. Winston is a true QB, even if that comes with many blunders and blemishes. Remember he did get laser eye surgery, has been watching one of the most accurate passers of all time throw, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Who are we kidding? We just want the Winston of old this week. He can throw four interceptions just as long as he throws six touchdowns. This is always in his range of outcomes. He plays against the most generous defenses versus the quarterback. If there was ever a time to play Winston, it is now. Sure, it would be his first start so he could be rusty. But once a reckless gunslinger, always a reckless gunslinger. Put him in and never be bored.
#BestQB Quarterback Streamer of the Week
Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) vs. Denver Broncos
Not the best matchup but Denver is not the same stifling defense of old. Drew Lock might not play but backup Brett Rypien plays like Lock. Both have a huge variance and neither are afraid to heave the ball. It could be an underrated sneaky high scoring affair. One thing is for certain. Tua is the real deal. Miami must be over the moon knowing that they have a few first-round picks in 2021 that they don’t need to spend on a future quarterback. If you are going for pure talent this week, Tagovailoa is your man. He hasn’t thrown an interception in his first three games. He’s won all his first three games. He has rushing upside. And he’s just #goodatfootball. Miami is on a hot five-game win streak. This will continue but Lock or Rypien will fight tooth and nail to make it fun as hell, not to mention force Tua to throw his way to victory.
Now, on to tight ends. To put things into perspective. When George Kittle is hurt and not playing coupled with a Travis Kelce bye, bad things happen in the tight end landscape. Call it an imbalance in nature that causes strange and invisible forces to overtake happiness. Here is a screenshot from Yahoo Fantasy’s Week 10 top 12 fantasy tight ends:
Talk about ugly. Let’s not get too greedy and just shoot for 10 points, shall we?
Tight End Streamer of the Week
Logan Thomas (WFT) vs. Cincinnati
Logan Thomas has been relevant all season. He’s really the only tight end of consequence on the Washington Football Team. He’s never been exciting nor has he really had a breakout game, but he’s been reliable for the most part. Sure, he could disappear like most tight ends (ahem, Jimmy Graham Week 10) you don’t expect to, but he tends to give you that three to four reception for 30-40 yards type of deal. He’s on the field a lot and can give you potentially more. Thomas was TE6 last week against Detroit who aren’t pushovers when it comes to tight ends. In fact, they are tougher than average. Cincinnati, conversely, is the second easiest. My process tells me a safe floor with tons of upside. I know the process is not as reliable as with other positions but I have to still trust the process, right?
Alternative Tight End Streamer of the Week
Dalton Schultz (DAL) vs. Minnesota Vikings
I was so excited to see Jordan Reed become relevant again and was going to have him as either my streamer of the week or at least my alternative streamer of the week. That is until I realized he had a bye week (insert sad emoji). Dalton Schultz was going to be my dark horse. But here we are. Schultz gets a bump because of circumstance. He seems like a safer choice similar Logan Thomas as he is the de facto tight end on the Cowboys. I don’t care who is playing quarterback this week. Schultz will have some sort of relevance no matter what. Just don’t expect too much. We are at the point of the season where low-end double digits are magical.
Darkhorse Tight End
Richard Rodgers (PHI) vs. Cleveland Browns or Kyle Rudolph (MIN) vs. Dallas Cowboys
I put in both of these two players as they are potentially the best of the rest. It all depends on the injuries to Zach Ertz and Irv Smith Jr. If both of those guys are out then I like both Rodgers and Rudolph. If that isn’t the case, then you might have to choose between them (still) or an Indianapolis tight end, hope that Gerald Everett can do something or roll the dice on a guy like Dan Arnold. For all those scenarios it is not ideal. Let’s hope Ertz and/or Smith sit. Welcome to tight end hell.
I leave you with a final GIF that sums up tight ends currently on the waiver wire:
Good luck this week. I hope we can all rebound!
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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.
