Well, it is finally here. And we can honestly say, “All I want for Christmas is a ‘Ship.” Christmas is this week and so are the fantasy finals so both can be the greatest gift for you this holiday season. Players are continuing to get injured, some still getting COVID and some are just not playing adequately to the point of being benched. In one Superflex dynasty league, I started Alex Smith and Brandon in the first week of the playoffs. I won with them even though Smith got injured early and Allen was below average. This past week I got Gardner Minshew and Drew Brees back and used them instead. Ironically, with better quarterbacks, I lost in the semi-finals. This is life during the year of COVID. Fantasy football is so random and unpredictable to begin with and this season it has been exponentially magnified. Any new name that seems like he can produce is now worthy of consideration. It makes streaming an act committed by everyone, including those who would never stream if given the chance.
So it is championship week. Derek Carr is now out. Marcus Mariota now in. Jalen Hurts is hurting fantasy teams who play against him. Colt McCoy started again. Minshew is back but might get benched because the Jaguars now have a chance to get the top pick due to Adam Gase’s incompetence at tanking. Always interesting. Absolutely frustrating. And ultimately exhilarating.
This week for quarterbacks is easy for me. Not going the direction of Mitchell Trubisky, Andy Dalton, or any living, breathing, playable quarterback for Cincinnati. Staying away from Teddy Bridgewater too. Not because I think he’s bad but because he faces the Washington Football Team’s incredible defense. Here are my quarterback streamers.
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Quarterback Streamer of the Week
Jalen Hurts (PHI) @ Dallas Cowboys
He’s good. He’s hot. He can throw. He can run. He’s solidified himself as the future starter for the Eagles. He’s against the 8th worst defense versus the quarterback position for fantasy purposes. Philadelphia has a chance to make the playoffs. Jalen Hurts is the catalyst. He’s the spark. He’s the inspiration. It’s hard not to go with him this week. He’s 48% rostered so if he’s there in the waiver wire, put it all in. He’s too valuable as both a passer and runner not to get you a high floor with the potential for a monster ceiling. Starting a non-first round rookie in your championship game? Why not!
Alternate Quarterback Streamer of the Week
Baker Mayfield (CLE) @ New York Jets
When Baker Mayfield is bad, he’s really bad. When Baker Mayfied is good, he’s really good. For most of the season, Mayfield has been bad. But now that the Browns have started a post-OBJ run, they are focused on making the playoffs. He’s got his mojo back and despite having one of the best run offenses in the game, he is worth streaming because he has momentum and confidence. This week he just so happens to play against the second-worst defense against quarterbacks in fantasy. The New York Jets are coming off their own self-sabotaging efforts, heading into the final week of the season of fantasy with a win. Getting that win might have blown their chances of landing Trevor Lawrence. Getting another win gets them closer to losing out on Justin Fields. Yes, they are the Jets so who knows what their motivation is? It really doesn’t matter because the Browns will win easily riding Baker to the playoffs. He’s 47% rostered so hopefully, he’s available in your league.
Darkhorse Quarterbacks
Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) @ Las Vegas Raiders or Marcus Mariota (LV) vs Miami Dolphins
Tua is the first choice here based on a team having a legitimate chance for a playoff spot. They also face the Las Vegas Raiders defense who are 10th worst against quarterbacks in fantasy. Tua had a quiet game last week but he was missing his top two receiving options in DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki. If both of them are back, which I am guessing they will, then he’s my darkhorse choice. If Gesicki is not back for sure I’d consider Marcus Mariota. Gesicki has been Tua’s goldmine. Mariota, who had an uneven game in relief of injured Derek Carr still put up a ton of fantasy points. He faces the 4th toughest defenses against quarterbacks which gives me pause. But again, he almost had 100 yards rushing last week in just over three quarters. He looked like a starter last week too. Tagovailoa is only 21% rostered and Mariota is only 2% rostered so both should be available in case Hurts and Mayfield are no longer options. If you are left with these two, look to see who is playing for the Dolphins and then go with your gut.
Tight End Streamer of the Week
Austin Hooper (CLE) @ New York Jets
Ah tight ends. The dreaded skill position known as tight ends. As excited as I am every week to see which quarterbacks are available to stream, when I look at tight ends I get a feeling mixed with despair and desperation. This week I’m not going after no-name players that could very well make a “last-minute week only” splash. For some reason, Austin Hooper is available in 48% of Yahoo leagues. If he’s there, get him. He’s coming off of a strong performance against the other New York Football Team. He was signed to be significant and although he has been disappointing due to injuries and overall poor play, like Mayfield he is peaking at the right time. I know he competes with rookie Harrison Bryant and perennial disappointment David Njoku but Hooper is the tight end of choice. Make him yours this week as he faces the most generous defense against tight ends.
Alternate Tight End Streamer of the Week
Tyler Higbee (LAR) @ Seattle Seahawks
It wasn’t so long ago that many were drafting Tyler Higbee ahead of Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson, and Logan Thomas in redraft. His fall from grace or fall to reality now has him as a streaming option because he is only 50% rostered. He’s been good this season when he has been on the field. He just hasn’t been 2019 Tyler Higbee. With all the talk about Gerald Everett‘s emergence (not), it is clear that Higbee is still the numero uno tight end for the Rams. Last week he was a top ten tight end, converting five targets into four receptions, 67 yards, and a touchdown. The five targets concern me as do the Seahawks, who are eighth toughest against tight ends in fantasy. However, compared to the remaining riff-raff out there in the tight end landscape, I think Higbee will at worst not cost you your championship, and if he can regain that late-2019 magic that blew everyone away then he could very well help you win.
Darkhorse Tight End
Jordan Akins (HOU) @ Cincinnati Bengals
This is truly a dark horse because I try to always ignore all Houston Texan tight ends always. Every time I venture in, I venture out with rage. However, here we are. Both Hooper and Higbee might be off your waiver wire so you need to look for another option. I do like Dawson Knox but Buffalo plays New England who are third toughest against tight ends. I also prefer Akins who had six targets last week, compared to Knox’s four. Knox scored more points because he had a touchdown. This is me hoping that Akins is finally usurping the tight end purgatory that is Houston because of his talent and athleticism but I have had that same hope with Everett and Ian Thomas in Carolina. But if there ever was an opponent to achieve this hope it is this, the final week of fantasy. Akins plays the Cincinnati Bengals who are fourth-most generous towards tight ends.
Good luck this final week. I hope I helped you win your championship. Please DM me if one of my streamers helped you dominate towards winning a trophy. I love to hear those success stories!
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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.
