This week felt a bit more typical for the first time all season. Patrick Mahomes was himself. Colt McCoy and Mike White fell back down to earth. Atlanta’s defense played as you would expect. Josh Allen dominated. Sure there were a few upsets like Miami beating Baltimore and Washington surprising the Super Bowl champs.
But all in all, the players we expected to do well did. My quarterback streamers fell flat again. I did preface Taysom Hill with “if he plays.” I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get the nod moving forward. Trevor Siemian played his best, but I still believe Hill would have led the Saints to victory based on his skill set. Tua Tagovailoa did not start either but was the quarterback to roster this week for Miami. Trevor Lawrence continues to struggle in his rookie season, even having a plum matchup. Funny how the top-2 rookie quarterbacks are looking far worse than the other three first-rounders. It will be interesting to see if T-Law and Zach Wilson (who should be back this week) can turn it around for the second half of the season or improve enough for their dynasty managers. Speaking of young guns, I’m leaning on them this week at the quarterback position.
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Quarterback Streamer of the Week: Mac Jones (NE) @Atlanta Falcons
The best rookie quarterback by a sizeable margin is the last quarterback to fall in the first round. Mac Jones has been trustworthy all season, and Bill Belichick’s team looks like a playoff contender. The Patriots’ defense has been sublime, and their offense has been at worst good and at times has looked great. The top three quarterbacks in Week 10 were no surprise – Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Josh Allen. Yes! An order has been restored! However, the fourth-best quarterback (not including Monday Night) was Mac Jones. He was accurate and clinical. He threw for less than 200 yards but was 19 for 23 and threw three touchdowns without any picks. Jones keeps getting better and better as he matures quickly. This week he faces the Atlanta Falcons, a team that has one of the worst defenses. Currently, they are the fourth-worst defense in fantasy versus quarterbacks. I see this as a game that Jones should start getting the recognition he deserves.
Alternate Streamer of the Week: Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) @ New York Jets
Speaking of bad defenses…The New York Jets have given up 296 points in nine contests. That is an average of 32.9 points per game. In their past four matches, they have given up almost 45 points per game. They are so bad that they are middle of the pick when it comes to fantasy points allowed for quarterbacks. The reason is, they are usually so far behind that their opponents end up running the ball, abandoning the pass. The good news for Miami is even if they do blow the Jets out, chances of them running the ball is not a given. Miami is dead last in rushing yards per game with 73.6 and second worst (behind Houston) in rushing average. Myles Gaskin may be the best they have, but he’s not looked very convincing at all. I like what I saw from Tua last week as he took down LJax and the Ravens. I am hoping Zach Wilson will get the start for the Jets and does well. But that defense is still horrible, which bodes well for the Dolphins and every skilled player on their offense. And I have been repeating over and over that Tua is playing for his future. And guess what? Tua is still playing for his future. My money’s on him.
Dark Horse: Justin Fields (CHI) vs. Baltimore Ravens
Justin Fields is coming off two good performances after starting the season poorly. He looks more comfortable, and the team is beginning to implement a game plan that suits his strengths. Having a week off will also help. This season, the Baltimore Ravens are less of a defensive threat and have morphed into a high-powered offense that seems to love big scoring shootouts. I’m excited to see two of the best young Konami coders out there squaring off against each other. If Fields can keep up with Lamar Jackson, then both he and his team will benefit in fantasy. This is an essential game for Fields. If he can string another strong performance together, then his confidence will continue to bloom. And if he succeeds, he can’t help rack up fantasy points.
Tight End Streamer of the Week: Dan Arnold (JAX) vs. San Francisco 49ers
In terms of volume, no one left in the tight-end streaming landscape can touch Dan Arnold. He has 37 targets in the last five games – that’s an average of more than seven a game. And he’s still less than 30% rostered in Yahoo leagues. Yet, he’s had over 60 yards in the past three weeks and is Jacksonville’s de-facto numero uno pass catcher. Marvin Jones looks his age, and as much as I still plant my flag for Laviska Shenault long-term, this season seems like it isn’t happening. Arnold is one of those guys that has bounced around from team to team and has even changed positions over the years. However, Jacksonville loves this guy, and he is deceptively “crazy” athletic.
Most importantly, he is integral, even if he’s on an offense that looks lost most of the time. San Francisco is tough against tight ends so take note. T.J. Hockenson is the only tight end to get more than three receptions. He did it in Week One when he torched the 49ers. Since then, San Fran has been pretty much lights out. It will be an exciting battle between Arnold, the Volume King, and a defense with a formidable linebacker corps led by Fred Warner. I’ll give the edge to Dan Arnold, though. He isn’t your typical tight end. Because of his athleticism and is a former wide receiver, he moves around. He’ll be the secret weapon for the Jags if they want to have any chance of winning on Sunday.
Alternative Streamer of the Week: Tyler Conklin (MIN) vs. Green Bay
Tyler Conklin saw a dip in targets (5) from his previous two weeks when he had seven each week. He only had a measly eleven yards last week also. So why is he my alternative tight end streamer? He had two touchdowns, which was twice as many as he had combined in the past nine weeks. We are told not to “follow” touchdowns, but he’s still the Viking’s third option behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and now it seems that he may be used as a red-zone weapon. Green Bay is “middle of the pack” against tight ends and lets Gerrald Everett get a team-high eight receptions last week. Conklin has the potential to have a stellar game both volume-wise and could once again be a red zone hero. I see both happening.
Dark Horse: Adam Trautman (NO) @ Philadelphia Eagles
We haven’t heard much of Adam Trautman since the beginning of the season. He was this summer’s second coming that never came. However, a breakout wants to happen. And this is the perfect week. Trautman has seen volume in his past three weeks – 19 targets. He hasn’t done much with them, but he faces the worst defense against the tight end position. The Eagles have given up almost 20 fantasy points per game versus tight ends. Trautman is a true dark horse here, but an increase in volume has to be taken seriously. He’s on a team whose starting quarterback is unknown right now. But he’s on a team that does not have much else. Apart from Alvin Kamara, who is banged up, the Saints have a bunch of underperformers (which includes Trautman). Let’s say I have a hunch that this may be the week where this “fish” feeds those who take a chance on him. If you are not feeling the same feeling I am feeling, try Evan Engram, who faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s proven and has a good matchup.
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Marc Mathyk is a featured writer at FantasyPros and co-founder of Veridian Global, a fantasy football apparel company. For more from Marc, check out his archive and follow him @Masterjune70.
