Methodology
In this streaming article, I will provide you the best weekly options to stream quarterback, tight end, and D/ST. In each section, I’ll break down two streamers in detail, both of which will be under 50% owned, according to ESPN’s ownership percentage at the time of writing. Playing the matchups is a crucial feature of redraft fantasy football, and especially in a crazy 2020 season, active fantasy owners will have a massive advantage.
I also want to provide added value for each type of streamer this season. I’ll highlight any players from 50-60% owned in each section if they’re superior options to both of my streaming candidates at that specific position. Those players are “probably owned,” but they could be out there in 10-team or shallower formats. I won’t offer analysis on these players, just the names and matchups.
If neither of my two suggested streamers is under 25% ownership percentage, I will give a “super-deep” option. That feature should help those owners playing in deeper leagues with few waiver-wire options. Like the “probably owned” players, I’ll list the players without analysis. I realize that all leagues are different, and I want to accommodate all of my readers.
This week, the NFL made a bunch of schedule changes which, of course, changes my streaming recommendations. The Chargers now have a Week 6 bye, whereas before, they had a game against the Jets. Of course, I liked the Chargers’ options in that game, but they’re now unavailable.
I’m also assuming there will be no further schedule changes and that the NFL sticks to the schedule referenced in that link. Make sure to check your league’s waiver timing, as that may have changed with a Tuesday game this week. With all that out of the way, let’s jump into the streamers.
Quarterback
Streamer #1: Ryan Tannehill vs. Texans, 34.7% owned
Assuming no further changes, the Titans and Bills will play on Tuesday, setting the Titans up to play this game against the Texans on Sunday. I discussed Tannehill in my look ahead article this week, and everything I said in that article still applies. Tannehill has averaged 19.6 fantasy points/game during the 2020 season, although we’ve only seen him play three games so far.
As usual, the Texans’ pass defense performed poorly in Week 5 against the Jaguars. Even though the Texans won the game 30-14, Gardner Minshew completed 31/49 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns. I believe that Tannehill is a far superior quarterback to Minshew, and the Titans have better passing weapons. Therefore, Tannehill is a QB1 this week.
Streamer #2: Kirk Cousins vs. Falcons, 15.8% owned
The Falcons have been the defense to target with any fantasy options. They had allowed 30 or more points each week coming into Week 5, putting head coach Dan Quinn on the hot seat. In Week 5, they managed to hold the Panthers to only 23 points, but they still lost 23-16. Teddy Bridgewater destroyed the Falcons for 313 yards and two touchdowns, making multiple highlight plays to Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore.
After Week 5, the Falcons fired both Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, leaving their team in complete turmoil. Cousins didn’t have the greatest game in Week 5, with only 14.2 fantasy points against the Seahawks’ porous defense. However, I’m willing to use Cousins in this matchup, especially as the Vikings will likely play without Dalvin Cook. Cousins will need to throw to keep up with the Falcons’ offense, creating a shootout environment. I have Cousins as a high-end QB2 for the week.
Tight End
Probably Owned: Jimmy Graham at Panthers, 53.5% owned
Streamer #1: Robert Tonyan at Buccaneers, 48.2% owned
We all saw Tonyan’s Week 4 eruption on Monday night against the Falcons. He caught all six of his targets for 98 yards and three touchdowns, swinging multiple fantasy matchups in the process. The Packers went on their Week 5 bye, which is likely why Tonyan remains available in over half of ESPN leagues.
Tonyan also caught touchdowns in Week 2 and Week 3, and he had three and five targets in those weeks. He wasn’t solely a one-week wonder, although he did have his massive game while the Packers lost both Davante Adams and Allen Lazard to injuries. Adams will return for this Week 6 contest, but Lazard will not.
With Adams back, Tonyan will fall to the Packers’ third receiving option, behind Adams and the running backs. Aaron Rodgers has enjoyed throwing to both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, no matter who is on the field. Both players have excelled in the receiving game in 2020, so it’s not clear that Tonyan will get a high target share this week. His upside makes him a high-end TE2, but you must be aware that he could give you a devastating goose egg.
Streamer #2: Eric Ebron vs. Browns, 36.6% owned
Ebron has seen consistent targets in his last three games, with five, seven, and six targets. In Week 5, Ebron caught five of his six targets for 43 yards. He saw the second-most targets on the Steelers after Chase Claypool, finishing ahead of JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and an injured Diontae Johnson.
Ebron draws a favorable matchup with the Browns in Week 6. Opposing tight ends have averaged 6.6 receptions and 61.6 yards/game against the Browns. As Ebron is the sole usable tight end in the Steelers’ 11 base personnel offense, he should see most of those looks. If Johnson is out, I’ll rank Ebron as a borderline TE1, but even if Johnson plays, he’s still a nice TE2.
Super Deep Option: Trey Burton vs. Bengals, 0.2 owned, and I hope you’re not that desperate. TEs are ugly this week after the streamers and high-owned players.
D/ST
Streamer #1: Dolphins vs. Jets, 1.2% owned
The NFL schedule has changed, which means that the Dolphins, not the Chargers, face the Jets in Week 6. The Dolphins have been surprisingly competent as a fantasy D/ST, especially in two strong matchups versus the Jaguars and 49ers’ weaker offenses. They scored 11 points in ESPN scoring against the Jaguars and an excellent 14 points versus the 49ers, who played backup quarterback C.J. Beathard for half the game.
While both the Jaguars and 49ers have some offensive strengths, there is nothing good to say about the Jets’ offense. I don’t know whether Joe Flacco or Sam Darnold will start this game for the Jets, but it barely matters. The Jets managed to score 28 points versus the Broncos in Week 4, but they’ve failed to score more than 17 points in any of their other contests.
The Jets are an awful mess under Adam Gase, and the Dolphins have proven they can exploit bad offenses. The Dolphins might not be my top D/ST for the week, but they’re certainly a top-five unit. Roll them out with confidence.
Streamer #2: Washington at Giants, 6.3% owned
While the Giants have performed slightly better than the Jets, their offense has also been abysmal in 2020. They failed to score more than 16 points any week until Week 5, where they matched up with the Cowboys’ horrific secondary. Even in that game, they scored on a pick-six, so their offense didn’t achieve all 34 points.
Daniel Jones also lost a fumble in the game, which the Cowboys returned for a touchdown. Therefore, the Cowboys D/ST still scored nine points, despite performing poorly as a real-life defense. This Washington team has an excellent pass rush led by Chase Young, which should force Jones into multiple sacks and turnovers. Jones already has eight turnovers on the season, and he’s taken 16 sacks thus far. You can also fire up Washington as a top-five unit, just behind the Dolphins.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Streaming Articles: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5
