After months of research, speculation and planning, Week 1 comes every year and burns it all to the ground. So it’s time to rebuild those rosters with the best streamers and stashes. Every week, I’ll be answering two simple questions: who should I stream this week and who should I stash for the future?
To keep things simple, we’ll define a streamer as any player you wouldn’t usually start who is a viable option for this week. They may be on your bench or they may be on waivers, depending on your league. We’ll define a stash as any player you can probably find on waivers that you should stash for the future, either because they have a favorable match-up coming up, or because they could become a future fantasy starter.
Please also check out my rankings at ffdfantasyfootball.com and you can find my long-form videos on the Fantasy First Down Youtube channel and my Slot/Wide analysis on the Razzball Fantasy Youtube channel. If you have any questions, throw them in the comments below.
I’ll also be reporting my streamer record from the season to date above each section, to give you an idea of what to expect. Strong finishes mean top third of starters at the position, moderate means top half of starters and a bust is anyone else.
QB Streamers (Week 1: 1 strong, 1 moderate):
Baker Mayfield (TB): This will sound a little crazy, but my quarterback streamers this week are the same as last week! And they play against each other in the game with the highest Vegas total points prediction. Baker Mayfield was the QB2 last week against the awful Commanders secondary. The Lions likewise have a weak secondary and a strong run game. In a likely shootout, I love Mayfield again this week.
Jared Goff (DET): Jared Goff was relatively disappointing against the Rams but he now faces the strong Buccaneers run defense and will likely have to throw the ball plenty. We’ve yet to see the Tampa Bay deal with a legit passing quarterback but I think Goff should have plenty of success, though I like Mayfield more.
QB Stash:
Jordan Love (GB): Every season, people do stupid stuff like dropping injured players. I don’t love stashing quarterbacks but if anyone drops Jordan Love, you have to pick him up and stash him if you’re weak at quarterback.
RB Streamers (1 moderate, 2 bust):
Jordan Mason (SF): With Christian McCaffrey a big question mark heading into Week 2, it’s very obvious that you should start his backup Jordan Mason if you can get your hands on him. Mason turned 29 touches into over 150 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards (LAC): The Panthers run defense is atrocious, as is their offense. Meanwhile the Chargers absolutely love running the ball. It’s entirely possible both Chargers running backs get over 15 touches in what could be another demolition of the dismal Carolina. JK Dobbins was the more successful back last week but Gus Edwards is still a viable option, especially in half-PPR and non-PPR leagues.
Alexander Mattison (LV): We knew coming into the season that Alexander Mattison would be the Raiders’ receiving back but I did not expect him to have nearly half of the Raiders’ early down snaps as well. Week 2 against the Raiders should follow a similar game script meaning Mattison will be a viable starter, especially in PPR. As an added bonus, he’s available in 95% of leagues!
RB Stashes:
Jeff Wilson and Jaylen Wright (MIA): Both Miami starting running backs are battling injuries so it’s worth speculating by picking up Jeff Wilson and/or Jaylen Wright. I think short-term Wilson will be the back to own but if there’s a longer-term starting opportunity, I expect Wright eventually takes over.
Running backs get injured more than any other player in fantasy, with the average Top 36 running back missing two games per season in fantasy. For that reason, your best bet in fantasy is to roster running backs who are an injury away from an every down role. Each week, I’ll be listing my favorite RB stashes, only including players you won’t be starting most weeks. Oh and a quick reminder that Jordan Mason was a stash suggestion last week. If only you picked him up!
Top Handcuffs: Tank Bigsby, Bucky Irving, Ty Chandler, Braelon Allen, Tyler Allgeier, Ray Davis, Zach Charbonnet, Trey Sermon, Antonio Gibson
WR Streamers (3 moderate):
Jameson Williams (DET): This one may seem obvious but I actually wouldn’t recommend starting Jameson Williams most weeks, despite his Week 1 blow-up. However this week he faces a weak Buccaneers secondary so I expect another solid performance by the former college superstar.
Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG): Are you getting flashbacks? Wan’Dale Robinson appears in my streamers column for a second consecutive week. Last week he received an insane 12 targets, the second-most in the league, and now he faces the awful Commanders secondary. He’s a great, cheap, pickup-and-play option.
Demarcus Robinson (LAR): With Puka Nacua out for the foreseeable future, Demarcus Robinson becomes the Rams WR2. The Cardinals aren’t the greatest receiver matchup but we’ve seen Robinson have plenty of success towards the end of last season in this Rams system so there’s no reason to think he can’t run it back.
WR Stashes:
Keon Coleman (BUF): I’m shocked that Keon Coleman is still available in a third of leagues. He’s the clear WR1 in Buffalo and must be on rosters everywhere. Just give him a few weeks and he’ll be an every down player for fantasy’s most productive quarterback.
Elijah Moore (CLE): Bizarrely, Elijah Moore went from the presumed WR4 entering the pre-season games to the clear WR2, taking the slot role and the 12 personnel snaps away from Jerry Jeudy. It is possible that Jeudy is being eased into this offense and that he slowly takes over but it’s also possible we’re finally seeing the Moore we’ve always believed he could be. He’s a great stash option in deeper leagues.
Josh Reynolds (DEN): Are the Broncos going to have to chase games every week? If so, you want their WR2. Josh Reynolds had 8 targets last week and could get more in the right matchups. If you’re struggling at the position, he’s someone you can pop on your bench and wait on.
TE Streamers (1 moderate, 1 weak):
Jordan Akins (CLE): Everyone’s talking about Isaiah Likely but that’s not news. I want to talk about Jordan Akins instead. David Njoku appears to have a high-ankle sprain and after he left the field, Akins didn’t miss a snap. Remember how Njoku was a PPR league-winner last season? Well Akins is nearly as talented and is taking over that pass-heavy role. Deshaun Watson is a big question mark but I still love the idea of starting his replacement if you’re struggling at tight end. Especially in a solid tight end matchup against the Jaguars.
Colby Parkinson (LAR): Remember last week when I suggested stashing Colby Parkinson? Well I hope you did! Puka Nacua’s loss could be Parkinson’s gain as he received the third most yards of all tight ends last week. He’s playing an almost-every-down role and has plenty of weekly upside. If you need to, you can even start him this week, though ideally I’d like to see a bit more of this offense before starting him over a known producer.
TE Stashes:
Tucker Kraft (GB): The Packers surprised a lot of people (including myself) by starting Tucker Kraft over Luke Musgrave. I assume that will continue to occur throughout the season but before risking starting the former third-rounder in fantasy, I’d like to see how this offense functions with Malik Willis first.
Theo Johnson (NYG): Giants rookie Theo Johnson was a clear starter over Daniel Bellinger but… the Giants were awful. If you’re struggling at tight end, it’s worth picking him up just in case he can turn his high route count into fantasy production.
K Streamers (2 strong):
Cameron Dicker (LAC): Every season I speak about the merits of streaming kickers and we started off on a high with two top 7 options. This week I’m going for the Chargers’ Dicker the Kicker against the awful Panthers.
Chris Boswell (PIT): Last week, Chris Boswell scored all 18 of the Steelers’ points. This week he gets the mediocre Broncos in what could be another kickathon.
DST Streamers (1 strong and 1 weak):
Chargers DST (LAC): Oh look, another great streaming success, as our top pick the Vikings were the DST2. This week I’m backing the Chargers to massacre the Panthers for a big haul of DST points.
Colts DST (IND): The Packers will likely be awful under new quarterback Malik Willis. The only question is whether they’re so conservative they give up few DST points. I think the upside is worth the risk.
Please note I won’t be listing any kicker or DST stashes as you should never roster more than one of either of these positions.