Hello readers! I’m new in town, but I come bearing gifts! This is the first of many weekly streamer installments that I will be posting on Razzball. Each week, I will be burrowing into the depths of the waiver wire to pull out the most valuable streamer options for the week to come. I will target players less than 50% owned on Yahoo, in the hopes of providing you with an upside player widely available in your leagues, and I will focus on the QB, TE, DST, and K positions. I also intend to give you two options at each position, if possible, but I won’t force it! If things work out, and our relationship gets a little more serious, I’d say some of these waiver grabs could also translate to high upside tournament plays in daily fantasy football games. I said upside, not backside… things aren’t getting that serious! Additionally, following the Razzball tradition of transparency, I will analyze my picks after each week against their positional ranks to ensure full disclosure to the readers. Without further ado, let’s take a look at who has stream potential in Week One…
Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer (52%) vs SD: This is an easy play in my book. The SD defense was in the bottom 5 against the pass last year, and this year looks like it could go the same way. Palmer also has 2 very good receivers to throw to. He probably won’t have a career day, but I think he’s a safe play for 200+ yards and a TD.
Geno Smith (9%) vs OAK: Looking back to the final four games of last season, Smith rushed for almost 50 yards per game, and scored 3 touchdowns. He doubled his season TD total in that span. I think we see Smith use his legs a bit more this season, and he’ll start against this Oakland defense. Although the Raiders have made some defensive upgrades, they’re not a top D in the NFL, and with Smith’s legs, he presents great upside in this matchup.
Tight Ends
Garrett Graham (30%) vs WAS: In case you missed it, Bill O’Brien is the new head coach of the Houston Texans, and he loves tight dnds. I mean, who doesn’t? But he also likes the position within the offense. Consider this, in 2011 as the OC with the Patriots, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 42% of the team’s receptions. Additionally, in 2012 and 2013 as the Head Coach of Penn State, the tight ends combined for 31% and 25% of the team’s receptions. O’Brien is always looking for the tight(est) ends, so Graham could be a safe waiver play this week.
Coby Fleener (24%) vs DEN:  I know the Denver defense is dangerous, but looking back to last season, they were in the lower third of the league vs the tight end. Fleener also ranked 10th in targets for TE’s when teams were in the Red Zone. Additional icing on the cake…Vegas predicts a shootout for this game. There will be a number of opportunities for points here, which makes Fleener a great upside play.
Defense & Special Teams
PIT (20%) vs CLE:  Brian Hoyer is starting… and Josh Gordon is suspended for the year… Need I say more? Well, if I have to, I think there are a couple of things at play here for the Pittsburgh Defense. First and foremost, this is an improved group from last year. They’ve secured the nose tackle position and added depth along the defensive line. The addition of Shazier as a cover/blitzing LB will also give PIT some versatility. I also like the Palomalu/Mitchell pairing at the safety positions. The Stillers are solid and safe play against the Brownies in week 1.
NYJ (11%) vs OAK: Full disclosure (told you!), I’m a Jets fan, and I despise picking my team/players in fantasy for anything. I’m all about hedging my happiness, and failure in both real and fantasy life doesn’t sit well with me. However, I think the Jets are in for a good week. Carr has been officially announced as the starter, and I think the Jets DL can capitalize on his inexperience. More FD (full disclosure!), I think McGloin gives Oakland the best chance to win. More More FD, I went to Penn State and watched that guy like a hawk, so I’m either over exaggerating or really critical! You decide! Back to business… There are definitely some holes in the Jets’ secondary, but the pressure from the D-Line will cause problems.
Kickers
Cody Parkey (21%) vs JAC:Â So the Eagles waived Alex Henery this past weekend, and as a result, Cody Parkey got the starting job. In a Chip Kelly offense, any kicker is ownable, and I think Parkey is more than just a player who backed into a starting role. He was the #1 kicker in his class coming out of high school, and he did very well at Auburn. I also expect the Eagles to put up a bunch of points on Sunday, so Parkey is a safe waiver pickup this week, and potentially for the season.
Chandler Catanzaro (1%) vs SD: I won’t bombard (read as: bore) you with stats on this one. Catanzaro is a gut call. The SD defense is not great (see Carson Palmer), and I think Catanzaro is a rookie with some swag. He did a lot of off-season work with guys like the Dinosaur formerly known as Morten Andersen, and I think he’ll net you a safe 7-10 points this week.
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