It’s championship week! If you’ve made it to the big dance, congratulations, let’s get you that title. We’ll be looking at some viable streaming options while I’ll also be discussing who to stash on your bench. You just never know who’ll get injured mid-week so it’s important to be prepared. Make sure you comment your questions at the bottom.
I’ve been 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 fantasy starters at the position, moderate means top half of starters and bust is everyone else.
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QB Streamers (Week 1: 20 strong, 6 moderate, 10 bust):
Brock Purdy (SF): After Monday night’s 4-intercept implosion, Purdy could be finding himself on waivers very soon. That’s great news for you, as the 49ers are approaching the perfect bounceback spot against the Commanders, the best quarterback matchup this season. Purdy’s a fantastic start if you can get your hands on him.
Derek Carr (NO): Things are finally aligning for Carr, as he has two Top 7 finishes in the fantasy playoffs so far. He gets an excellent matchup at Tampa this week, too, and with Taysom Hill finally getting phased out, Carr has excellent TD upside in what could be a high-scoring encounter.
Honorable Mention: Russell Wilson (DEN)
QB Stashes:
There are no players out there who are great stashes but poor starters. If your starting quarterback has any injury or benching concerns at all this week, I recommend picking up a second QB, just in case.
RB Streamers (Week 2: 36 strong, 13 moderate, 17 bust):
Austin Ekeler (LAC): It’s been hard to trust Ekeler, as the Chargers seemed intent on getting Isaiah Spiller and Joshua Kelley involved to spark their run game. The changes to the coaching staff clearly put Ekeler back on top, as he had 15 carries and 4 targets in a tough Bills game. He should find even more success in one of the best running back matchups around against the Broncos.
Jerome Ford (CLE): Like Ekeler, Ford has also been tough to trust of late, but there’s only one way to attack the Jets, and that’s on the ground, making Ford (and to some extent Kareem Hunt) a viable streamer this week.
Honorable mentions: Kenneth Gainwell (PHI) and Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – these are purely desperation plays
RB Stashes:
Now is the time to fill your bench with players who could be starters if the right situation arises. In running back land, that means rostering backups with a starter who may miss Week 17 ahead of them. Here are my favorite options, which, at the time of writing, have the potential to be solid starters this week. If any of these guys get the starting role, they’re worth starting over most other streaming options:
Zamir White (LV): Josh Jacobs was limited on Friday in Week 16 before returning to DNP status on Saturday. That suggests he’s far from a given for Week 17. White has been excellent when given the opportunity and gets a fantastic matchup against the Colts. He’s a potential league winner.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC): Players with concussions like Isiah Pacheco are more likely to miss the next week than not, making CEH a great pickup. He has little competition for touches (with Jerick McKinnon on IR) and gets a moderate matchup against the Bengals.
De’Von Achane (MIA): Raheem Mostert barely saw the field in the second half, and reports on his injury are scarce at the time of writing. Achane is a must-stash if he’s available.
Honorable Mention: Chris Rodriguez Jr (WAS)
WR Streamers (24 strong, 20 moderate, 21 bust):
Romeo Doubs (GB): The Packers’ pass-catching corps looks paper-thin with injuries to Christian Watson, Jaylen Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Luke Musgrave, leaving Doubs and a bunch of roster fillers as the only healthy options. The Vikings provide a solid WR matchup for Doubs, and whichever Packers receivers are healthy enough for this game.
Demarcus Robinson (LAR): The third man in the dominant Rams WR triumvirate has been quietly excellent for fantasy since taking over from Tutu Atwell. He played 65 of 70 snaps in Week 16 despite Atwell’s return and has a touchdown in his last four games. Against the struggling Giants, a top-5 WR matchup, he’s a solid streamer if you’re lacking reliable options.
Honorable Mentions: Noah Brown (HOU) and Rashid Shaheed (NO)
WR Stashes:
Jerry Jeudy (DEN): The Broncos get a great Week 17 matchup against the Chargers, and with Courtland Sutton suffering a concussion on Christmas Eve, it could be the Jeudy show for the fantasy finale.
Cedrick Wilson (MIA): Jaylen Waddle could very well be out for Week 17 due to an ankle sprain. If that’s the case, Wilson will be a viable streamer. He’s worth stashing, just in case.
Greg Dortch (ARI): The Cardinals face the league’s best wide receiver matchup in the Eagles in the fantasy playoffs. Dortch has shown that he’s very productive when given the opportunity. If Marquise Brown remains out in Week 17, you can do worse than Dortch in your WR slot, and that makes him a worthwhile stash if you’re weak at the position.
KJ Osborn (MIN): With Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson’s massive question marks for this week, KJ Osborn becomes the de facto second option in the high-volume Minnesota passing game. Pop him on your bench and keep tabs on Vikings injury reports.
TE Streamer (13 strong, 4 moderate, 14 bust):
Gerald Everett (LAC): With Keenan Allen a big question mark for Week 17 and the Chargers facing a great tight end matchup in the Broncos, Everett is a viable streamer if you’ve just lost TJ Hockenson to injury.
Honorable mention: Tucker Kraft (GB)
TE Stash:
There are no obvious tight end stashes this week. All tight ends with clear handcuffs appear to be healthy, which means anyone you stash would need a random injury at training to pay off. There are better options for your bench.
K/DST Streamers (25 strong, 15 moderate, 14 bust):
Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU), Cairo Santos (CHI), Cleveland Browns DST and LA Rams DST.
Please don’t stash kickers or DSTs this week. Pick your poison, then drop the rest and fill your bench with upside options. The only exception is in blocking your opponent from accessing them, though this rarely works.
