Merry Christmas to you and your family and friends! And what a way to celebrate, with a fantasy football decider. Given there will be no week 18 (for most fantasy leagues), I’m just focusing on streamers this week. Thank you also for the support you’ve been giving these articles throughout the season, your kind words are much appreciated.
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.
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.
Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool
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 the top half of starters and a bust is anyone else.
QB Streamers (15 strong, 7 moderate, 11 bust):
- Player: Bo Nix
- Matchup: Bengals
Bo Nix remains available in a lot of leagues and gets a fantastic matchup in the Bengals. Outside the top five studs and Baker Mayfield, Nix is my favorite quarterback option this week. He’s been consistently productive with a solid rushing floor and will need to be aggressive through the air to keep up with the rampant, Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati offense.
Note: Jared Goff, Anthony Richardson and Brock Purdy are my favorite high-end alternatives.
- Player: Drake Maye
- Matchup: Chargers
This is very much a low-end option, but Drake Maye is available in the vast majority of leagues and I wanted to give those of you needing a low-end option somebody to pick up off waivers. Drake Maye has scored between 12 and 22 points every week since he made his debut. He’s got a good passing and rushing floor and gets a middle of the pack matchup in the Chargers. You could do far worse than the rookie in your fantasy championship.
Note: I also like Bryce Young this week as an alternative if you’re in a 6-point passing touchdown league.
RB Streamers (27 strong, 13 moderate, 10 bust):
- Player: Jerome Ford
- Matchup: Dolphins
I listed Jerome Ford as my favorite RB streamer last week and, after his top 10 fantasy outing, I’m going back to the well. The Dolphins have an excellent secondary and Dorian Thompson-Robinson can’t move the ball through the air. The Browns will need to rely on their run game and check downs to David Njoku and Jerome Ford. Ford is a solid RB2 option this week, especially in PPR.
- Player: Isaac Guerendo
- Matchup: Lions
It’s very difficult to start any running back against the Lions, but it seems Isaac Guerendo is healthy again and we know the 49ers are willing to give him every snap, as we saw in Week 15. I anticipate a solid volume outing with TD upside and a middling receiving floor (as Kyle Juszczyk is in on many third downs). Guerendo is my RB21 this week.
- Player: Kendre Miller
- Matchup: Raiders
The Saints were truly appalling last week against a strong Packers defense. I’m expecting a better outing against the Raiders and Vegas (the bookmakers, not the team) is as well, with the Saints only 1.5-point underdogs. Kendre Miller will need to be a significant part of this offense for the Saints to have any chance, making him a viable high-end RB3 for me this week.
- Player: Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah
- Matchup: Saints
Ordinarily, a running back facing the struggling Saints would be fantasy gold. Unfortunately, the Raiders are using a full-blown committee approach to end the season. Alexander Mattison is getting a small majority of snaps while Ameer Abdullah has been slightly more efficient. This could all flip around in Week 17, making both players risky upside plays in your fantasy championships. Mattison is my RB27 while Abdullah is my RB36 though he rises a little in PPR.
WR Streamers (18 strong, 14 moderate, 17 bust):
- Player: Keenan Allen
- Matchup: Seahawks
Keenan Allen has blown up in some great matchups against the Lions and Vikings across the last month. Luckily for Allen owners, the roll should continue this week. The Seahawks concede most of their fantasy points to the slot, and that’s where the veteran Bear plies his trade. After his Week 16 WR2 finish, I’m hoping for another great week for the former Chargers stud.
- Player: Adam Thielen
- Matchup: Buccaneers
Last month, Adam Thielen ripped the Buccaneers for 99 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. This started a streak of top results, with Thielen the PPR WR15 since then. He’s a risky but high-upside PPR play for the final week of fantasy.
- Player: Jayden Reed
- Matchup: Vikings
The Vikings have conceded the most fantasy points to wide receivers so far this season, with Jayden Reed already contributing a fair chunk of that. Way back in Week 4, Reed destroyed Minnesota for 141 yards and a touchdown. A repeat performance would be a surprise as the slot receiver has cooled off considerably since then. But I’m still bullish of his prospects for this week and he slots in as a WR3 for me.
- Player: Marvin Mims
- Matchup: Bengals
Once again, I wanted to provide a high-upside option with significant availability, for those of you badly chasing points after a tough Christmas slate. Marvin Mims has seen a significant increase in snaps of late, while he continues to see touches schemed up for him every week. This has led to a string of solid performances, with another very possible against the leaky Bengals. Be warned, the floor is low, but the ceiling is high, especially in half-PPR.
TE Streamers (9 strong, 6 moderate, 17 bust):
- Player: Hunter Henry
- Matchup: Chargers
Hunter Henry is the TE10 on the season, yet he remains available in half of leagues. He’s a good, solid alternative if you were planning on relying on Brenton Strange (who has probably lost the starting job) this week.
- Player: Chig Okonkwo
- Matchup: Jaguars
Last season, Bobby LaMarco and I were both exceptionally high on Chig Okonkwo. In fact, my extreme ranking of him was enough to keep me out of the Fantasypros Top 5 Accuracy rankings. But he’s finally broken out 18 months too late. With 21 targets for 140 yards in the last fortnight, there’s a high chance Okonkwo booms again in your fantasy finale.
- Player: Tucker Kraft
- Matchup: Vikings
This is very much a TD or bust play best kept for non-PPR leagues. Although he’s the TE7 on the season, Tucker Kraft’s only had over four receptions twice this year, getting most of his production in the red zone and from big yardage gains. He’s a risky upside play for Week 17.
K Streamers (17 strong, 8 moderate, 7 bust):
- Player: Chase McLaughlin
- Matchup: Panthers
One more time for old time’s sake: “Start kickers playing against the Panthers!” And as an added bonus, Chase McLaughlin is a Top 10 kicker this season. You can’t go too wrong here.
- Player: Will Reichard
- Matchup: Packers
Will Reichard and his deputy Parker Romo have been consistently excellent kickers to own this season. The Packers are a tough matchup for most teams, but in what should be an even and high-scoring encounter, I’m on board with starting Reichard again in my Fantasy Super Bowl.
DST Streamers (22 strong, 3 moderate and 7 bust):
- Player: Miami Dolphins DST
- Matchup: Browns
Last week, I picked four of the top five DSTs in their correct positions! I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. This week, I’m going back to the well and targeting the Browns and DTR. The Dolphins defense haven’t been good this season but neither had the Falcons or Bengals. It’s time to commit to the matchup and believe in Miami to take you to the promised land.
- Player: Las Vegas Raiders DST
- Matchup: Saints
The Saints looked truly appalling last week, and we’ve seen the Raiders shut teams down at times this season. I’m not expecting a Packers-level performance, but I do think the Raiders are the best DST likely available in your league.
Good luck in your Fantasy Finals this week! As always, hit me up in the comments or on my socials if you have any questions.
