Top Fantasy Football Streaming Options for Week 4
Fantasy owners who won their draft lottery this summer are likely scrambling for trades or hitting the waiver wire after losing star RB Saquon Barkley for the next 4-8 weeks. However, as we all know, you can’t get too depressed or too confident after just one week. Adding players, researching, and picking up players to stream is a critical part of fantasy success.
Streaming is always a difficult task because most owners must resist the temptation to overreact to the previous week. For example, many owners were burned In Week 3 by highly-ranked players like wide receivers Calvin Ridley (1.6 PPR points) and Kenny Golladay (3.7), or running backs Chris Carson (5.3) and Todd Gurley (4.3). Depending on the options afforded to you in your league, don’t panic and bench any of the aforementioned players. If you have more underperforming players in your starting lineup or have sustained major injuries, you need to be aggressive. If you stream the right player, it could be the difference between earning a win or falling further behind your league leaders. Here are several players to consider streaming in Week 4.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones, NYG (vs WSH)
The rookie quarterback was outstanding in his first career start last week on the road against Tampa Bay. In leading the Giants to the 32-31 upset of the Buccaneers, Jones quickly proved why he should become stream-worthy when the matchup demands it. Well in Week 4, Jones will face off with a Washington defense that just surrendered three touchdowns in the air to struggling Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky. Jones’s ownership of less than 15% is likely to change once league waivers go through, so fantasy owners should make adding Jones a waiver priority and stream the young signal-caller in Week 4. My model suggests streaming Jones this week over Baker Mayfield (at BAL), Jameis Winston (at LAR) and Carson Wentz (at GB).
Mason Rudolph, PIT (vs CIN)
Rudolph (owned in less than 30% of leagues) was serviceable in his Pittsburgh debut, taking over for the injured Ben Roelisberger on the road in San Francisco. Rudolph gets a plus matchup in Week 4 against a Bengals defense surrendering 406 yards per game while allowing 28 points per game. Rudolph inherits solid weapons at his disposal led by JuJu Smith-Schuster on the outside and James Conner in the backfield. My model has Rudolph as overall QB12 in Week 4 and recommends streaming him ahead of Matthew Stafford (vs KC), Kyler Murray (vs SEA) and Tom Brady (at BUF).
Running Backs
LeSean McCoy, KC (at DET)
McCoy was questionable all week with an ankle injury heading up to Sunday’s kickoff with the Ravens. However, before being forced out of the game in the second half, McCoy found the end zone both on the ground and in the air en route to posting 23 PPR fantasy points. McCoy’s injury concerns led to many owners leaving him on the bench in Week 3 as he was started in less than 25% of leagues. Playing on arguably the best offense in the NFL, McCoy now gets a plus matchup against a Lions defense that has given up over 100 yards on the ground in each of its first three games. McCoy comes in as a solid RB2/flex streaming option in Week 4, in a game fantasy owners can safely pencil in double digit PPR point production.
Chris Thompson, WSH (at NYG)
Thompson, who is currently being started in less than 20% of leagues, has quietly posted double digit PPR points in each of the Redskins first three games. Game script often demands that with Washington playing from behind, meaning the pass-catching back is employed more often than starter Adrian Peterson. In the last two games, since Derrius Guice went down with a knee injury, Thompson has out-snapped Peterson 45% to 29% in Week 2 and once again 51% to 47% in Week 3. Thompson is a solid a flex streaming option against a Giants defense surrendering 460 yards and 31.3 points per game.
Wide Receivers
Terry McLaurin, WSH (at NYG)
The Redskins rookie wide receiver quietly entered the record books, becoming the first player in league history to record at least five receptions and score a touchdown in each of his first three career games. The young wideout is averaging 20.9 PPR points per game yet started in less than 30% of leagues in Week 3, as many owners shied away from his matchup with the tough Bears secondary. My model touts McLaurin as the top streaming option against a Giants secondary that was just torched by Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans for three touchdowns and has allowed 332 passing yards and the second most receiving touchdowns (9) to opposing wide outs through three weeks. The model suggest streaming McLaurin over Jarvis Landry (at BAL), Stefon Diggs (at CHI) and Emmanuel Sanders (vs JAX).
DJ Chark, JAX (at DEN)
Chark, who is being started in less than 25% of leagues, has emerged as Jacksonville’s top fantasy weapon through three weeks recording a touchdown in every game en route to posting an average of 20.9 PPR points. Playing in over 71% of Jacksonville’s snaps, Chark has become a WR3/flex every week regardless of the opponent. Although he has a less than ideal matchup going on the road against Denver in Week 4, Chark still emerges as solid streaming option. The Broncos are only D/ST17 through three weeks allowing 22.3 points per game, suggesting that Chark should be able to post double digit PPR points for the fourth straight game.
Curtis Samuel, CAR (at HOU)
Many fantasy owners have soured on Samuel in the past few weeks, as he was started in 15% of leagues in Week 3. Owners were skeptical of playing any Carolina wideout upon the news of Cam Newton’s injury. However, Samuel has been targeted 20 times in the last two weeks and posted 15.3 PPR points. Kyle Allen was more than adequate starting in place of Newton and spread the ball around in Week 3 against Arizona. Samuel draws a Texans secondary that has allowed five passing touchdowns through three games and was just torched by Chargers’ Keenan Allen for 13/183/2 in Week 3.
Tight Ends
Will Dissly, SEA (at ARZ)
Streaming a tight end in fantasy football has become this simple in 2019: Insert the starting opponent against Arizona. The Cardinals defense has allowed 20 receptions for 318 yards and 4 touchdowns to opposing tight ends in three games. In Week 4, Seattle’s Will Dissly gets rewarded with the plus matchup all fantasy owners need to exploit. Dissly, who was started in 30% of leagues in Week 3, has been red hot of late scoring three touchdowns posting an average of 20.1 PPR points the past two games. All the metrics add up here, making one of Russell Wilson’s new favorite targets the top streaming option versus a porous defense covering opposing tight ends.
Kickers
Adam Vinateri, IND (vs OAK)
The veteran struggled through the first two weeks and there were rumors he was considering retirement. However, Vinateri bounced back in Week 3 with a perfect three-for-three on extra points and two-for-two on field goal attempts. In Week 4, Vinateri has a home matchup in the dome against a Raiders defense allowing the ninth-most points per game (26). The boys out in Vegas have the Colts posted as a touchdown favorite against Oakland, making Vinateri a sneaky streaming option for a player started in less than 5% of leagues in Week 3.
D/ST
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs Cincinnati Bengals)
The Steelers defense, much maligned through the first two weeks of the season, bounced back with a solid road performance in Week 3 versus an undefeated 49ers squad. The Steelers, started in less than 15% of leagues, harassed Jimmy Garaopplo all game long forcing five turnovers. In Week 4, the Steelers get a prime time Monday night home game against an 0-3 Bengals team. Cincinnati is tied for the NFL lead in giveaways (8) and among the league’s worst in sacks allowed (11). The experts out in Vegas have Pittsburgh installed as 4.5-point favorites with the third-lowest total (43) on the board in Week 3. Expect the terrible towels to be out in full force attempting to help their beloved Steelers earn their own first win of 2019.
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