Since Alex Gelhar already masterfully identified some of the top waiver-wire targets ahead of Week 10, Matt Harmon examined top deep league adds in his deep dive, and Marcas Grant supplied you with some players that can safely be dropped, it's my job to provide some streaming candidates at quarterback, tight end and defense for the upcoming slate of games. Keep in mind, most of these players/teams are bottom-of-the-barrel targets for deep leagues, and I'm not saying they're going to be top scorers at their position, but they should do enough to keep your team competitive in Week 10 if you need some assistance. So, let's get to it.
**Ownership percentage data from NFL.com fantasy leagues. *
QUARTERBACKS
Jared Goff vs Texans | 26.95% owned:Jared Goff continues to mash in favorable matchups. Picking up on a storyline I started in this space last week, following Goff's 28-point QB1 game against the Giants in Week 9, he's now averaging 21.07 fantasy points per game in quarterback-friendly contests. If you streamed him last week, hold onto him for his Week 10 game against the Texans. Including Jacoby Brissett's QB8 game in Week 9, Houston has now allowed four top-10 fantasy quarterback performances dating back to Week 3. For a quarterback like Goff, who is coming off a career-high four touchdown passes on the road in New York and is steering the highest scoring offense in the NFL (32.9 points per game), this matchup couldn't get much better.
Josh McCown at Buccaneers | 13.2% owned: When I wrote upJosh McCown as a Week 9 streaming option, he had been on a three-game hot streak. The veteran kept rolling with a respectable 16.9 fantasy points against a stingy Bills defense on Thursday night. He did so on the heels of two total touchdowns (one rushing and one passing) and has another favorable matchup in Week 10. The Jets pass attack is cooking right now, and McCown seems to be having fun behind the wheel. Tampa Bay has allowed at least 20 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in four of eight games this year (Case Keenum, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Tyrod Taylor) and ranks seventh-worst in fantasy points per game (18.9) allowed to quarterbacks this season. The Bucs are one of just eight teams in the NFL to have surrendered over 2,200 pass yards and have just five picks to 14 touchdown passes allowed. McCown should have a top-10 week.
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs Jets | 0.2% owned: With Jameis Winston "shut down" by the Bucs for injury reasons for at least the next few weeks, we'll be treated to some Ryan Fitzpatrick action. By no means is Fitzpatrick a guy you'll want to start in fantasy every week, but his first 2017 start couldn't come with a softer landing spot than a home matchup against the Jets. No defense in the NFL has allowed more touchdown passes to quarterbacks (19) than the Jets this year and they're one of just eight teams to have surrendered over 2,200 pass yards. In his two games in relief of Winston this year, Fitzpatrick has a 4:2 TD:INT ratio and he rightfully toasted a beatable Cardinals defense back in Week 6 in about 3.5 quarters of play to the tune of 290 yards, three scores, two picks, and 20.8 fantasy points. Fitzpatrick vs Josh McCown is the revenge game to end all revenge games. You're going to want a piece of this action. (Keep an eye on Mike Evans status as he appeals a one-game suspension after taking part in a fight during Week 9.)
C.J. Beathard vs Giants | 0.9% owned:C.J. Beathard isn't exactly a sexy option, but his volume at least gives him a safe floor. In his four games this season, the rookie is averaging 40 attempts per game, mainly because San Francisco's defense is so bad, Beathard has to keep throwing to have any false hope at mounting some kind of contention. For what it's worth, Beathard finished as the QB12 in Week 9 with 17.36 points and he has at least 13 points in three of his four contests, with a floor of 10.68. Quarterbacks are worth starting against the Giants defense. New York has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game (20.25) to the position this season. The Giants' 18 touchdown passes given up is second only to the Jets (19) and they only have three interceptions all year.
TIGHT ENDS:
Vernon Davis vs Vikings | 21.3% owned: As long as Jordan Reed is out, Vernon Davis is a solid weekly play at tight end. When this article was published last week, I mentioned that Davis was Washington's lead receiver over the previous four games. That stat can now be extended to the last five games, as Davis is the only player on the Redskins with over 300 receiving yards in that span. He led the team in targets (nine), receptions (six) and yards (72) against the Seahawks. Davis is the only reliable pass-catcher in this offense and that should continue against the Vikings in Week 10.
Tyler Kroft at Jaguars | 8.3% owned:Tyler Kroft's ownership remains low enough to keep including him in this space. He played 100 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps and led the team with a career-high 79 receiving yards against Jacksonville. Over Cincinnati's last four games, Kroft's 17 targets are third among the team's pass-catchers and tie him for the team lead with Brandon LaFell, and is one more than A.J. Green. In a week with Travis Kelce, Zack Ertz and Jared Cook on bye, Kroft is once again a streaming option at a position loaded with volatility and touchdown dependency.
Garrett Celek vs Giants | 0.2% owned: Start. Your. Tight. Ends. Against. The. Giants. (Yes, I literally copy/pasted that sentence from last week's article.) The trend continued in Week 9 as Rams' tight end Tyler Higbee secured just one reception the entire game against New York ... in the end zone. The Giants have yet to play a game in 2017 in which they did not allow a tight end to score. Garrett Celek is a tight end, and his Week 10 opponent is the Giants. Don't let us down, Garrett! For what it's worth, Celek saw 50 targets last year in San Francisco and has caught three touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons. (You probably expected to see George Kittle's name here, but he was ruled out for Week 10 with an ankle injury.)
Eric Ebron vs Browns | 64% owned: The Lions athletically gifted tight end was likely dropped in a lot of leagues, but is worth consideration ahead of his game against the Browns. Ebron has struggled this year but had his best yardage total (58) in Week 8 against the Steelers. We have yet to see him play in Week 9 as he faces the Packers on Monday night, and his usage in that game could be telling for his Week 10 outlook, so he's worth monitoring. From a matchup standpoint, Cleveland has allowed six touchdowns to the tight end position this year, tied for second most. The Browns are also one of just four teams to allow a fantasy point per game average in the double-digits (11.18) to tight ends.
DEFENSES (D/STs)
New Orleans Saints D/ST at Bills | 26% owned: The Saints defensive stats during their current six-game winning streak are shockingly awesome. They've allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw just three touchdowns to nine interceptions during the streak. And New Orleans' pass defense, which used to be one to start all of your fantasy players against, has stymied opposing pass attacks to just 264.7 yards per game compared to the 512.5 pass yards per game they allowed in their first two contests of the season. The unit has four double-digit fantasy weeks this season, and a shift to a more run-heavy approach on offense has helped the defense stay rested. They're a streaming option even on the road against Buffalo in Week 10. The Jets may have unlocked the key to beating a one-dimensional Bills team last Thursday night, and the Saints have a great shot at putting up a solid score once again for fantasy owners.
Chicago Bears D/ST vs Packers | 4.2% owned: The Bears defense is one of the more underrated units in the NFL right now. And for fantasy owners, the unit has averaged 14.75 fantasy points per game over their last four contests, including a floor of seven points (twice) and a ceiling of 30-points against Carolina. In the three games prior to their Week 9 bye, Chicago's defense had collected four picks, four recovered fumbles, three defensive touchdowns and 10 sacks. In Week 10, they get a home matchup against a Brett Hundley-led Packers offense. Hundley doesn't exactly intimidate the way Aaron Rodgers would, but we'll get our second look at a Hundley start on Monday night against the Lions. Pending his performance there, the Bears D/ST could have major upside for fantasy owners next Sunday.
Detroit Lions D/ST at Browns | 36.5% owned: Detroit's defense had a hot start to the season in fantasy, thanks to some good turnover and special teams touchdown fortune, but the unit has cooled off lately with two single-digit weeks in their last three games. But a Week 10 matchup against the Browns is about as good as it gets. The Browns allow the third-most fantasy points per game (12.13) to opposing D/STs. That's because Cleveland's quarterbacks have thrown 17 interceptions through eight games. SEVENTEEN. That number leads the league by a five-pick margin and averages out to over two picks per game. The Lions have yet to play in Week 9, as they face the Packers on Monday night, but it doesn't really matter. They're a solid streaming option in a home game in Week 10 either way.
Tennessee Titans D/ST vs Bengals | 9.6% owned: In the three games since the Bengals returned from a Week 6 bye, they've allowed top-10 fantasy D/ST performances to every opponent they've played. The Steelers (eighth), Colts (10th) and Jaguars (fourth) have allowed an average of just 13 points of offense to the Bengals, who have topped 200 yards of offense only once in that span. The Titans defense had an awful first five games but have seemingly figured things out a bit over the last month. Tennessee has allowed an average of 13.8 real-football points to opposing offenses and has logged an average of eight fantasy points per game in their last four contests. So a matchup against a struggling Bengals team makes for an ideal streaming spot for this low-owned unit.
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