Streaming your starting QB, TE, or D/ST isn't the goal in fantasy football. But, if you're weak at a position where you only have to start one player, picking up usable fantasy weeks from the waiver wire can be a beneficial process. In typical start-one quarterback, tight end, and D/ST 12-team formats, most of your league mates won't -- and shouldn't -- carry a backup QB or D/ST. Positional scarcity leaves the waiver wire flush with plausible weekly starting options based on their matchup and expected game-flow.
Simply put, because quarterback and defensive matchups are easier to predict and their output varies less on a weekly basis, sharp fantasy owners have an edge in their leagues if they can stream their "onesie" positions (usually their defense) better than their opponent.
Here are the top Week 14 streamers:
Quarterbacks
Floor and Ceiling: Lamar Jackson vs. Kansas City
Still somehow 40 percent available on NFL.com, Jackson must be owned in all leagues at this point. Thanks in large part to 26/119, 11/71/1, and 17/75/1 on the ground over the last three weeks, Jackson has finished as fantasy's QB13, QB11, and QB13 in weekly output. Jackson hasn't been asked to do much as a passer yet -- he's 39-of-65 for just 453 yards (1 TD; 3 INTs) -- but his high rushing volume keeps him on the high-end of the streaming radar against a Chiefs front seven that is yielding the third-most rushing fantasy points per carry.
Floor and Ceiling: Baker Mayfield vs. Carolina Panthers
Despite throwing three picks, Mayfield still turned in a "QB1" fantasy performance in Week 13 on the back of his 397 passing yards (9.3 YPA). Mayfield has now recorded top-13 fantasy results in four-straight games and is in a near perfect spot to keep his ceiling results churning against Carolina. Over the full season, the Panthers have allowed multiple passing scores in 10-of-12 contests and coughed up the seventh-highest passer rating (100.7). Per Next Gen Stats, Carolina has allowed a 3.1 percent completion rate above expectation, the fifth-worst clip in the NFL behind only Tampa, Detroit, Atlanta, and New Orleans.
Floor: Dak Prescott vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles defense is just completely decimated by injuries and now has a short week to prepare for their road date against the Cowboys. Dallas has won four-straight games by eight points or less, largely by playing stingy defense and turnover-free offense. However, since acquiring Amari Cooper in Week 9, Dak Prescott has turned back into a stream-worthy option. In this span, Prescott is fantasy's QB12 in points per game, he's completed 73 percent of his passes, averaged 8.0 YPA, and also added three rushing scores. Further helping Prescott's Week 14 outlook are his considerable home/road splits. This year, Prescott has recorded an impressive 24.5 points per game at home versus just 17.8 FPG on the road. Meanwhile, the banged-up Eagles have allowed a 4.9 percent completion rate above expected (fifth-worst) and an efficient 105.0 passer rating (ninth-worst) since their Week 9 bye. This all tees up Prescott well as an under-the-radar QB2 streamer on this pivotal fantasy slate.
Tight Ends
This may well be the darkest hour for the tight end position in fantasy in many years. It's just a wasteland out there. Jordan Reed, who is attached to Mark Sanchez and has not scored more than 10 PPR points in half of his games this season, is still easily a top-seven play this week. Unless you're starting Kelce, Ertz, Kittle, Ebron, or Gronkowski, we're just hoping for a short score at the position.
Here are a few tight ends with "usable" floors in Week 14:
C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals - Uzomah is actually Jeff Driskel's top target so far, drawing a passing look on 16-of-73 attempts over the last two weeks. The bad news? ... Those 16 targets have turned into 64 yards of offense.
Ian Thomas, TE, Carolina Panthers - Olsen exited after just 13 snaps last week, allowing Thomas to play on 76 percent of snaps and haul in 5-of-5 targets for 46 yards. Thomas saw a modest 13 percent of Panthers' targets while starting in place of Olsen in Weeks 2-5.
Dan Arnold, TE, New Orleans Saints - Nearly 38-year-old Ben Watson's snaps have been cut over the last four weeks as Dan Arnold has taken on a larger role. Over the last month, Arnold has seen 13 targets and ran 36 routes compared to Watson's four targets and 32 routes. Arnold's floor is basically two points (if that), but the Bucs' have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per target this year.
Jonnu Smith, TE, Tennessee Titans - He's a near full-time player and the Jags' quietly allow the tenth-most PPR points per target to the position.
Defense
Floor and Ceiling: Bills D/ST vs. New York Jets
Frankly, it does not matter if Josh McCown or Josh Allen starts here. We want exposure to the Bills' defense in fantasy this week. The Jets offense has completely fallen apart over the last six weeks, no matter if McCown or Darnold is at the controls. In fact, during this span, no team has averaged fewer yards per drive (19.5) or scored at a lower rate (22.4 percent) than the Jets. No defense has held opposing offenses to fewer yards per drive over their last six games than Buffalo (25.1).
Floor and Ceiling: Titans D/ST vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
In two appearances this year, Cody Kessler has averaged a measly 5.7 YPA and absorbed a sack on 7-of-61 dropbacks (11.5 percent). Predicting the Titans is never an easy endeavor, but the Jags' have scored fewer than 21 points in six of their last eight games. Playing behind a banged up offensive line that is missing three starters, the Titans should be able to get after Kessler and Co. in Week 14.
Ceiling: Cardinals D/ST vs. Detroit Lions
Even though they haven't many big fantasy performances, the Cardinals have limited opposing teams to just 14.3 points per game at home this season. That's the best clip in the league. The Cards' are a sneaky streamer this week against a weak Lions offense that has hit a wall. Since Detroit dealt Golden Tate, Matthew Stafford has a 4:5 TD-to-INT ratio, a 78.6 passer rating, and he's absorbed a monstrous 23 sacks. No team blitzes the quarterback more often than Arizona (42 percent) while only two teams have recorded a higher sack rate than the Cards' (8.7 percent).
-- Graham Barfield is the managing editor of fantasy football content at NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @GrahamBarfield.
