RotoBallers,

In recent years, the concept of streaming has become a popular one within fantasy football circles. Particularly with quarterbacks and defense/special teams, the idea of swapping players out every week based on attractive matchups has led numerous owners to victory (or to the basement, if such owners didn’t stream correctly). It’s not a bad idea – why invest a high draft pick on a player you may not want to use every week when you can use the upcoming week’s tilts to your advantage and play the projections?

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Strategy for Streaming Quarterbacks

The problem, as mentioned above, is that if you’re going to go this route then you need to stream right - or you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, the purpose of this weekly article will help you do exactly that with the quarterback position. Every week, we’ll take a look at six streaming QB options: three for one-quarterback leagues, and three for two-quarterback leagues. The focus will be on streaming for the upcoming week, but if that particular player has a positive outlook beyond that point it will be noted for your benefit.

Options for one-quarterback leagues could be just about anyone – if a decent QB really has that tasty of a matchup, then who are we not to take advantage of that? Of course, the obvious names aren’t “streamers” – your Newtons, Rodgers, and Wilsons of the world are plugged into the starting QB spot for their owners week in and week out. Other than the head honchos at the position though, anyone is eligible. Two-quarterback leagues, however, work a little differently. In these leagues, most of, if not all quarterbacks are already owned. Thus, to be a streamer option in a two-quarterback league, the QB needs to be close to the bottom of the barrel. For example, you aren’t streaming Eli Manning in a two-quarterback league because under that setting, Eli should be starting every week anyway.

RotoBallers, stream away to your heart’s desire. If you have any questions or comments feel free to send me an email (Andrew.bua@gmail.com), tweet (@Andrew_Bua), or reach out on Reddit (/u/CitiStrikeouts).

One-QB Leagues - Week Three Waiver Wire Streamers

Ryan Tannehill, MIA

Since the Dolphins hired Adam Gase as Head Coach this past spring, rumors have run rampant regarding the supposed new uptempo offense the team was going to run. The results have not been flattering so far for Ryan Tannehill, as any damage he’s done came during garbage time in New England in Week Two. A home matchup with the Browns in Week Three may cure those blues.

As unimpressive as the Dolphins’ offense has looked, the Browns defense has looked that much worse. In Week One, Cleveland surrendered 278 yards and two scores to Carson Wentz in the rookie’s first ever NFL start. In Week Two, they allowed Joe Flacco to bring the Ravens back from 20-0 down in a 300-yard, two touchdown effort. It may only be two weeks into the year, but as of now it sure seems like Cleveland’s defense is going to be a popular streaming opponent all season long. Tannehill is more of a one-week streamer rather than long-term hold as the Fins head to Cincinnati in Week Four.

Eli Manning, NYG

Back before Week One, we recommended Eli Manning as a high quality streaming option for the season’s first few weeks. He’s lived up to the billing over the first two weeks of the season, but Week Three may present his juiciest matchup as the Giants get to take on the Redskins at MetLife Stadium.

Through two weeks, the Redskins passing defense has not been great to say the least. In Week One they surrendered 300 yards and three touchdowns on a 72.9 completion rate to Ben Roethlisberger, and perhaps even worse gave up 292 yards through the air to Dak Prescott (and a six-yard rushing score to the rookie QB) on a 73.3% completion percentage in Week Two. The Skins’ defense is vulnerable, and after not throwing a touchdown for the first time since Week Seven last year, Manning is likely to come out firing. The Giants head to Green Bay in Week Four and play host to Baltimore in Week Five, so while Eli doesn’t have awful matchups in those weeks, they certainly aren’t as juicy as Week Three. For now, start Manning with confidence in Week Three but keep in mind he’s not as much of a slam dunk for the immediate future after that.

Phillip Rivers, SD

Once the Chargers lost Keenan Allen for the season during Week One’s loss in Kansas City, many have wondered what the Charger offense would look like from here on out. After dealing with numerous Allen injuries in the past, there’s a track record to suggest Phillip Rivers and the entire offense would take a step back. While Rivers wasn’t exceptional from a yardage-standpoint in Week Two (220 yards on 17-for-24 passing), he did throw four touchdowns. Week Three is the perfect time to build on that in Indianapolis.

Week Three will go a long way towards telling the world just how good Rivers and the Chargers offense will be the rest of the season. They will likely never have an easier matchup than the horrendously depleted Colts’ defense. Surrendering 366 yards to Matt Stafford isn’t that unheard of, but they also made Trevor Siemian look pretty good by allowing him to complete 66.6% of his passes for 266 yards. If a QB of Siemian’s caliber can do that against the Colts fourth and fifth string cornerbacks, it’s within reason to say Rivers should shatter his stats even without Allen. At this point it remains uncertain if and for how long Rivers will return QB1 value, but in Week Three he is an excellent streaming option.

Two-QB Leagues - Week Three Waiver Wire Streamers

Alex Smith, KC

So far this season, we’ve essentially seen Alex Smith both hit his floor and reach his ceiling in the Chiefs’ two games. Week One saw him throw for 363 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime victory over the Chargers, while he fell flat on his face in Houston during Week Two’s loss by completing only 54% of his passes for 186 yards. In Week Three, he gets the Jets – formerly a team you’d never want to pass against, now a squad that might be begging to be thrown on.

Once upon a time, Darrelle Revis was the best cornerback in football and took away half the field from opposing quarterbacks. He’s still quite good, but “Revis Island” is a thing of the past. He’s not the only problem with the Jets pass defense, but the big plays he’s surrendered certainly makes him the most notable. The Jets gave up 366 yards and a score to Andy Dalton in Week One, and on a short week in Week Two allowed 297 yards and three touchdowns (plus 25 yards on the ground) to Tyrod Taylor. Through two games, Jeremy Maclin has amassed 22 targets (including a whopping 15 in Week Two), and it’s likely Smith looks to pepper him heavily again against a very leaky secondary. Kansas City heads to Pittsburgh in Week Four and has their bye in Week Five, so Smith is merely an option for next week only.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ

After a 2015 season that saw Ryan Fitzpatrick put up career-high numbers, it’s not much of a surprise to see him start of 2016 hot (well, at least in Week Two) with arguably even more weapons. Through two games (vs. Cincinnati and at Buffalo), Fitzpatrick has completed 62.3% of his passes for 563 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. In two-QB leagues, he’s a solid option in Week Three at Kansas City.

The Chief’s defense is supposed to be very good, but they haven’t exactly looked the part in the season’s first two weeks. They have played decent enough, but not to the point you should be looking to avoid them matchup-wise. In Week Two in Houston, they may have picked Brock Osweiler twice, but they also gave up some big plays through the air and looked a little vulnerable. With Fitzpatrick bringing Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, and Matt Forte to town, if the Chiefs don’t shore things up there will be plenty of options to attack through the air. He’s not surefire enough to start in one-quarterback leagues, but he’s absolutely worth streaming consideration as a QB2.

Dak Prescott, DAL

Through two games, Dak Prescott may not look like the preseason Hall-of-Famer we saw all summer, but he’s been solid enough. He’s only completed 55.2% of his passes, but he’s averaged 259.5 yards per game thus far. He also contributed on the ground in Week Two by rushing in a touchdown from six yards out in D.C. Prescott has an excellent chance to put up some numbers when the Cowboys return home to face perhaps the worst defense he’s faced as of yet: the Bears.

Okay, so the Bears haven’t actually been that bad. But they haven’t exactly been tested either. In Week One they held Brock Osweiler to 231 yards, but also got decimated by Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins. In Week Two they weren’t bad against Carson Wentz, but against a rookie making his first-career road start in a hostile environment, they could have been a lot better as well. Prescott may be another inexperienced QB, but he also has nice tools to work with and had a very efficient Week Two. Back at home against a bad defense, Prescott is likely in line for his best game yet. His floor is probably lower than Smith and Fitzpatrick, but his ceiling is high enough to give due streamer consideration in two-QB leagues.