Fantasy Football: Week 15 Streamers To Consider
First of all: congratulations! If you are reading this, it’s most likely because you made it to the fantasy playoffs. That’s a huge accomplishment. But from now on, it’s a whole different game. Every week is all or nothing, live or die, destroy or be destroyed.
You might have a cherished roster that you’ve grown fond of over the season, but now you have to focus on this specific week. That sometimes means benching some of your stars for other players with more favorable matchups. That’s what streaming is about: trying to get as many points as possible to boost your odds of a win.
As always, this article offers some viable streamers for the QB, K, DST, and TE positions. If you feel uncertain about benching certain players for a streamer, you can always double-check Andy, Mike, and Jason’s weekly rankings and the handy-dandy Fantasy Footballers start/sit tool.
Let’s navigate the streamers for this first week of the fantasy playoffs.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins – Atlanta Falcons (17% rostered)
Might sound scary, but I guess you are not here to read about obvious names. Kirk Cousins hasn’t looked great this season as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup, but the matchups haven’t been ideal either. This week, he will have his first QB-friendly matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to the position this season. Pocket passers thrive against the Bucs. Captain Kirk should have a decent game here, especially if Drake London is finally back from injury.
J.J. McCarthy – Minnesota Vikings (23% rostered)
Last week, we highlighted McCarthy as a viable streamer against the Commanders, and he delivered with the best game of his young career: 163 passing yards and three touchdowns. That performance makes him a much less scary option this week, especially since he gets the single best fantasy QB matchup: the Cowboys. Dallas has given up over 25 fantasy points per game to QBs. McCarthy should provide a solid floor in this spot.
Jaxson Dart – New York Giants (74% rostered)
After a somewhat disappointing fantasy finish in Week 13 against the Patriots and a bye week, Dart’s roster percentage dipped. If he is available in your league, don’t overlook him. He faces the Commanders this week, who have allowed over 20 fantasy points per game to QBs. With his rushing upside, Dart could help you secure a playoff win.
Kickers
Matt Prater – Buffalo Bills (62% rostered)
Kudos to the 41-year-old veteran. Prater was signed as a temporary fill-in for Tyler Bass back in Week 1 and ended up playing the entire season, doing a solid job. With Bass now confirmed out for the season, Prater remains the starter. This week, the Bills face the seemingly unstoppable Patriots in what should be a high-scoring divisional clash. Prater should see plenty of kicking chances.
Andy Borregales – New England Patriots (8% rostered)
The K6 in fantasy so far this season is still widely available after the Patriots’ bye. This is a great chance to start the playoffs with a top-tier kicker on your roster. Borregales has been nearly perfect and plays for one of the highest-scoring teams. As mentioned, this game should feature plenty of points, benefiting both kickers.
Harrison Mevis – Los Angeles Rams (5% rostered)
This Lions–Rams matchup is going to be fun. Who doesn’t love watching two high-powered offenses battle for playoff seeding? Mevis has been perfect so far, and while his fantasy output has not been very flashy due to a lack of FG opportunities, he delivered the goods last week against the Cardinals thanks to his volume and accuracy. He nailed six extra points and one FG against Arizona. He’s on the rise and should have more chances this week.
Defense & Special Teams
Dallas Cowboys (6% rostered)
I know I just mentioned the Cowboys as a terrible defense against the passing game. Yes, they allow a lot of fantasy points to QBs, but they’ve actually been a solid DST in no-brainer, favorable defensive matchups. And this week, they’ll play against the Vikings, who have permitted more points per game to opposing DSTs than any other team in the NFL. The Cowboys might give up a lot of points, but they should also be able to exploit Minnesota’s offensive line deficiencies and QB mistakes.
San Francisco 49ers (33% rostered)
It’s been a tough season for the 49ers with all the injuries on both defense and offense. But since Week 11, they have been delivering some pretty solid defensive performances. Now they are well-rested and ready for an excellent matchup against the Tennessee Titans, who looked significantly better last week against the Browns, but are still a strong matchup for DST. The Niners are among the most interesting streamers this week at the position.
Philadelphia Eagles (72% rostered)
Even though they are under 30% available, they deserve a mention. Many fantasy managers have dropped the Eagles over the past few weeks due to recent tough matchups, but Philadelphia has a great defense. This week, they have an excellent matchup against the Raiders’ hideous offensive line. If Philly is sitting on your waiver wire, don’t hesitate.
BONUS: Tight Ends
Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens (84% rostered)
He might be heavily rostered, but Mark Andrews is being started in only 60% of leagues. Elite fantasy performances from TEs against the Cincinnati Bengals have almost become a weekly tradition this season. It’s unreal. They simply don’t defend that area of the field. Last week, both Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox confirmed this trend. Please, if you have Mark Andrews on your bench or if you see him available in your league, start him this week.
AJ Barner – Seattle Seahawks (26% rostered)
If you are desperate for a starting TE this week, AJ Barner of the Seahawks might be your guy. He has been earning a bigger role in the offense throughout the season, and this week he has a very good matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to TEs.
Mason Taylor – New York Jets (20% rostered)
Even in a game when nothing went right for the Jets, and they lost their backup QB to injury, Mason Taylor managed to have a decent fantasy outing and even led the team’s receivers with eight targets, from which he caught five for 51 yards. This week, he has a MEOWth-watering matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to TEs.