As we mentioned in previous articles, streaming targets are ones that you are aiming to slot into your lineup. With it being the opening week, I look to draft the players I am looking to stream at the start of the season.
To qualify as a streaming option, the player needs to have an ADP in the double-digit rounds (or undrafted) so let’s get into the options!
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger (PIT, ADP 12.03)
Roethlisberger is a man that typically doesn’t do well on the road. However, with a match up against the New York Giants he could have a good outing. The Giants gave up an average of 20.7 points to the position last year, and haven’t made huge changes to their defensive unit.
Cam Newton (NE, ADP 15.12)
Newton has just been announced the starter for the Patriots, and starts out with a great matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins gave up an average of 21.3 points last season to the position. The team might have improved, but they are likely to still be a shaky unit considering it’s Week 1.
Philip Rivers (IND, ADP 16.02)
Rivers has a great matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars for Week 1 who look like they are hell-bent on getting the first pick in next year’s draft. Yes he may have changed teams, but he is familiar with the offense. Behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, he could be inline for a good game.
Tight End
Hayden Hurst (ATL, ADP 10.05)
Hurst’s matchup against Seattle is a good one. Seattle gave up an average of 9 points to the position last season, and Atlanta are likely to need to move the ball through the air to compete. Hurst steps into a great role in Atlanta, with Austin Hooper out of town (and could be valuable all season).
Dallas Goedert (PHI, ADP 13.05)
Goedert suffered an injury in camp, but reports are that he should be good to go for Week 1. With the team facing the Washington Football Team who struggled against the position last season, Goedert could be a fantastic option for the opening game. In fact, the Eagles have good matchups for the opening quarter of the season for the TE position.
Eric Ebron (PIT, ADP 13.07)
Ebron is mentioned here as a stacking option with Roethlisberger. Ebron is the likely redzone weapon for Pittsburgh. Equally, the New York Giants have struggled with defending the position- giving up an average of 8.2 points to the position last season.
DST
Now, for DSTs using the same criteria isn’t fair- every defense should really be drafted in the later rounds. Instead, we are going to choose defenses drafted in the 15th round or later.
Kansas City Chiefs (ADP 16.08)
The Chiefs open their season against the Houston Texans. Truly, this could be a tough matchup if the Texans offense clicks straight away. However, I don’t think that will happen, and the Chiefs will be looking to kickstart their SuperBowl defense off with a win.
Los Angeles Chargers (ADP 17.04)
The Chargers defense may have just lost an important piece to injury, but they are still stacked with talent. The Cincinnati Bengals might become a top offense, but with no NFL experience for rookie Joe Burrow, the Chargers will be looking to put him under considerable pressure.
Indianapolis Colts (ADP 18.03)
Jacksonville are just not a good team right now. They don’t have many pieces on offense that are that reliable outside of D.J. Chark. There isn’t a true running game threat with the loss of Leonard Fournette, so a long day could be in-store for Gardner Minshew.
Kicker
As with DSTs, we are going to choose defenses drafted in the 15th round or later. Not a lot of analysis here- we are just looking for players that are in high-scoring games, or have the potential for some long-range field goals
- Younghoe Koo (ATL, ADP 19.08)
- Jake Elliott (PHI, ADP 19.09)
- Stephen Gostkowski (TEN, ADP 22.09)
So that’s our streaming targets for the opening week. We will be posting each week a similar post.
So what do you think? Are you going to be stacking for success in your drafts? Let us know! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. You can find our other strategy articles here.
Image Credit: Philip G. Pavely – USA Today
