Before diving into Week 9’s quarterback, tight end and team defense fantasy football streamers, let’s review Week 8 (Yahoo! scoring, four points per passing touchdown).
Quarterback: Mitch Trubisky-21.90 points
Tight End: Ben Watson-0 points
Team Defense: New England Patriots-20 points
This is a six-team bye week, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants idle. So available options are thinned some, and here are my quarterback, tight end and team defense streamers for Week 9.
Quarterback: Alex Smith, Washington Redskins vs. Atlanta Falcons
Smith has morphed back into his previous form so far this season, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and less than 180 yards in three straight games. Even his supplemental rushing yardage has gone away, with no more than 20 yards in a game all season. But he’s in a good spot in Week 9.
The Atlanta Falcons have allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season (24.9 per game, ESPN scoring). Over their last six games they have allowed 352 passing yards per game (at least 335 yards in five of six, over 390 three times), with at least three passing touchdowns allowed in each of the first five.
Opposing quarterbacks have also attempted at least 38 passes in five of Atlanta’s last six games (more than 40 four times). That’s a nod to having to keep pace with the Falcons’ offense as much as the defenses struggles against the pass. Smith has attempted more than 38 passes just twice in seven games, which yielded his two best yardage outputs of the season.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden has suggested the passing game is close to taking off. If it’s going to happen Week 9 against the Falcons looks like the launch point, and Smith emerges from a group of solid options as my quarterback streamer for the week.
ESPN Ownership: 49.1%
Yahoo! Ownership: 43%
Others To Consider: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers (Thursday night); Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers; Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys vs. Tennessee Titans (Monday night); Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs; Sam Darnold, New York Jets at Miami Dolphins; Case Keenum, Denver Broncos vs. Houston Texans; C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers vs. Oakland Raiders (Thursday night)
Tight End: Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
McDonald caught all three of his targets for 47 yards against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, and he has now scored at least 5.6 PPR fantasy points in five of his six games this season.
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McDonald had five catches for 62 yards (on five targets) against the Baltimore Ravens back in Week 4, and he gets them again in Week 9. The Ravens are in the bottom half of the league against tight ends this season (ESPN PPR scoring). Over their last five games they’ve allowed 12.5 yards per catch to the position, while allowing a touchdown to the position in back-to-back games.
McDonald’s Week 7 bye seems to have knocked him below the fantasy radar, and a pedestrian game in Week 8 might keep it that way. His rest of season outlook is very good as a TE1, and for Week 9 McDonald is the easy top streamer at the position.
ESPN Ownership: 44%
Yahoo! Ownership: 49%
Others To Consider: Chris Herndon, New York Jets at Miami Dolphins; Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins (check ownership); Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
Team Defense: Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
After starting out pretty abysmal defensively, the Chiefs have been far better lately. They’ve allowed 23 points or less in three of their last four games (14 points or less twice), with 14 sacks and nine takeaways (five in one game, against Blake Bortles) over that four-game stretch.
The Cleveland Browns have removed head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley, with running backs coach Freddie Kitchens taking over as offensive coordinator. Removing the tension between Jackson and Haley should help Baker Mayfield, who has failed to exploit good matchups over the last two weeks, and technically the Chiefs are still a nice-looking matchup this week.
But opposing defenses have scored at least seven fantasy points (ESPN scoring) in all five of Mayfield’s starts, with 19 sacks over that span and at least one takeaway in each game. Based purely on uncertainty with the shake up in the coaching staff, the Browns’ offense have more kinks to work out this week.
The Chiefs’ defense is on a good trend, with at least nine fantasy points in three of their last four games (Yahoo! scoring), and the unit is in a solid spot this week. Add in what could be a tough bye week for some, and it all helps make them my defense streamer for Week 9.
ESPN Ownership: 18.1%
Yahoo! Ownership: 32%
Others To Consider: Dallas Cowboys vs. Tennessee Titans (Monday night); Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets; San Francisco 49ers vs. Oakland Raiders (Thursday night; Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks; Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys (Monday night)
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