Streaming Quarterbacks: Week 8 Targets

Now halfway through most fantasy regular seasons, let’s take stock of where we are. If you have been streaming QBs, whether by choice or due to injury, there is a fair chance you’ve found a strong option. Andy Dalton, Tyrod Taylor, Carson Palmer, Blake Bortles, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Fitzpatrick are all inside the top-12 in fantasy points per game. It is quite possible you found one or more of those outside the first ten rounds of your draft, and if so, you’re likely doing well.

Four of those six are currently available in more than 40 percent of public leagues, so even if you haven’t done well at QB yet, there is time. I also like Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as cheap streamers.

Last week, Tyrod Taylor was unable to play, so we did not get a score for our optimal streamer. The other two did fine: Brian Hoyer had 21, and Blake Bortles had 13.

Through seven weeks, our optimal streamer is averaging 17 points, and our streaming QBs are averaging 15.3 points combined. That would rank them QB13 and QB24.

Now, on to Week 8. As always, our primary focus will be on each quarterback’s fantasy points per attempt, because of how well that correlates with fantasy production, and on aFPA for the defenses they face.

Week 8 QB Streaming Targets

Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ) at Oakland Raiders

Ryan Fitzpatrick is QB13 in fantasy points per attempt (0.496) and he hasn’t had a single week with fewer than thirteen points all year. He has scored more than twenty points in both of his games since the Jets bye, and he gets to play a weak Oakland Raiders squad this week. Oakland ranks 20th in aFPA for QBs, so the matchup is decent.

Fitzpatrick is available in 72 perent of Yahoo public leagues, and he is my optimal streamer of the week.

Alex Smith (KC) vs. Detroit Lions

The Vegas line loves Kansas City this week against the floundering Lions in London, and Alex Smith presumably stands to benefit. Smith has been his typical mediocre self on the season, but outside his 5-point Week 2 performance Smith hasn’t scored fewer than 13 points in any other week. Against a Lions defense ranking 30th, near the bottom, in aFPA to QBs, Alex Smith is a decent – if unsexy – streaming pick this week.

Smith is available in 74 percent of leagues.

Marcus Mariota (TEN) at Houston Texans

I make this pick early in the week assuming Marcus Mariota is able to come back from injury and start. (If Mariota can’t play, I am including a backup streamer next.)

Mariota has slowed after his incredible start in Week 1, but he is still averaging 0.46 fantasy points per pass attempt, which is below our 0.5 goal, but still not bad. The upside is he faces a terrible Texans defense ranked 29th in aFPA. Mariota is a mediocre fantasy option, but combining him with a fantastic matchup makes him a viable streamer this week.

Mariota is available in 62 percent of leagues.

Brian Hoyer (HOU) vs. Tennessee Titans

Last week was horrendously ugly for Brian Hoyer and the Texans, yet Hoyer came away with 21 fantasy points, putting him inside the top-10 for the week. With Arian Foster out for the season, I expect the Texans to continue throwing early and often, and with Ryan Mallett’s release, it is a near-guarantee the team stays with Hoyer for the rest of the season.

This week, the Texans play at home against the Titans, who rank 8th in aFPA to QBs, so the matchup is much worse than ideal. Another concern here is the Titans offense shows up dead on arrival, so the Texans don’t need to pass much. Hoyer is QB11 in fantasy points per attempt (0.51), and as long as he’s throwing to DeAndre Hopkins (and Nate Washington, apparently), I will keep considering him as a streaming option.

Note: I will only include Hoyer’s performance in my streaming totals if Mariota is unable to start. I’d prefer Mariota to Hoyer if both are healthy.

Hoyer is available in 84 percent of leagues.