Streaming Quarterbacks: Week 5 Fantasy Football Targets

Oct 03, 2017

Steve Andress

A QB streamer stood above them all in Week 4. DeShaun Watson’s 283 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, one interception, 24 rushing yards, and one rushing score equaled 33.7 fantasy points and overall QB1 status. He was one of our QB streamer picks last week, as was Jared Goff and his 18.1 points, an amount that the QB10 would average so far this season.

Those two weren’t the only QBs not drafted or dropped to play well in Week 4 with Eli Manning (27.7 points, QB4) and Alex Smith (27.3 points, QB6) rewarding those that kept the faith.

Week 4 was a microcosm of the status of fantasy football quarterbacks. ELEVEN scored at least 20 points. Three more scored 18+. By comparison, only eight quarterbacks averaged 18+ points per week last season. Scoring has picked up after a slow first couple of weeks.

Our best streamer picks this season have averaged 24.35 fantasy points per week (Bradford, Smith, Kizer, Watson from Week 1-4). Multiplied by four weeks, and that is a point total higher than Tom Brady, the current QB1.

What does Week 5 hold? Hopefully more of the same, if you are streaming the position.

Our standard for this exercise will always be to select only quarterbacks owned in fewer than 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues. We will use that standard as not to be accused of stretching the definition of “streamer” (plus, we like a challenge). It will also allow for similar potential on other sites.

We’ll focus on factors such as QB points per game, the opponent’s schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks (aFPA), and the Vegas implied team totals.

Here are your QB streaming candidates for Week 5:

DeShaun Watson (HOU) vs. KC

The Chiefs come off a short week and go on the road to Houston. In three full games as the starting quarterback, Watson is averaging a whopping 23.8 fantasy points per game. He’s also averaging 44 rushing yards per game, helping raise his floor each week. Kansas City has allowed 20+ points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks in half of their games this season to Carson Wentz and Kirk Cousins. Houston also opens with an implied total more than 23 points, among the top-10 for Week 5. It is not an easy match-up, as Kansas City is one of the best defenses in our aFPA vs. fantasy QBs, but Watson’s play has been too good not to consider him again in this spot.

Watson is still owned in just 35% of Yahoo! leagues.

Continue reading for two more quarterback streaming options...