Week 3 Fantasy Football Streaming Options

The best quarterbacks, tight ends and defenses to stream in Week 3.

The Week 2 stream returned one worthy starter at every position. Joe Flacco dropped 17.84 fantasy points on the Bengals, Eric Ebron finished as the 11th-highest scoring tight end, and the Redskins defense ranked ninth on the week. With Week 3 upon us, does your squad need a boost in the quarterback, tight end or defense department? The stream is loaded with waiver-wire options capable ready for the job.

For streaming purposes, 4for4’s Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) is a metric we rely on heavily to determine weekly matchup strength. Since aFPA requires a minimum of three to four weeks of data to provide truly reliable results, streaming options in these early weeks will be selected based on a combination of predicted fantasy points allowed, projected usage and track record.

To provide actionable advice, candidates for streaming must have ownership rates of 40% or lower in leagues on two of Yahoo, CBS and ESPN.

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buccaneers vs. Steelers

The Fitzmagic appears to be real, or at least consistent through the first two games of the season. Fitzpatrick has thrown for more than 400 yards in both contests with nine total touchdowns. Pittsburgh’s defense has been gutted by the quarterback position so far in 2018, allowing Tyrod Taylor to post 23.58 fantasy points the first week, and Patrick Mahomes to trounce them for 38.84 points by in Week 2. Fitzpatrick makes a solid choice to pick up and stream this week, and he most likely won’t be eligible for the stream, ownership-wise, going forward.

Blake Bortles, Jaguars vs. Titans

Bortles is eighth in fantasy points among signal callers after throwing for a combined 553 yards and five touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season. He’s kept his interceptions in check with just two and seems to be jelling with the Jaguars’ new-look receiving corps. Jacksonville remains at home in Week 3, taking on a Tennessee defense that allowed Deshaun Watson to pass for 310 yards and two scores last week.

Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire

Andy Dalton, Bengals at Panthers

Dalton has put up 16.52 and 26.60 points the first two weeks of the season, making him the No. 9 quarterback thus far. He heads south on Sunday to face a Panthers’ defense that just allowed Matt Ryan to score four total touchdowns, two through the air and two more on the ground. A.J. Green is always going to do his thing, but Tyler Boyd and John Ross have both shown growth in the early going this year. Even on the road, this is another good spot for Dalton.

Tight Ends

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jaguars vs. Titans

With five targets in both of Jacksonville’s first two contests, Seferian-Jenkins is proving to be a consistent option the offense. The production doesn’t jump off the page, but the opportunity has been there, especially considering the low bar at the tight end position. This week, the 25-year-old faces a Titans’ defense that began 2018 as the 26th-ranked unit in tight end aFPA. The expected output for the Jaguars’ offense makes Seferian-Jenkins even more attractive this week.

Mark Andrews, Ravens vs. Broncos

Andrews broke into the top-13 in PPR points at his position for the second straight week, totaling 10.7, and his 14% target-per-snap rate led the Ravens’ trio of tight ends. Each Baltimore tight end is potentially an option for streaming purposes, but Andrews has made the most of his opportunities, leading the group in fantasy points. Week 3 brings a juicy matchup at home against a Denver team that has been sliced by the tight end position this season, with Will Dissly scoring 19.5 PPR points against the Broncos in Week 1 week, and Jared Cook notching 8.9 points in Week 2.

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Jake Butt, Broncos at Ravens

The former Michigan tight end has had a a bit of a coming out party in 2018 after missing his entire rookie season while recovering from a knee injury, catching six passes for 77 yards. He has 10 targets, making him the clear leader at the tight end position in Denver. The Broncos travel to Baltimore in Week 3 to face a Ravens’ defense that ended last season as the third-worst in tight end aFPA. In Week 4, the Broncos take on the Chiefs, a defense that has been ravaged by the pass generally and tight ends specifically, with Jesse James dropping 24.8 PPR points on it in Week 2. Butt can help you beyond this week.

Defenses

New York Jets at Browns

A surprise to most, the Jets lead the NFL in defensive fantasy points through the first two weeks of the season. Their four sacks, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown comes out to an impressive 35 fantasy points in just two games. The Jets head to Northeast Ohio this week to play a clearly improved, but still exploitable, Browns offense. The ownership rate is rising, but the Jets still qualify as a streamer for at least one more week.

Green Bay Packers at Redskins

The Redskins looked terrible in Week 2, scoring just nine points in a home loss to the Colts. The Packers have allowed 23 and 29 points in their two games, but they did an admirable job against a strong Minnesota offense in Week 2, and were done in partially by a dubious roughing the passer call. They’ve done a good job putting pressure on the quarterback, registering six sacks in their first two games.

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Miami Dolphins vs. Raiders

Another shocker at the defense position, Miami’s unit ranks fourth overall after the first two weeks of the season. They held the Titans and Jets to just 32 total points, racking up three sacks and forcing six turnovers, taking one of those back to the house. They get a plus-matchup at home against a Raiders team that has scored the fifth-fewest offensive points in the league through two games.