The vibes between Week 7 and Week 8 could not be more different. Last week, we were dealing with a ton of injuries and six bye weeks. It was the apocalypse. This week, everyone is still hurt, but nobody is on bye, and there are a ton of great matchups. Week 7 took its toll on the steaming crowd, but we all have bad weeks. While every team is active in Week 8, you all did a great job making the right waiver claims. This week, many of the best picks were rostered above my 50% threshold. Thankfully, there are still some great options at QB, TE, and Defense for my streaming picks from our Week 8 rankings. Let’s get into it.
A Quick Note: You will notice that I do not cover Kicker streams. We leave that to the experts, so check out Linda’s rankings.
Accountability
To put it bluntly, last week was my worst week of the season. My QB underperformed, my TE got hurt, and my DEF was average. They all combined for just 25 fantasy points, which is what I’d typically expect from my QB alone. We had some decent picks, just not the three I put at the top of my list. On the season, my Stream of the Week is averaging 18 fantasy points at QB, just 6 at TE, and an insane 14 points per game at DEF. My best picks total out to be the QB3, TE2, and DEF1. It’s still a good year, just a bad week.
| Last Week SOTW | Last Week Best Pick | SOTW Season Avg | Best Pick Season Avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 14 fantasy points | 32 fantasy points | 17 fantasy points | 26 fantasy points |
| Rank | QB17 | QB5 | QB16 | QB2 |
| TE | 21 fantasy points | 21 fantasy points | 11 fantasy points | 16 fantasy points |
| Rank | TE1 | TE1 | TE7 | TE1 |
| DEF | 0 fantasy points | 16 fantasy points | 12 fantasy points | 16 fantasy points |
| Rank | DEF29 | DEF2 | DEF2 | DEF1 |
Note: Best Pick is the one of my five picks that scores the most points each week. I might not have called them Stream of the Week, but hopefully, you did!
Week 8 Streams of the Week
Reminder: All picks were available in over 50% of ESPN leagues after waivers had run on Wednesday.
Quarterback
Stream of the Week – Matthew Stafford @ DAL
If you just focus on the matchup, this does not bode well for Stafford. Dallas gives up the 5th-fewest points to QBs on the year. However, their competition has been pretty sub-par this season. They faced Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Josh Dobbs, and Mac Jones in the first four games. Of course, they weren’t allowing many points. Over the last two games, Brock Purdy scored 34, and Justin Herbert scored 22 on them. Stafford is much closer to the second group than the first. While he’s just the QB17 on the season, he averages 18 fantasy points per game since Cooper Kupp’s return. This could be a high-scoring game, and Stafford should approach 20 fantasy points as a floor.
Other Options
- Desmond Ridder @ TEN
- Sam Howell vs. PHI
- Gardner Minshew vs. NO
- Derek Carr @ IND
Tight Ends
Stream of the Week – Jake Ferguson vs. LAR
There is one statistical anomaly I like to look for when picking my Stream of the Week tight end. When a team is good against the WR but bad against the tight end, it creates a funnel opportunity. The Rams give up the 4th-fewest points to WRs but the 9th-most to tight ends. This should play well for Ferguson. He’s already averaging five targets per game but could be more involved coming out of the Dallas bye, especially facing a defense that tight ends can beat. Over their last four games, four tight ends have scored 10 or more fantasy points against the Rams, and Dallas Goedert was the overall TE2 against them in Week 5.
Other Options
- Dalton Kincaid vs. TB (Thurs)
- Hayden Hurst vs. HOU
- Hunter Henry @ MIA (if he’s Out, pivot to Mike Gesicki)
- Michael Mayer @ DET
DEF/ST
Stream of the Week – Jacksonville Jaguars @ PIT
I don’t love picking the same team in back-to-back weeks, but as I mentioned earlier, fantasy managers did a great job on waivers this week. Of the teams available in 50% or more leagues, I like the Jags the best. If you picked them up last week, you don’t have much work to do. They did finish in the top 10 last week in what was a pretty average game, saved by a defensive TD. Overall, they are the DEF5 on the year and should play well against a mediocre Steelers’ offense. Pittsburgh allows about seven fantasy points per game and has allowed multiple sacks in each of their last three games. If Jacksonville can keep the WRs in check, they should have no issue hitting their season average of nine fantasy points yet again.
Other Options
- Lions vs. LV
- Seahawks vs. CLE
- Chargers vs. CHI
- Texans @ CAR
Be sure you’re following Ryan on Twitter! Also, you can find Club Fantasy’s Week 8 rankings here and the rest of our Week 8 content here!