How many times have you heard someone telling you to “stream” a position? Whether it be quarterback, tight end, or defense, the idea of streaming is great, provided you get the players you want off the waiver wire. The issue with streaming week-to-week is that everyone knows who you’ll be targeting in those good matchups and you might have that player swiped from underneath you, or even worse, your opponent that week may snag a player just to ensure you don’t get them.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup advice 
We started this article so you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Each Saturday morning, you’ll head over to your waiver wire and snag the players who are lined up for good matchups the following week. They may have a brutal matchup for that current week. Great, even better. That just means they’re more likely to be available for you. By snagging them a week prior, you eliminate the need to spend a lot of FAB dollars on the top tier defense that everyone is chasing. Here are the players who have solid Week 5 matchups on tap, or have breakout potential in Week 4, and are less than 40 percent rostered.
Quarterbacks
Teddy Bridgewater (CAR) at ATL in Week 5
Have you had a chance to see anyone play the Falcons defense? They’ve already allowed nine passing touchdowns on the season, including four to the Mitch Trubisky/Nick Foles duo last week. As a team, they’re allowing 36.0 points per game, and that’s led to a league-high 129.97 fantasy points per game to the combination of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Bridgewater should present a top-15 floor with top-six upside.
Kirk Cousins (MIN) at SEA in Week 5
The Vikings defense is bad enough to the point where their offense can’t move forward with a run-heavy attack. Playing against the Seahawks will not change that, as Russell Wilson is firing on all cylinders. Best of all? The Seahawks opponents are averaging a league-high 75.7 plays per game, which is due to the fact that their offense isn’t draining the clock with the run, but rather sticking points down their opponent’s throat. That’s also why the Seahawks defense (that’s not pressuring anyone) has allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Solid alternatives: Daniel Jones (NYG) at DAL, Gardner Minshew (JAX) at HOU
Running Backs
Brian Hill (ATL) vs CAR in Week 5
Watching the Falcons, you wouldn’t be able to tell which one is the better running back – Todd Gurley or Hill? It’s possible the answer is Hill and the Falcons are starting to wonder themselves after the opportunity count in Week 3 was Gurley 16, Hill 12. Against the Panthers, it’s possible that both have fantasy appeal. Running backs have averaged 33.7 touches against the Panthers through three games, and that’s included 345 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
Duke Johnson (HOU) vs JAX in Week 5
Many have forgotten about Johnson after his hamstring injury, but he totaled six opportunities on 14 snaps in the first game before getting hurt. While David Johnson is clearly the lead back, they want Johnson involved. The Jaguars have faced an average of 32.3 touches per game to running backs, which leaves more than enough for two running backs to get over 10 touches or so. The Jaguars have played fairly well against the run but have allowed a robust 7.13 yards per target to running backs, which is where Johnson does most of his damage.
Should be rostered in all leagues: Tony Pollard (DAL) vs NYG
Wide Receivers
Golden Tate (NYG) at DAL in Week 5
The Giants are hurting for playmakers, which is leading to a lot of targets for a player like Tate, who may not have the explosion he used to, but he does offer a steady option over the middle of the field. He saw seven targets in the first game without both Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley, which was a 21.9 percent target share. Against the Cowboys who’ve already allowed four 100-yard receivers, he should offer a very stable floor for those streaming the receiver position.
Curtis Samuel (CAR) at ATL in Week 5
If there’s one thing we know, it’s that teams are going to attempt to throw the football against the Falcons. Wide receivers have been targeted 72 times through three games, or 24.0 times per game. Samuel is clearly the No. 3 option in this offense, but he’s also receiving a bigger role in the backfield with Christian McCaffrey out of the lineup, totaling four carries each of the last two weeks, and raising his fantasy floor. Playing in the dome at Atlanta should only help the speed of someone like Samuel.
Greg Ward (PHI) at PIT in Week 5
What you look for in streaming wide receivers are those who are on the field running a lot of routes and getting targets. After hearing that Ward was the only healthy receiver at practice for a day this week, he’s going to be out there. He’s also coming off a game where he tallied 8/72/1 on 11 targets. The Steelers are not a great matchup for receivers, but those who play in the slot (where Ward does) have it easier. We watched slot-heavy receivers Randall Cobb and Jerry Jeudy each catch four balls against them and turn in top-45 performances. With so many injuries, we should see plenty of targets peppered to Ward.
Decent alternatives: Laviska Shenault (JAX) at HOU, Cole Beasley (BUF) at TEN, Hunter Renfrow (LV) at KC, Christian Kirk (ARI) at NYJ
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron (PIT) vs PHI in Week 5
He popped back on the fantasy radar last week when he tallied five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. He’s been running more routes than I expected him to and it was only a matter of time before they got him more targets. With Diontae Johnson likely to see Darius Slay and JuJu Smith-Schuster set to see Nickell Robey-Coleman, this could be another big opportunity for Ebron against an Eagles secondary that’s allowed 2.95 PPR points per target to tight ends, which is the most in the NFL.
Jordan Akins (HOU) vs JAX in Week 5
It’s been an up-and-down year for Akins to this point, as he scored a touchdown in Week 1, then saw seven targets in Week 2, but then fell back down to just three targets in Week 3. He’s averaged a rock-solid 10.2 yards per target this year, which ranks fourth among tight ends with at least 10 targets. The Jaguars have been worse, allowing a league-high 11.58 yards per target to tight ends on the season. This is really nothing new as they allowed the fifth-most yards per target to tight ends last year. Akins needs the targets but hearing that Will Fuller is dealing with a new hamstring injury should amount to something.
Last ditch options: Drew Sample (CIN) at BAL, Mo Alie-Cox (IND) at CLE
D/ST
Arizona Cardinals at NYJ in Week 5
The Cardinals defense has been solid through three weeks, ranking as the No. 13 defense in fantasy scoring. They’ve manage to rack up 11 sacks, which ranks as the fifth-most in the league, while the Jets have now allowed Sam Darnold to be sacked 12 times, including six against a Broncos defense that is missing three of their best players on the defensive side of the ball. There is no team in the league you’d rather have your defense going against than the Adam Gase-led Jets.
Dallas Cowboys vs NYG in Week 5
Through three games, the Giants have only scored 38 points. That was one point in front of the Jets coming into Week 4. On top of that, they’ve allowed nine sacks and four interceptions through those games. Losing Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard surely didn’t help. The Cowboys will be at home as a big favorite, which typically bodes well for a streaming defense. They haven’t been particularly good under Mike Nolan, but the Giants have been even worse under Jason Garrett.
Decent alternate option: Houston Texans vs JAX
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
