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.

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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 2 matchups on tap, or have breakout potential in Week 1, and are less than 40 percent rostered.

Quarterbacks

Teddy Bridgewater (CAR) vs ATL in Week 8
This’ll be a rematch of a game they played in Week 5 where Bridgewater completed 27-of-37 attempts for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Don’t think that it’s anything special that he did, as his 20.8 fantasy points were actually the fewest that the Falcons have allowed this year. The Bears quarterbacks were the only ones who averaged fewer than 8.5 yards per attempt against them, though they still combined for 28.8 fantasy points. This is the matchup you want with streamers.

Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) at SEA in Week 8
If you can’t get the quarterback who’s playing the Falcons, you go to the Seahawks next. Quarterbacks have averaged a ridiculous 47.8 pass attempts per game. That is by far the most in the NFL. In fact, they’ve already had their bye week, and they’ve still faced the most pass attempts (239) in the NFL. That’s led to them allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Sure, the 49ers are typically run-heavy but they’ll be without Raheem Mostert, and teams have thrown the ball 65.6 percent of the time against the Seahawks, which is the highest number in the league.

Last ditch option: Philip Rivers (IND) at DET

Running Backs

Frank Gore (NYJ) at KC in Week 8
Look, I’m not one typically advocating for fantasy managers to pick up Gore, but beggars can’t be choosers. He’s a starting running back who finished as the RB22 last week in a game he received 15 touches. That’s all you want in a streaming running back… touches. The Chiefs are also not a very good run defense, as they’ve allowed 4.68 yards per carry and 7.35 yards per reception. Gamescript will surely be a concern, but Gore also saw four targets last week, which helps his floor.

Nyheim Hines (IND) at DET in Week 8
Outside of that Week 2 debacle where he saw just one target, Hines has had a stable role in the Colts offense, finishing with 6-15 opportunities in every game, with most of them coming through the air, which are worth much more than carries.

Cam Akers (LAR) at MIA in Week 8
He’s been dropped in a lot of leagues, especially now that bye weeks are in full effect. If there’s a game where they could go to him a lot more, it’s this one. The Rams will be playing on Monday night, so if Darrell Henderson gets the bulk of work, Akers will be fresh. On top of that, the Dolphins are starting Tua Tagovailoa in his first NFL start against a stingy Rams defense. That should lead to a lot of rushing attempts for this Rams backfield. There’s risk here, sure, but there’s upside here against a team that’s allowed 5.06 yards per carry.

If they’re somehow available, grab now: Giovani Bernard, Jamaal Williams

Desperation option: Brian Hill (ATL) at CAR in Week 8

Pick him up as a stash: Tevin Coleman (SF)

Wide Receivers

Cole Beasley (BUF) vs NE in Week 8
The streamer’s delight! Beasley has now totaled at least 9.0 PPR points in 18-of-21 games since the start of the 2019 season. He’s seen at least six targets in 5-of-6 games this year, and it’s only a higher floor with John Brown‘s injury. The Patriots have struggled a bit with slot receivers, as we’ve watched Tyler Lockett post 7/67/1, Tyreek Hill 4/64/1, and Hunter Renfrow 6/84/1 against them. In two matchups against them last year, Beasley posted 7/75/0 in the first game, and then 7/108/0 in the second game.

Sammy Watkins/Demarcus Robinson (KC) vs NYJ in Week 8
We don’t know if Watkins will be back for this game, but whichever Chiefs receiver is in the lineup should be a great streaming option for Week 8 against the Jets. The Chiefs have Tyreek Hill running 60 percent of his routes in the slot, which will match him up with the Jets best cornerback, Brian Poole. He’ll still produce, but the perimeter wide receivers have a better matchups with Blessuan Austin, Pierre Desir, and Lamar Jackson. Those three have combined to allow 43-of-58 passing for 594 yards and seven touchdowns in their coverage.

Zach Pascal (IND) at DET in Week 8
He’s seen 17 targets over the three games without Michael Pittman, totaling at least 54 yards in 2-of-3 games. The Lions have really struggled to defend the slot this year, as evidenced by the finishing lines of these slot-heavy receivers: Keelan Cole 6/143/0, Emmanuel Sanders 6/93/0, and Anthony Miller 4/76/1. Receivers have averaged 22.2 targets per game against the Lions, which is plenty considering the Colts are top-heavy on the receiver front.

Boom-or-bust option: Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB) vs MIN in Week 8

Stick him on the end of your bench if you have room: Antonio Brown (eligible to return in Week 9)

Tight Ends

Irv Smith Jr. (MIN) at GB in Week 8
He’s now seen five targets in back-to-back games, but what you really need to know about is the trends in his playing time. His routes run have gone: 16, 17, 17, 12, 31, 28. It’s almost like a lightbulb went off and the Vikings started playing him more. His 59 routes in the last two weeks rank eighth among tight ends. It’s paid off, too, as he’s turned those 10 targets into eight receptions for 119 yards. The Packers have allowed a massive 10.04 yards per target to tight ends on the season, including a 77.8 percent completion-rate. In a game where the Vikings are likely to have 35-plus pass attempts, Smith should be a quality streamer (and maybe rest of season) option.

Trey Burton (IND) at DET in Week 8
Don’t look now, but Burton is being used eerily similar to the way Eric Ebron was used with the Colts. Since joining the starting lineup, he’s seen at least five targets in each game, and even got a goal-line carry last week. The Lions have been one of the better teams at defending tight ends, but it’s an extremely small sample size for a team that was slightly below average against them last year, in the same scheme. Targets are all you can ask for from a streamer that’s available in almost 80 percent of leagues.

DSTs

Tennessee Titans at CIN in Week 8
They haven’t been the most consistent defense to this point, but they have generated at least two sacks in three of their last four games, and will be going against a Bengals offensive line that’s allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked 24 times through six games. The Titans have generated pressure more than all but seven teams in the league but have generated a sack on just 3.57 percent of dropbacks, which ranks as the fifth-lowest number. These numbers will even out and playing against the Bengals offensive line should help.

Green Bay Packers vs MIN in Week 8
We’ve seen this matchup before, back in Week 1 when the Packers sacked Kirk Cousins twice, snagged a safety, and intercepted a pass. That’s been a common occurrence with them this year, as they’ve allowed at least two sacks in 5-of-6 games, including three games with three sacks. They’ve also turned the ball over at least twice in 4-of-6 games. I’d prefer the Titans defense but the Packers should be just fine.

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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.