Since Alex Gelhar already masterfully identified some of the top waiver wire targets ahead of Week 11, Matt Harmon examined top deep league adds in his deep dive, and Marcas Grant supplied you with some players that can safely be dropped, it's my job to provide some streaming candidates at quarterback, tight end and defense for the upcoming slate of games. Keep in mind, most of these players/teams are bottom-of-the-barrel targets for deep leagues, and I'm not saying they're going to be top scorers at their position, but they should do enough to keep your team competitive in Week 11 if you need some assistance. So, let's get to it.
**Ownership percentage data from NFL.com fantasy leagues. *
QUARTERBACKS
Jay Cutler vs Buccaneers | 4.7 percent owned: In Week 9, Jay Cutler carved up the Raiders secondary to the tune of 311 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't as productive on Monday night against the Panthers but still managed to throw for 213 yards and two touchdowns and finished the week with more fantasy points than guys like Drew Brees and Dak Prescott. Cutler's favorable matchup against Tampa Bay in Week 11 provides another opportunity for streamable fantasy production. With a new two-man backfield consisting of Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake, the healthy return of DeVante Parker and the presence of Jarvis Landry, Cutler has many options to target in the passing game (Julius Thomas is around, too). We saw him use this to his advantage in both Week 9 and Week 10, spreading the ball around with some success. There's a good chance he can do it again versus a Bucs defense that has allowed the fourth-most passing yards to quarterbacks this year.
Ryan Fitzpatrick at Dolphins | 12 percent owned: With Jameis Winston still sideline with a shoulder injury, the Buccaneers confirmed Monday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start again under center in Week 12 against Miami. Fitzpatrick was without his top receiver in Week 10, but Mike Evans will be back on the field against the Dolphins. That should boost Fitzpatrick's outlook for fantasy purposes and at least give him a big body to target in the end zone. The Buccaneers have had trouble running the ball with the backfield averaging just 61.4 rush yards per game since Week 6, so they should attack the Dolphins through the air since the defense is allowing an average of 221 pass yards per game to opponents. Miami is also one of just four teams allowing a passer rating of over 100 this season and was most recently shredded by Cam Newton, who threw four touchdown passes against them in Week 10.
Blake Bortles at Browns | 16.6 percent owned: Even with Leonard Fournette back on the field in Week 10, Blake Bortles attempted a season-high 51 passes. While Bortles did throw two picks in the game, he still finished with 16 fantasy points, marking his third straight game with that total. He has averaged 287 pass yards over his last three games and until Sunday, he had been playing well in Weeks 6 through 9 with a 3-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio and a 97.6 passer rating. He should produce serviceable fantasy numbers in a favorable matchup against a Browns defense that has allowed the second-most touchdown passes to quarterbacks this year (19) and only has six interceptions on the season.
Eli Manning vs Chiefs | 26 percent owned: Over his last three games, Eli Manning is averaging 37 pass attempts per game. And in each of his last two contests, which have been somewhat favorable matchups against the Rams and 49ers, Manning has managed at least 220 pass yards and thrown two touchdown passes with just one interception. Manning has predictably struggled since Odell Beckham Jr. was lost to injury in Week 5, but he's posted 12.8 and 16.92 fantasy points in his last two outings, respectively. The Chiefs have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season, so it's another favorable matchup for Manning and his depleted receiving corps that basically funnels through Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram. And if the Chiefs put up points against a struggling Giants defense, that just means more time for garbage points from Manning.
Joe Flacco at Packers | 4.5 percent owned: No, Joe Flacco is not an inspiring name to stream at quarterback, but a matchup against the Packers could mean opportunity for him to produce for fantasy owners. Flacco has struggled this season, but in Week 9 before the Ravens bye, he collected 261 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans for 15.14 fantasy points. It did take him 52 pass attempts to get there. Still, the Packers have allowed 931 pass yards to opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks, and that includes a bye. So that's over 300 pass yards per game allowed. With the potential return of Danny Woodhead, we could see a different, more efficient version of Baltimore's offense than what we've grown used to this season.
TIGHT ENDS:
Vernon Davis at Saints | 26.3 percent owned: In the last two games without Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis leads the Redskins in targets (20), receptions (11) and receiving yards (148). He saw 11 targets against the Vikings last week and receiving an end zone target that was defended well, but Davis nearly hauled it in. Dating back to Week 3, Davis leads Washington in receiving with 447 yards, and that includes games in which Reed played, albeit in a limited capacity. He's locked into a high-volume role with inconsistency in Washington's receiving corps and is a solid option once again in New Orleans.
Tyler Kroft at Broncos | 14.1 percent owned: Once again, Tyler Kroft played 100 percent of the Bengals offensive snaps in Week 10. The dude literally didn't come off the field. He only had one reception but saw six targets for the second time in his last three games. The target volume is encouraging despite the single reception, and if there is one place the Broncos defense is vulnerable it's to opposing tight ends. Denver is allowing the most yards to the position (746) and tight ends have been targeted 17 times against the Broncos, the highest mark in the league. If Kroft can see another four to seven targets, he should rebound nicely in Week 11.
Marcedes Lewis at Browns | 3.5 percent owned: The Browns have trouble stopping tight ends from scoring. Cleveland has allowed touchdowns to tight ends the likes of Jesse James (two), Benjamin Watson, Tyler Kroft (two), Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Kyle Rudolph, Eric Ebron and a two-point conversion to Ryan Griffin. They're allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the position this year, so Marcedes Lewis, who has 11 targets over the last two weeks and four touchdowns this season (T-3rd most), is a streaming option.
Jermaine Gresham at Texans | 0.6 percent owned: Pending Drew Stanton's health, Jermaine Gresham is a deep streaming option against the Texans in Week 11. In the two games that Stanton has started for Arizona, Gresham has collected 10 targets, seven receptions, 87 yards and two touchdowns. Stanton suffered a knee injury last Thursday night, so there's a chance he's not healthy enough to play Sunday, but if he does, Gresham seems to be his security blanket.
Austin Hooper at Seahawks | 21.7 percent owned: The Falcons' tight end has seen six targets in each of his last three games and has scored in two of those three contests. Austin Hooper is currently the TE7 in standard scoring, which is lunacy, but hey, that's the world we live in. The Seahawks gave up a touchdown to Jermaine Gresham last week, so who's to say Hooper can't keep rolling in Seattle next Monday night?
DEFENSES (D/STs)
Detroit Lions D/ST at Bears | 50.9 percent owned: For the first month of the season, Detroit's defense was the best in fantasy football posting double-digit points in each of their first four games. Since then, the unit has been inconsistent, but they predictably collected 14 fantasy points against the Browns in Week 10 on the heels of four sacks, an interception and scoop-and-score fumble recovery by Nevin Lawson on a 44-yard scamper. Next on the docket is a one-dimensional Bears offense that will likely try to load up Jordan Howard with carries and hope for the best. Mitchell Trubisky was sacked five times in Week 10 against the Packers and was averaging 128 pass yards per game before Sunday. The rookie quarterback did throw for 297 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay, but Detroit should be able to limit his production in Week 11.
New Orleans Saints D/ST vs Redskins | 29.1 percent owned: In Week 10, the Saints allowed just 198 total yards of offense to the Bills, marking New Orleans second game this year in which they've limited an opponent to under 200 yards. During the Saints current seven-game win streak, the defense has allowed just 14.3 points per game and 255.1 total yards including 148 pass yards per game. The unit has limited opposing quarterbacks to just three touchdowns and has collected 10 picks over the seven-game stretch. With Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara helping to dominate time of possession, the Saints defense can stay fresh and wreak havoc on opponents. Expect more of the same against the Redskins in Week 11.
Atlanta Falcons D/ST at Seahawks | 25.3 percent owned: The Falcons took advantage of an injury to Tyron Smith that made Dallas' offensive line a weakness in Week 10. Atlanta racked up eight sacks on Dak Prescott and allowed just one touchdown and a 3.95 yards per play average to the Cowboys. There's reason to believe that if Atlanta was able to take care of a weakness in Dallas' offensive line, they should be able to attack Seattle's abysmal line in a similar fashion. The game is in Seattle, and Russell Wilson is a magician at escaping pressure, but we're talking about streamers here, folks.
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