Based on feedback from Fantasy Alarm Members, we have decided to consolidate the waiver wire articles a bit. We’re still going to have the main article that covers the top adds at every position. That one is free for the masses and can be found here.  Then we are taking the two premium articles from last year, with the deep cut streamers and stashes, and combining them into one article for easier access. That is this article here!

Best Fantasy Football Streamers and Stashes For Week 1

What is a Streamer?

A streamer is a player that you can actually start in your lineup currently. They might not be the flashiest players, but they won’t get you a zero. In deeper leagues with a lot of starting spots, you may need to call on them from time to time - especially when bye weeks and injuries come around.

What is a Stash?

The stashes are players that have appealing upside for one reason or another, but aren’t reliable guys you can start now. Maybe they are injured, and you can put them in an IR spot. Maybe they are handcuffs that could have big upside if the starter gets hurt. Maybe they are rookies who need time to develop and carve out a role. Whatever it is, we want to keep an eye on them. And stash them on deep benches. 

NFL Week 1 Quarterback Streamers

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins, Yahoo: 25%| ESPN: 32% | Sleeper: 29%

We are concerned about the ability of this team to hold up health-wise. And that includes Tua himself. But, for Week One, everyone is expected to be out there besides Jaylen Wright. This matchup with the Colts has a 47.5 point over under so we could see a shootout here. And Tua could be a decent spot start. 

Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams Yahoo: 27%| ESPN: 33% | Sleeper: 30%

A similar situation with health. But he’s expected to go in Week One. So we will worry about the down the road. The Rams are favored to win this one at home, and Stafford had Puka Nacua and Davante Adams to throw to. It could be the start of something special. 

NFL Week 1 Quarterback Stashes

Michael Penix Jr, QB, Atlanta Falcons Yahoo: 33%| ESPN: 20% | Sleeper: 37%

There are high expectations for Penix. And we like most of the quarterbacks from his class, so it might be a good quarterback year. He’s getting back Darnell Mooney at the right time to go along with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. He’s more of a watch list guy, but we are watching closely. 

Cam Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans Yahoo: 26%| ESPN: 26% | Sleeper: 51%

We really don’t want to start a rookie quarterback in Week One against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. That sounds pretty bad. But you never quite know what you are getting with rookie QBs. We’ve seen guys hit the ground running right away and provide fantasy value. So Cam Ward is a guy to have your eye on.

 

 

 

NFL Week 1 Running Back Streamers

Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns, Yahoo: 47%| ESPN: 70% | Sleeper: 56%

Quinshon Judkins is nowhere to be found. Dylan Sampson is rostered in a ton of leagues, but we don’t know how the work will be split up. Against a fairly soft Bengals defense, you could do worse than taking a flyer on Jerome Ford. 

Justice Hill RB, Baltimore Ravens, Yahoo: 3%| ESPN: 15% | Sleeper: 12%

Folks might be shocked to see how much Justice Hill actually plays in his pass-down role. He actually played more snaps than Derrick Henry in a number of games and was hovering around 40-50% in a lot of games where healthy. When the Ravens have tough games, especially in a losing game script, he plays a lot of pass downs. They get the Bills this week and he caught six of six targets vs them last year. 

NFL Week 1 Running Back Stashes

Will Shipley RB, Philadelphia Eagles, Yahoo: 12%| ESPN: 18% | Sleeper: 18%

This one makes a lot of sense, especially if you play on Yahoo or Sleeper, where you can drop guys after they play. The Eagles and Cowboys play the first game of the year. If something happens to Saquon Barkley, Shipley could be a huge hit for fantasy. He’s much more of a handcuff than a guy you can use, but he’s a good insurance policy to have. 

DJ Giddens RB, Indianapolis Colts, Yahoo: 3%| ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 11%

This is a handcuff that I think is flying under the radar for a lot of folks. He pretty quickly surpassed everyone on the depth chart to be the RB2. And we’ve seen guys like Zack Moss produce behind guys like Bernhard Raimann and Quenton Nelson. If anything happens to Jonathan Taylor, Giddens could pop off.

 

 

 

NFL Week 1 Wide Receiver Streamers

Adam Thielen - Minnesota Vikings, Yahoo: 27%| ESPN: 44% | Sleeper: 50%

The Vikings traded for Adam Thielen for a reason. First, Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending injury. Then Jaen Nailor got banged up. Then the Jordan Addison suspension came down. Thielen might not be great as a season-long player, but he’ll likely be involved for these first three weeks. 

Cedric Tillman - Cleveland Browns, Yahoo: 24%| ESPN: 41% | Sleeper: 33%

Tillman’s biggest threat this offseason was Diontae Johnson. And Johnson was released last week. So now it’s Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman as the top two wide receivers for the Browns. Not every week will be set up like this one, but it could be a shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Flacco might not be able to hold onto the job all season, but while he’s the starter, Tillman is kind of interesting. 

NFL Week 1 Wide Receiver Stashes

Luther Burden - Chicago Bears, Yahoo: 24%| ESPN: 19% | Sleeper: 52%

I was surprised to see Burden available on some platforms. But perhaps I just have Best Ball/dynasty brain. We really have no idea how Ben Johnson wants to divvy up the targets in his new scheme. Maybe they just drafted Burden because they love him. Rookies can take a while to carve out roles, though, so he’s more of a bench stash than a guy you want to start. 

Kyle Williams - New England Patriots, Yahoo: 11%| ESPN: 7% | Sleeper: 29%

Same game here, really. Kyle Williams might not have a starting job yet. And a concussion in camp did not help. But, outside of Stefon Diggs, he doesn’t really have insurmountable competition. Guys like Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas don’t have the ceiling that the rookie has. So we’re putting him on the watch list. 

 

 

 

NFL Week 1 Tight End Streamers

Jonnu Smith - New York Jets Yahoo: 33%| ESPN: 23% | Sleeper: 58%

As we discussed in the main article, Hunter Henry is our top streamer. But he’s been drafted in a lot of leagues. We might not know exactly what the Steelers plan to do, but they really don’t have a lot of weapons. Jonnu Smith is familiar with Arthur Smith’s scheme and should be involved right from the jump. You could do worse than an athletic guy like Smith. 

Brenton Strange - Jacksonville Jaguars, Yahoo: 22%| ESPN: 18% | Sleeper: 28%

Strange will probably end up the third fiddle at some point behind Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter. But rookies can start slow, so Strange might be more involved than Hunter early on - especially if he’s playing defense too. The Jags start the season with a home game against the Carolina Panthers, so conditions are pretty good here. 

NFL Week 1 Tight End Stashes

Ja’Tavion Sanders - Carolina Panthers Yahoo: 2%| ESPN: 1% | Sleeper: 9%

Our Yin and Yang tight end chart is in the main article, letting you know exactly how to prioritize the position. In deeper leagues, consider stashing Ja’Tavion Sanders, who just got a boost in the potential target order. Not only did the Panthers trade Adam Thielen, but they also put Jalen Coker on IR, where he will miss the first four games. Our biggest challenge is with snaps for Tommy Tremble. 

Darren Waller - Miami Dolphins Yahoo: 12%| ESPN: 22% | Sleeper: 19%

I know, I know. But hear me out. The Dolphins ditched Jonnu Smith after a great season and went with Darren Waller because they believe in him. There could still be some juice in the tank. And the conditions that created Jonnu Smith are still there - one injury to Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle is all it takes. We can’t ignore that possibility.Â