Written by: Alexander Amir
***All of these players are owned in less than 35% of leagues. Their ownership percentage is noted***
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (30.2% own)
Don’t look now, but Prescott is starting to revert back to his 2017 form. In three of the past four weeks Prescott has topped 20 fantasy points, thanks to a rushing touchdown in each of those games. The presence of Amari Cooper has given Dak at least some presence on the outside, opening up the field. He has a sugary-sweet matchup against Atlanta this week, and he’s a good bet to top 20 points once again.
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (15.5% own)
After an offseason of high expectations, Mariota has finally shown some life. He has over 220 yards and 2 TDs in his past two games and is building a rapport with top receiver Corey Davis. Mariota likely won’t ever put up huge numbers thanks to Tennessee’s smothering defense, which keeps games close, but he plays a must-win game against the Colts this week. Indy has the 19th-ranked fantasy defense against QBs, which means Mariota should get you solid numbers.
Running Backs
Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks (13.1% own)
Seattle’s backfield has been muddled all season, but an injury to Chris Carson has paved the way for Rashaad Penny to show his skills. And boy oh boy, he did, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. That’s 9 yards per carry! Carson will probably return this week, but we’ve seen all season that Pete Carroll has been willing to go with the hot-hand. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend starting Penny this week, but if the situation plays out right you could have a nice flex play entering the fantasy playoffs.
Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions (19.5% own)
Now that Golden Tate is gone from Detroit, Riddick has started to fill his role as an underneath possession receiver. With 13 receptions in the past two games Riddick should only be considered in PPR leagues, but he will be a relatively steady flex play going forward. His ceiling is very low thanks to the presence of Kerryon Johnson, but you could count on Riddick for around 10-12 points per week.
Wide Receiver
Adam Humphries, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27.8% own)
Humphries has quietly been a productive fantasy receiver in a high octane Bucs offense. Even though the team only scored 3 points last week they still put up almost 400 yards passing. The team has supported 3-4 relevant fantasy receivers on a weekly basis, and Humphries has somewhat of a hot hand right now. He faces the Giants this week, who lack cornerbacks aside from Janoris Jenkins, and has favorable matchups against the 49ers, Saints, Panthers, and Falcons going forward.
Anthony Miller, Chicago Bears (13.4% own)
The #2 target on the Bears has been successful all season. It was Trey Burton at the beginning of the year, then Taylor Gabriel, and now Anthony Miller is trending towards claiming that role. He has 13 receptions for 208 yards and 2 TDs in the past three games. While he has a tough matchup this week against the Vikings, he has favorable matchups going forward. Let him ride the bench this week and see if he continues to trend in the right direction. If he does, plug him into your lineups.
Tight End
Ricky-Seals Jones, Arizona Cardinals (13.8% own)
The tight end position has been a mess this year, and if you need a streamer you really just have to look at the matchup. Ricky has shown that he can have solid performances even without scoring a touchdown, which is a plus when looking for streamers. He’s coming off a good game against a weak tight end defense in the Chiefs, and this week he plays another — the Raiders are 27th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.
Defense/Special Teams
Arizona Cardinals (15.7% own)
Picking a fantasy defense is all about the matchup. The Raiders are the 6th most favorable defensive matchup in fantasy, and defenses have scored double digit points on them 5 times this season (including twice in the past two weeks). The Arizona defense actually looked respectable last week against the scorching Chiefs offense, and is in fact the 11th best fantasy defense. Stream away.