Every week this season, Fantasy In Frames is going to help you stream quarterbacks and tight ends by going over which ones have some of the most favorable matchups each week.
“A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure. It offers a necessity of life that must be rationed among those who have power over it.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
A river is close enough to a stream for us. There have been treasures streaming quarterbacks this season and there is more gold again this week. Tight ends may be fool’s gold again this week, but we will keep digging until we strike it big! Each week we are gaining more information and developing trends, which allows us to better suggestions. If you are 0-3 do not give up! There is plenty of time to turn your season around, but you need to be active on the waiver wire to tinker with your roster. Stream QBs and TEs to take advantage of positive matchups to maximize your potential points each week.
Quarterbacks to Stream – Week 4
Kirk Cousins (vs CLE) – 44.2% rostered in ESPN:
Kirk Cousins delivers a ridiculous throw under pressure. #SKOL
— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2021
📺: #SEAvsMIN on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/AM6xnjalCW
We are talking about Kirk Cousins AGAIN this season because he keeps putting up great numbers and is rostered in less than 50% of leagues. Cousins is the QB6 through 3 weeks, and is 4th in the league with 8th passing touchdowns! He has been hot with passing TDs with a TD rate of 6.72% this season, but his career TD rate is 5.24% so regression could be coming soon. However, we should keep riding the wave until it crashes. Cousins has been more accurate this season too with a 73.9% pass completion % (career 66.5%), which is 4th best in the NFL. The biggest concern with Cousins this week is his offensive line against the Cleveland Browns defensive line. The Vikings have sustained a few injuries on the offensive line, which has forced them to start Rashod Hill at left tackle. Hill is graded the 72nd out of 74 tackles, by PFF, and he will be matched up against All-Pro defensive end, Myles Garrett. The Browns’ secondary is beatable, and Cousins should have another QB1 game this week.
Sam Darnold (@ DAL) – 15.1% rostered in ESPN:
Before the season and after Week 1, we thought the Dallas Cowboys had a terrible defense. However, the last two weeks they have been solid and disruptive. This is not a cakewalk matchup for Sam Darnold, like most expected when the schedule was released. Darnold is a QB1 through three weeks as the QB12, and is 3rd in the NFL in deep-ball completion % at 50%! Christian McCaffery will be out this week, but Darnold still has great WRs to throw too and Chuba Hubbard will be competent as a pass-catching RB. The Carolina Panthers have not played a snap while losing yet through three games, but I expect that streak to end against the high-octane Cowboys. Darnold carries more risk streaming than Kirk Cousins, but Darnold can score enough this week to help your team with more expected pass attempts.
Taylor Heinicke (@ ATL) – 6% rostered in ESPN:
Taylor Heinicke is not a flashy name, but he has looked solid in his first two starts this season and has the best matchup for QBs against the Atlanta Falcons. Heinicke has a solid TD rate of 5.9% (11th in NFL). He should not be pressured too much against the Falcons, but he is 3rd best in the NFL in pressured completion % at 61.5%. He has also been good in the redzone with a 75% completion % (10th in NFL). Heinicke is a streamer for deeper leagues, but he is a quintessential example of taking advantage of matchups when you stream.
Honorable Mentions: Justin Fields (vs DET) 45.4%and Daniel Jones (@ NO) 40.4%
Tight Ends to Stream – Week 4
Evan Engram (@ NO) – 32.4% rostered in ESPN:
Evan Engram came back from injury last week, and was not great as the TE39 and had a fumble. However, he was T-10th amongst TEs for targets in Week 3 with 6 targets. That was a respectable 17.1% target share and 2nd most on the team! The biggest pro for Engram is his opportunity. Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were both injured and there is a high chance they miss Week 4, and Kenny Golladay does not appear to be 100% healthy yet. The New Orleans Saints are not an easy matchup, but Engram could see double-digit targets, and opportunity is the best metric to chase when streaming tight ends.
Dawson Knox (vs HOU) – 11.5% rostered in ESPN:
Dawson Knox has now scored a touchdown two weeks in a row. He is the TE8 on the season after two good weeks, and he has a solid 10.7 yards per reception. You should not chase touchdowns when streaming tight ends because you will rarely catch them. However, Knox is part of a great passing offense, so he has a better chance to score a touchdown compared to other tight ends on the waiver wire. Finally, he is playing against the Houston Texans this week. The Bills have the highest expected score for Week 4 (32), so Knox is worth taking the shot on with a decent chance of scoring a TD for the third week in a row.
Dalton Schultz (vs CAR) – 10.5% rostered in ESPN:
Dalton Schultz with his second TD of the game!
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 28, 2021
📺: #PHIvsDAL on ESPNpic.twitter.com/UB6e76YjJi
Guess who the TE1 was in Week 3…ding ding ding…Dalton Schultz! Schultz has a 69.8% snap share for the season compared to Blake Jarwin being at 54.1%. Schultz is out-targeting Jarwin 15 to 10 (7 to 2 in Week 3) too. Week 3 may have been Schultz’s best game of the season, but his opportunities on a top-5 offense are valuable and should not be discounted. It is not ideal that Jarwin is snaps and targets, but Schultz is trending in the right direction for being the clear TE1 for the Dallas Cowboys. The Carolina Panthers have played well defensively this season, but they are not expected to slow down the Cowboys’ offense this week.
