The 2022 NFL season is only heading into Week 2, and fantasy football managers already need to look for streaming options on the waiver wire.
Whether managers need to replace a quarterback like Dak Prescott, who is expected to miss at least a month, or whether they need to find a new tight end, embracing the stream life may be the only viable option.
In order to qualify as a streamer, a player must be available in more than 40% of ESPN leagues at the time of writing. Each week, we will focus on the quarterback, tight end, defense/special teams, and kicker positions.
For each position, I’ll give a “stream of the week” indicating the priority streamer along with an additional two options. Don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter with any questions or thoughts on the process (@KevinHickey11).
After taking a look at the top waiver wire targets for the week, here are the top streaming options in fantasy football for Week 2.
12
PK Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons
Roster Availability: 82%
Week 2 Opponent: at Los Angeles Rams
Though I’m not bullish on the Falcons offense posting numbers against the Rams as they did in Week 1 vs. the New Orleans Saints, Koo is still one of the best options out there. He has the range to make long kicks and has been consistent since entering the league. As long as Marcus Mariota doesn’t commit too many turnovers, Koo will have his chances.
11
Cincinnati Bengals D/ST
Roster Availability: 60.5%
Week 2 Opponent: at Dallas Cowboys
The Bengals defense certainly showed some question marks in the opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there were at least flashes from the pass rush with five quarterback hits. Now, they get to take on a Cowboys offense that just lost quarterback Dak Prescott for the next month. With Cooper Rush now under center, the Bengals should be a comfortable play in Week 2.
10
TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Roster Availability: 50.2%
Week 2 Opponent: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Though I ultimately believe Higbee is an overrated asset in fantasy football, the tight end landscape doesn’t give managers the luxury of being picky. When a tight end sees 11 targets in a game, as Higbee did in Week 1, we have to pay attention. His 26.8% target share and 46 routes run were the third-most among tight ends in Week 1. The Falcons don’t present much of a challenge defensively, so Higbee should be on our radar.
9
QB Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Availability: 76.1%
Week 2 Opponent: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Starting a Colts quarterback on the road against the Jaguars isn’t as comfortable as it may seem. The Colts haven’t won there since 2014, and something always seems to go wrong. But Ryan was a viable streamer in Week 1 after throwing for 352 yards and one touchdown on 50 pass attempts. There were two dropped passes in the end zone, so this day could have looked much better for the veteran, and we should expect a solid floor for Ryan against a defense that just allowed Carson Wentz to throw for 313 yards and four touchdowns.
8
PK Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster Availability: 74.3%
Week 2 Opponent: at New Orleans Saints
Succop came through with a strong performance in Week 1 against the Cowboys, and he finds himself in a similar situation in Week 2. The Bucs are visiting the Saints, which should be a lively affair. Kicking in a dome with Tom Brady as the quarterback is always enough of an argument to go with Succop.
7
Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST
Roster Availability: 38.7%
Week 2 Opponent: vs. New England Patriots
The Steelers are going to be without edge rusher T.J. Watt for a while, and that’s going to hurt. But the defense has enough pieces to stay fantasy relevant, especially in a solid matchup against the Patriots, whose offense struggled mightily in Week 1. Between sacks and turnovers, the Steelers are a solid bet to make against Mac Jones.
6
TE Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Availability: 80.2%
Week 2 Opponent: at Dallas Cowboys
Hurst wasn’t the most productive tight end for fantasy in Week 1, but there are some encouraging signs heading into Week 2. It’s likely he could see a bump in target share with wide receiver Tee Higgins in the concussion protocol. Meanwhile, he led all tight ends with 51 routes run to go along with a decent 15% target share in Week 1. The stream life is risky, but these are the kinds of bets we have to make.
5
QB Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Roster Availability: 54.2%
Week 2 Opponent: at Green Bay Packers
Though Fields’ fantasy outing was saved by a long touchdown to Dante Pettis, the field conditions in Week 1 were so poor that we can put a tiny asterisk next to it. What’s encouraging for fantasy purposes is the fact that Fields ran the ball 11 times. He gained only 28 yards, but we can again chalk that up to field conditions. As long as Fields continues to run, he will be a streaming option because of the upside it presents.
4
Stream of the Week: PK Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings
Roster Availability: 55.7%
Week 2 Opponent: at Philadelphia Eagles
We caught a glimpse at the Vikings ]under Kevin O’Connell and even though we shouldn’t overreact to Week 1 performances, there are reasons for optimism that this offense can thrive. Joseph should have plenty of chances to kick field goals against the Eagles in a game that could wind up being a high-scoring affair.
3
Stream of the Week: Cleveland Browns D/ST
Roster Availability: 54%
Week 2 Opponent: vs. New York Jets
Regardless of whether it’s Joe Flacco or Zach Wilson under center for the Jets, the Browns are a strong option for streaming defenses. Against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, they recorded four sacks, six quarterback hits and an interception against Baker Mayfield. They also limited Christian McCaffrey to just 33 rushing yards.
2
Stream of the Week: TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster Availability: 86.4%
Week 2 Opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs
Everett came through as the stream of the week in Week 1, finishing as the TE4 in PPR formats. He gets a Thursday night showdown against the Chiefs in what should be a high-scoring game, and the Chargers are likely to be without wide receiver Keenan Allen. I want as many pieces of this game as possible, and there’s still a strong chance to grab a difference-maker at tight end for Week 2.
1
Stream of the Week: QB Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders
Roster Availability: 83.2%
Week 2 Opponent: at Detroit Lions
Rolling with Wentz as the stream of the week is risky simply given the volatile nature of his game. However, we should be looking for upside when streaming, and Wentz certainly has that. Wentz tossed 313 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 and now gets to visit a Lions defense that allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks to open the season (adjusted to 13th when rushing stats are removed). With a plethora of weapons around him, Wentz seems to have both floor and upside for this matchup.
