Look, not every team is going to be perfectly balanced. Maybe you missed out on a top QB and need a Week 1 QB streamer. Or you had to pivot to a bit of a Zero RB, so your lineup is composed of Week 1 RB streamers. Maybe you went high-risk, high-reward with guys like T.J. Hockenson or Hollywood Brown who are set to miss time, and you need tight end streamers AND wide receiver streamers.

 

 

 

Regardless of whatever position you are thin at, we’ve got fantasy football streamers for all of them. That includes Week 1 kicker and D/ST streamers as well!

Fantasy Football Streamers For 2024 NFL Week 1

This article works in conjunction with our Waiver Wire Adds and Stashes articles. 

The Waiver Wire Adds are our top guys in general that offer the most in terms of both immediate and long-term upside. The Stashes are guys that we don’t necessarily trust right now but we believe could have big upside down the stretch.

This article has the Week 1 Fantasy Football Streamers – guys that might not be super exciting but can actually be trusted in a lineup in a pinch. In the early going, you might not even need some of the names from this list, but as bye weeks and injuries hit like a hurricane, this article will provide shelter.

For the most part, we are going to try to stick to players that are under 50% owned on Yahoo so that you can actually add them. I mean, you can’t just stream Patrick Mahomes when you need a Week 1 QB streamer. 

We know that folks play in varying league depths so we’ll include any players that MIGHT be available (especially for really good matchups). And we’ll throw some honorable mentions in there for the really deep leagues. So, let’s dig into the Week 1 Fantasy Football Streamers!

 

 

 

Week 1 QB Streamers

Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams, Yahoo: 66%| ESPN: 34% | Sleeper: 26%

He might be rostered in your league already but, at 66% on Yahoo, it means he’s out there in some. Not only does he have the revenge narrative going for him against his old team the Detroit Lions, but this game boasts the highest over/under of any game at 51 points.

The Lions are favored by 3.5 but that still gives the Rams an implied point total of 24.8, which is top five for the week. And it likely means they’ll need to throw. Stafford is our top Week 1 quarterback streamer, no question.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Yahoo: 33%| ESPN: 30% | Sleeper: 13%

We know what Baker Mayfield is at this point. And, honestly? It’s pretty solid. He finished as a top 10 QB in fantasy football last year, yet no one seems to care.

He still has his top weapons with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin plus they added rookie WR Jalen McMillan in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bucs are favorites against the lowly Washington Commanders in Week 1, so Baker makes for a decent stream. And he’s available in a lot of leagues.

 

 

 

Week 1 RB Streamers

Antonio Gibson - New England Patriots, Yahoo: 25%| ESPN: 43% | Sleeper: 88%

Zach Charbonnett is RIGHT on the line at 50% rostered, so I would prioritize him if he’s out there. He has the pass-down job in a better offense than NE. But he’s rostered in many sharp leagues and I think Antonio Gibson can provide something similar.

After cutting Kevin Harris, this Patriots depth chart is THIN at RB. Rhamondre Stevenson can’t do everything. And the Pats are pretty big underdogs here so they’ll have to throw. If Gibson mixes in some pass downs, he could give you a decent PPR floor. Maybe he can sneak into the endzone, who knows. Heck, he could even return a kick for a touchdown in this new format. 

Justice Hill - Baltimore Ravens, Yahoo: 3%| ESPN: 3% | Sleeper: 0%

The Ravens like Justice Hill – John Harbaugh could not be more clear about that. He said he considers him “a starter” and they have treated him as such, sitting him in the preseason when the starters sit and playing him when the starters play.

Derrick Henry is the clear early and short-yardage back but he’s never been much of a pass-catcher, which leaves a role for Hill, no doubt. Whether you stream him for Week 1 or just stash him for Thursday Night Football in case Henry goes down, I think Hill is under-owned at 3%.

 

 

 

Week 1 WR Streamers

Jakobi Meyers - Las Vegas Raiders, Yahoo: 50%| ESPN: 73% | Sleeper: 52%

In the streaming world, especially early in the season, we want someone trustworthy. He might not be the flashiest guy, but Jakobi Meyers has been remarkably consistent – the last three seasons he’s registered 807, 804, 866 and 729 yards.

He’s not likely to blow the doors down with a monster game, but he offers the floor we look for in a streamer. Davante Adams will always get his targets and, long term, we expect Brock Bowers to earn a bigger and bigger share but, for now, you could do a lot worse than Meyers.

DeMario Douglas - New England Patriots, Yahoo: 15%| ESPN: 41% | Sleeper: 1%

“Pop” Douglas checks so many streamer boxes. He’s a low aDot target hog which creates a nice floor. They manufacture touches for him by way of screens and handoffs. And he COULD break off a big play which sprinkles a little upside on there for us.

As a bonus, Kendrick Bourne started the year on the PUP list and the Patriots opted to start the veteran Jacoby Brissett. His long term upside might not be crazy, but I actually feel pretty good about throwing Douglas in a lineup in a pinch.

 

 

 

Week 1 TE Streamers

Zach Ertz - Washington Commanders, Yahoo: 5%| ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 11%

Look, he’s not the most exciting option. Not even close. But we’re just looking for some semblance of a floor here. And Zach Ertz, operating out of the slot in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, COULD offer that.

It wasn’t long ago that he was operating in this same offense in Arizona and getting 6.5 targets per game. At some point we believe the torch will be passed to rookie Ben Sinnott. But, for the short term, Zach Ertz could have some stream-ability in any sort of PPR format. 

Hayden Hurst - Los Angeles Chargers, Yahoo: 1%| ESPN: 3% | Sleeper: 12%

If Hunter Henry from our Waiver Adds article is there, that’s the guy I’d go with. But the other HH is in a pretty unique situation as well. The Chargers jettisoned Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett this offseason, so that target pecking order is a clean slate. 

They also released Donald Parham which makes Hayden Hurst the best pass catching tight end on the team (my apologies to blocking tight end Will Dissly). In deeper leagues or DFS, you could do a lot worse than Hurst in a Greg Roman scheme.

 

 

 

Week 1 K Streamers

Jake Bates - Detroit Lions, Yahoo: 11%| ESPN: 40% | Sleeper: 0%

The Lions incumbent kicker Michael Badgley tore his hamstring and was placed on season ending IR. That allowed undrafted rookie Jake Bates to slide in and secure the job.

Just like with Matthew Stafford above, we are looking at this 51 point over/under game as a place where some points will be flying around. Let’s just hope Dan Campbell can contain his emotions and not go for it on every fourth down.

Joshua Karty - Los Angeles Rams, Yahoo: 1%| ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 0%

Look, we’re really not going to overthink things here. Somehow both of the starting kickers for what is expected to be the highest scoring game of the slate are just sitting on the wire.

And the game is being played in Detroit, in a dome. It won’t be this easy every week. But it seems pretty easy to stream a kicker.

 

 

 

Week 1 DST Streamers

New Orleans Saints DST,  Yahoo: 48%| ESPN: 79% | Sleeper: 61%

If the Bengals (53%) are there then go with them against the New England Patriots. They might not be out there though, and neither might the Saints. But both options are fairly “safe” here. The Panthers were the worst offense in the league last year, and at the very least, could start slow again.

This game also has the highest over/under of not only this week, but literally any game on the entire season long NFL schedule. I guess it could happen, but the odds of the Panthers just completely blowing out the Saints this week are fairly low, so at last, it won’t hurt you.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST, Yahoo: 8%| ESPN: 3% | Sleeper: 4%

I’m not saying that the Buccaneers are a great defense. I’m saying that the Commanders could be the kind of offense in Week 1 that any defense can take advantage of. They are going to roll out a mobile, rookie quarterback to start the season.

Even rookie Peyton Manning, the best prospect of all time, was throwing interceptions left and right as a rookie. I would be shocked if, given his style of play, Jayden Daniels makes it through this game without a fumble or interception. Plus, mobile QBs can often find themselves running out of room for easy sacks.

 

 

 

Lock In These Week 1 Fantasy Football Streamers & Happy Streaming!

In an ideal world, your starting lineup is loaded with star players. Your bench then has a nice combination of upside plays from either our Waiver Wire Article or deeper Stashes. But we know that it’s not always an ideal world in fantasy football.

Sometimes, you’re just going to have to hold your nose and start the guy that offers you the best possible floor (with maybe a glimmer of upside). That’s where these streamers come in. The breakouts down the stretch may be the “league winners”, but you need to make the playoffs first if you want to win the league.