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With the fantasy playoffs quickly approaching, every roster decision matters. Between an onslaught of injuries, trades, and bye weeks, filling out a full and competent roster is getting tougher. Let's take a look at 10 players you can find widely available for Week 9.
(Streamers are players who are rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues.)
Here are 10 players to target:
With a 50.5-point total, the Dolphins, hosting the Detroit Lions, are primed for fantasy production. The Lions' defense continues to struggle, allowing 24.8 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Willis has been holding his own with 15, 26, and 20 fantasy points in his last three games. While this game may turn into a blowout, garbage-time points count all the same for fantasy production.
I know it might not be the most exciting streaming option, but McCarthy has a great matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he has an elite pass-catching option with Malik Nabers. The Eagles' defense is simply not good this year, and it's caused them to allow 19.0 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, which is the ninth-most in the NFL. The game has a low total, but McCarthy can push towards 200-plus passing yards and two touchdowns, which can buoy your lineup as a streaming option.
I legitimately think Sampson is a streaming option nearly every week, solely based on his PPR upside. He's been back for two games since his time on IR, and he has 10.7 and 12.9 points, a wonderful sight to see. He's certainly in the RB3-type range, but he can push to a low-end RB2 with the pass-catching upside. The matchup is amazing against the Saints, who allow the most (30.2) PPR points per game to running backs. While the offense may lack massive upside with Shedeur Sanders under center, the matchup is too good to pass up.
Was it a flash in the pan or a sign of things to come? That's what fantasy players are asking after a massive 25.3-point outing in Week 8 against the Broncos. It's a middle-of-the-road matchup against the Jets this week, but the Chiefs are 9.5-point home favorites. I believe there's clear blowout potential in this game, which means the Chiefs would back off the usage of Kenneth Walker late in the game to keep him healthy. Johnson only has a 7.3% target share, but that pass-catching upside puts him in flex option territory this week.
Another Dolphins player to stream this week, but man, Washington has been sneaky great this year. Washington has posted 10-plus PPR points in four of his last five games, which is pretty darn encouraging for a low-end WR2 or flex option. He leads the Dolphins with a 24.9% target share, and has the second-highest (23.1%) red zone target share, along with a very solid 10.4 air yards per target. It only takes a few catches for him to pile up some yards and provide nice streaming production.
With A.J. Brown's health still up in the air, Douglas has another chance to cement himself in the Patriots' pass game. Most fantasy players probably wouldn't have guessed Douglas has posted 16, 19, and 22 PPR fantasy points in three of his last four games. A player rostered in only 41% of Yahoo leagues has 15-plus point potential; you grab that any chance you can. The Packers allow 35.0 PPR points per game to wide receivers, which is the eighth-most in the NFL, and a nice matchup to target this week.
The clear third wide receiver on the Cowboys has 11-plus PPR points in four straight games. If you've been rolling with Flournoy in your flex spot in recent weeks, you know the production has been surprisingly strong. On paper, it's actually a tougher matchup against the Colts' secondary, but it's rational to assume they're going to be worried about CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. That might present an opening for Flournoy, who already has a 15.2% target share and a 19.1% red zone target share.
Will the touchdown streak continue? Gesicki has a touchdown in five straight games and is only rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues. Sure, touchdowns are variable, and they're tough to count on every week, but he has a 30% goal line target share, which is tied for the highest on the Bengals, and a 13.5% red zone target share, which is tied for the second-highest. It's a league-average matchup against the Falcons, and it's an international game, so it could be a bit wonky, but Gesicki has a clear role for the Bengals in the scoring area.
Yes, Sadiq has been nearly invisible in recent weeks; there's no denying that. However, the Jets listed top wide receiver Garrett Wilson as questionable, as he's in the concussion protocol. I would only look to stream Sadiq if Wilson is out. The matchup does look good against the Chiefs, since they've allowed the fifth-most (17.8) PPR points per game to tight ends. As 9.5-point underdogs, the Jets will likely be playing from behind and forced into a passing game script, which could benefit Sadiq.
I know. The Bills' defense is "bad;" how could you stream them? They're up against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, who will have Carson Wentz under center, as Kyler Murray has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Are we that worried about Wentz lighting up the Bills? The Bills' defense comes in with a 28% QB pressure rate, which is the fourth-highest in the NFL. I'm not saying they're great, but a bit of pressure against Wentz can lead to sacks or turnovers, which bring fantasy upside.