Is it too early to look at Week 1 streaming options? Depends who you ask. Certain people specifically draft with streaming in mind, and since we’re getting near the peak of draft season, I’m going to say, officially, that it’s not too early. Thanks for asking, though.
What I qualify as a streamer disclaimer: Less than 35% rostered on ESPN. That number will creep down as the season starts, but for now, players with that low of rostership should be easy to target late in your drafts as streaming options.
Week 1 quarterback streaming options
Jordan Love
Bryce Young
Malik Willis
On paper, Love doesn’t have a great matchup, facing a Brian Flores-led defense that frequently gives even top-notch passers a tough time. Love is uniquely talented to put up some nice fantasy points against that unit, though. He routinely grades well against the blitz, and over his first five career starts against the Vikings, he led the Packers to at least 23 points four times. He also enters the season with a fully healthy receiving corps and is someone you could hang onto for multiple weeks, as the Packers play the Jets and Falcons after this Week 1 divisional clash. If nothing else, Love should be a trustworthy QB2 in Superflex.
Young gets a more salivating matchup, one against a banged-up Chicago defense that wasn’t very good before the injury bug hit. One of four quarterbacks to earn a 5-star weekly matchup grade form Fantasypros (the others being Jaxson Dart, Geno Smith and Jalen Hurts), the Carolina quarterback should put up numbers at home. If he doesn’t, the real-life Panthers will be in much trouble as your fantasy team.
Willis owns a fluctuating ADP and rostership depending on platform, but is currently someone I feel confident labeling as a streamer. Make him one of your last picks if you don’t want to stress a waiver claim on him. The aforementioned Dart and Hurts, as well as Marcus Mariota, all had at least 35 rushing yards against the Raiders in 2025, with Dart scoring a pair of rushing TDs during that match as well. Willis’ legs give him a floor that few other streaming QBs carry.
Deeper league options: Geno Smith at TEN; Kirk Cousins vs. MIA.
Week 1 tight end streaming options
Dalton Schultz
AJ Barner
Cade Otton
Schultz is an underrated player who could be a highly discounted weekly starter in larger leagues if you’re bold enough. The veteran ranked second on the Texans in targets in 2025 with 106, not too far under Nico Collins’ 120. I would be even more excited about this if not for a tough matchup against Buffalo, who allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season, but I just think Schultz is such a steal at his ADP that I felt like mentioning him anyway. In smaller leagues, he’s more someone you should grab if your starting tight end gets scratched last second than a player you should outright target, though.
Barner was at his best in tight games last season, often taking a back seat when the Seahawks were leading comfortably. Last season, he tallied at least six targets in four games — Seattle lost two of those games and won the other two by a combined three points. New England should create a tough matchup in Week 1 and force Barner into action. In the two teams’ Super Bowl matchup last February, the tight end caught four balls for 54 yards and a touchdown. At 24, Barner is young enough to blossom into a fantasy weekly starter that many other streamers can’t.
Otton has always had the opportunity without the volume to match. Per ESPN, he ranks first among all tight ends in snaps played (3,530) since entering the league in 2022. Yet, the former fourth-round pick hasn’t cleared 600 receiving yards in a season and owns 11 career touchdowns. If he’s ever going to put up fantasy-worthy numbers, it’s going to be against a Bengals’ defense that was historically bad against tight ends in 2025. This game projects as a shootout as well, with plenty of passes to go around. There are worse options.
Deeper league options: Mike Gesicki vs. TAM; David Njoku vs. ARI; Gunnar Helm vs. NYJ
Week 1 defense streaming options
Tennessee Titans
Las Vegas Raiders
Green Bay Packers
Defense wizard Robert Saleh gets his second crack at a head coaching role and will lead his Titans against the team he formerly helmed, the Jets. The Titans’ defense should enjoy at least some improvement over last season, in which they allowed the league’s fifth-most points, and get a fantastic Week 1 matchup to open those efforts. Geno Smith led the league in interceptions last season with 17, and the Jets might be without Breece Hall, or at least not have him at 100 percent after his groin strain. Elsewhere, the New York offense is counting on several rookie playmakers, and first-year players rarely hit the ground running.
There are some who are high on the Raiders’ defense this season as a squad that could become a true weekly starting option — Athlon Sports, for example, has them ranked 11th (above the Eagles and Patriots!) in their preseason DST rankings. Well, they’re not being drafted like it. In fact, the unit is hardly being drafted at all. And if they’re ever going to produce, it’s going to be against Malik Willis and the worst receiving corps in the league. I realize this contradicts me tabbing Willis as a streaming option above, but, as mentioned, his legs give him a fine floor even if Vegas shows up defensively. And, hey, I’m just the ideas guy. You gotta make the decisions.
If you’re like me and you like to look ahead with your defensive streaming options, Green Bay is a unit you could carry for multiple weeks to start the year. The green and gold play the Vikings and Jets on the road, then get the Falcons at home in Week 3. If you’re not convinced of an instant Kyler Murray turnaround in Minnesota and aren’t scared off by a Bijan Robinson-led attack, then look toward Jonathan Gannon’s group for a few weeks. They enter that stretch without game-wrecker Micah Parsons but still have talent, led by All-Pro Xavier McKinney and a handful of newcomers.
Deeper league options: New York Jets at TEN; Atlanta Falcons at PIT