Championship week! After a long season, it is here and you have done it. Now it’s time to bring home that title. No worries though, we have you covered as we go through options at both the quarterback and tight end positions. Let us dig into some Week 17 Quarterback Sleepers and Streamers along with some Week 17 Tight End Sleepers and Streamers.
Week 17 Quarterback Sleepers and Streamers
Quarterback Sleepers
Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers
After playing a simply ugly game two weeks ago against the Las Vegas Raiders, things got a little better for the Los Angeles Chargers last week. While they still lost at home to the Buffalo Bills, it was only a two-point deficit. Playing in garbage time against the Raiders, Easton Stick threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. Despite failing to throw for a touchdown last week, it was still a solid game for Stick.
Pressed into duty after Justin Herbert’s injury, Stick passed for 215 yards, but perhaps more notably, didn’t have an interception. We also saw Stick carry the ball seven times for 25 yards which led to a solid fantasy performance. This week, Stick has a decent matchup against the Denver Broncos. The good news here is that the Chargers haven’t appeared to be adverse to letting Stick try to move the ball downfield.
Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants
It seems our time with Tommy DeVito has come to an end as the New York Giants went back to Tyrod Taylor last week. In relief, the veteran threw for 133 yards and a touchdown while picking up 21 yards on the ground with two carries. We have seen some flashes out of the Giants’ offensive as of late, and they do have a solid array of downfield receiving threats. With Darren Waller back from injury and Saquon Barkley out of the backfield, New York also has some strong veteran options for Taylor.
Last week, the Rams allowed Derek Carr to throw for 319 yards and three touchdowns against them. That is not to directly imply that Taylor will do the same, but he does have a solid matchup. What helps to make the difference here, is the fact that Taylor does have the ability to make things happen on the ground. We should see about three to four points as his floor comes from his legs with a decent chance at a touchdown.
Quarterback Streamers
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
We are already teetering on the edge of the danger zone here, so at least with Derek Carr there is some level of comfort and a solid floor. The Saints quarterback has one of the better matchups of the week as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently in the top five of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. That alone is sure to get our attention when considering sleepers and streamers.
Carr is coming off his sixth 300-plus yard passing game of the season last week. In throwing for 319 yards against the Los Angeles Rams, Carr also came through with three touchdown passes. It was a good sign to see Carr comfortable attacking the downfield passing game as he hasn’t consistently done it all season. Even when that isn’t the case, he generally doesn’t implode. Seeing Carr develop downfield chemistry with young receivers like Rashid Shaheed and A.T. Perry certainly is a good thing.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
There it is. For perhaps the first time all season, Bryce Young looked like the number-one overall pick. To be fair, there certainly is an adjustment to playing at the NFL level, but with an early-round pick, the schedule is often accelerated. In Young’s case, he doesn’t exactly have the best-supporting cast either, but he made it work last week.
Facing the Green Bay Packers, Young threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. It was the fourth straight week in which Young failed to throw an interception, so that is another positive development. With a great matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, we are looking for Young to continue building on his positive momentum. The Jaguars have, on average, made their opponents top five quarterbacks so far this year. While we aren’t looking for that from Young, he should have a strong week.
Week 17 Tight End Sleepers and Streamers
Tight End Sleepers
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
If you want to follow the matchup, Gerald Everett has the best one of the week against the Denver Broncos. At this point though, Everett isn’t much more than a security blanket for Easton Stick though. However, that is also something we shouldn’t discount, as there is real value in it.
Everett has been targeted eight times in each of the last three games. After having two games of five receptions each, Everett caught seven passes for 42 yards last week. The Chargers are lacking options in the receiving game, but it is clear what Everett’s role is. And that is not something we should be taking likely.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
This is another situation in which we have a favorable matchup and we are also targeting the quarterback. With that being said, it shouldn’t be surprising to see some team overlap with our sleepers and streamers.
Last week, Johnson caught a touchdown pass which certainly grabbed our attention. It was the second straight week in which Johnson secured a touchdown, so we might be onto something here with Michael Thomas on Injured Reserve. Perhaps more secure than chasing a touchdown, is the fact that Johnson was targeted seven times. He turned that into four receptions for 48 yards which gives us a decent floor if one of those doesn’t go for a touchdown. It is also comforting to note Johnson’s role in the offense even though he is not the only tight end.
Tight End Streamers
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Finally. We have been advocating for Chigoziem Okonkwo among the sleepers and streamers all season, and finally, he came through. Okonkwo had been close all season and was experiencing some success, but last week he finally found the end zone. All it took, was Ryan Tannehill back under center.
While we don’t want to get in the business of chasing touchdowns, it certainly is a positive development. It certainly has been a down year for Okonkwo after how he finished last year, but for the most part, he has been involved in the Tennessee offense. The problem is that it hasn’t been very good or offered up much in the way of quantity. Last week, he turned his seven targets into six catches for 63 yards and that touchdown. It is a great matchup for Okonkwo and the Titans passing offense this week against the Texans. Perhaps, back-to-back touchdowns are in store.
Darren Waller, New York Giants
In some cases, the end of the season offers up a fair amount of value. That is the situation with Darren Waller after he had a four-game absence due to a hamstring injury. At this point, very few teams are making waiver claims, so that is something you can use to your advantage. Waller is clearly more talented than his numbers are showing, and that puts him on our sleepers and streamers list.
It’s a great matchup against the Rams for Waller this week. He’s also in a favorable situation with Tyrod Taylor back under center for New York giving them a veteran presence. In his two weeks back, Waller has been targeted 11 times, but last week, he wasn’t exactly efficient. Were it not for a few drops, Taylor would have done better than two catches for 32 yards. If that were the case, he likely wouldn’t included here either, but the veteran is a solid option.
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