There are four positions in fantasy football where managers can get by without a weekly startable option on their regular roster. QB, TE, Kicker, and Defense all lend themselves to streaming. Here are our top streaming options for Week 6.
All streamers are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (vs. LAC)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been great for fantasy football recently. Injury concerns naturally affected his draft ADP in August, but there is no denying that Tagovailoa is a fantasy force when healthy.
In Week 5, Tua was the QB9 overall, completing 27 of his 36 pass attempts for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Over the past two weeks, the Dolphins quarterback was the QB12 overall, completing 44 of 61 for 433 yards and five scores, with no interceptions.
This week, he faces the Los Angeles Chargers, who have lost two straight games and gave up 27 points to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Jayden Daniels threw just one touchdown against the Chargers in Week 5, with rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt adding two on the ground. That shouldn’t concern Tagovailoa owners in Week 6, though, as three of De’Von Achane’s four touchdowns this season have come through the air.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks (at JAX)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has wasted little time proving his worth in the Northwest, after many doubted the legitimacy of his 2024 resurrection. Darnold’s 1,246 passing yards rank seventh in the NFL, while his nine touchdown passes are also seventh-most (tied).
Among 37 qualifying quarterbacks, Darnold ranks fourth in PFSN’s QB Impact Score, and the Seahawks offense as a whole also ranks fourth in our Offense Impact metric.
Seattle’s narrow defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 left it with a 3-2 record, and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be an equally challenging opponent this weekend. The Jaguars’ defense leads the NFL with 10 interceptions, three more than Seattle in second (tied).
Darnold has thrown three interceptions this year, but has finished three of his five games without one. The Jaguars have allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL so far (1,252), which makes Darnold an excellent bet for this week, despite the turnover potential.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers (vs. DAL)
Having promoted Bryce Young as a sleeper throughout the offseason, I’ve been as disappointed as anyone with his mediocre start to the year. Young ended the 2024 season as a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback who had earned the belief of his entire team and, most importantly, himself.
However, to start this season, Young looked more like the nervous wreck he’d been before being benched last year, his composure under pressure regularly eluding him. He looked to have found his groove in the team’s late comeback win over the Dolphins in Week 5, though, and I’m willing to give him another shot.
Young faces the Dallas Cowboys at home this weekend, which is a perfect opportunity to build on a massive win. The Cowboys have allowed the most passing yards in the NFL through five weeks (1,423), and Young may have some weapons back.
Xavier Legette starred in Week 5, while second-year receiver Jalen Coker could be in line to return from injury this weekend. Having lost his go-to receiver in Adam Thielen just before the season, Young gets the benefit of the doubt from me, and I expect him to deliver against Dallas.
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets (DEN)
Rookie tight end Mason Taylor is now more than a streamer; he’s a genuine waiver wire target with season-long fantasy value. The New York Jets rookie was tipped for a serious role in the team’s offense before the season, but a high ankle sprain delayed his emergence.
Now fully healthy, Taylor has shot into a starring role in New York as Justin Fields’s second-favorite target over the past three weeks. In those three weeks, Taylor has caught 18 of his 25 targets for 150 yards, with 132 coming in Weeks 4 and 5.
The Denver Broncos are not the kind of defense you’d typically target with your streaming options, but Taylor’s elite usage outweighs his matchup. Taylor is the priority tight end target on this list if available due to his long-term outlook.
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears (at WAS)
Another rookie tight end with long-term value is Chicago Bears star Colston Loveland. Loveland was the first tight end taken in April’s NFL Draft, but has gotten off to a slower start than expected and missed Week 4 through injury.
The Bears then had an early bye in Week 5, giving Loveland a chance to get healthy, and a breakout performance in Week 6 wouldn’t be a surprise. The rookie was targeted three times in Week 3 before leaving early with a hip injury, which suggests his role in the offense was set to increase.
Washington has allowed the sixth-most receiving yards to tight ends this year (327), despite facing the sixth-fewest targets to the position (28). Those needing a floor play should maybe look elsewhere until Loveland proves himself, but an ascending first-round rookie in a Ben Johnson offense is a fun bet.
AJ Barner, TE, Seattle Seahawks (at JAX)
AJ Barner has been a surprise star of the Seahawks’ season so far, leading the team with four receiving touchdowns. Touchdowns are key to fantasy success at tight end, particularly when streaming the position, but chasing touchdowns can be frustrating.
However, Barner’s end zone success is far from a coincidence. The tight end leads all Seattle pass catchers in red-zone targets (five), three of which have come inside the 10-yard line. For context, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is second in both categories, with three and one, respectively.
Over his last two games, Barner has caught all 10 targets for 85 yards and three scores. As mentioned earlier, the Jaguars have allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL so far (1,252), making Barner a safe bet in Week 6.
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco 49ers (at TB)
Just a quick note on Jake Tonges, whose role is up in the air ahead of Week 6. The San Francisco 49ers tight end was targeted 11 times in Week 5, catching seven of those for 41 yards and a touchdown.
However, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and George Kittle are all in contention to return from injury this weekend, rendering Tonges unplayable. The backup has excelled in Kittle’s absence, but was touchdown-dependent with Jennings and Pearsall healthy.
If all three stars remained sidelined, particularly Kittle, then Tonges remains a streaming option for another week. Otherwise, his fantasy relevance is all but over.
Michael Badgley, K, Indianapolis Colts (vs. ARI)
After leading all kickers in fantasy through the first four weeks of the season, Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader is out for the season. Shrader suffered a knee injury to his kicking leg after being landed on by a Las Vegas Raiders defender trying to block a field goal attempt.
In his place, the Colts have signed veteran free agent kicker Michael Badgley, who played for the team in 2021. Badgley’s last NFL involvement was the NFC Championship game at the end of the 2023 season, when he and the Detroit Lions fell one game short of the Super Bowl.
Heading into Week 5, Shrader was tied-first in field goal attempts (14). There’s no guaranteeing Badgley’s accuracy after more than a year away, but he couldn’t have landed in a better spot for fantasy relevance.
Joshua Karty, K, Los Angeles Rams (at BAL)
Joshua Karty has been terribly unlucky to start the year, with his blockers struggling to hold off on-rushing defenders. His high-profile blocked kicks against the Philadelphia Eagles are still fresh in the memory, but he should have an excellent opportunity to rack up some points in Week 6.
Ordinarily, the Baltimore Ravens defense is one to avoid in fantasy, but things have been very different in 2025. The Ravens have allowed a league-high 177 points and the second-most total yards (2,044).
The Houston Texans just put up 44 points against John Harbaugh’s men, and Ka’imi Fairbairn was the leading kicker of the week. The Los Angeles Rams are a far better offense than the Texans have been this year, and Karty should be able to capitalize.
If Lamar Jackson returns from injury, Sunday’s matchup will be far less one-sided, but Matthew Stafford and company should still be able to push up the score.
Eddy Pineiro, K, San Francisco 49ers (at TB)
The rostered percentages of the league’s kickers haven’t fluctuated much this season, regardless of performance. Shrader, Joey Slye, Jason Myers, and others have remained widely available despite consistently proving fantasy-relevant.
49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro is the leading kicker in fantasy points per game this season, and is rostered in only 3% of leagues. This week, he faces the Buccaneers on the road, in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Tampa Bay gave up 35 points to the Seahawks on Sunday and has conceded the ninth-most points in the NFL (132) this season. Whichever ensemble of stars the 49ers have available this weekend should prove enough to put up points, with several key injuries failing to slow them down so far.
Jennings, Pearsall, and Kittle could all rejoin Christian McCaffrey on the field in Week 6, and Pineiro will be there to finish drives with field goals and extra points.
Indianapolis Colts DEF (vs. ARI)
The Indianapolis defense, which is the leading defense in fantasy football this year, is just creeping onto this list at 49% rostered. Key offseason additions and a coordinator change have worked wonders, with the Colts sitting 4-1 heading into Week 6.
Much like Shrader before his injury, the Colts’ defense continues to be overlooked in fantasy despite its excellent start to the year. Indianapolis has allowed the fifth-fewest points in the NFL (89), with two teams above them having played a game less.
This week, the Colts face the Arizona Cardinals after their embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. Kyler Murray still struggles to get the best out of Marvin Harrison Jr., while the Cardinals are down to their third-string running backs.
The Colts’ defense has ended 17.4% of opposition drives with a turnover, the fourth-highest rate in the league, and is a weekly fantasy option moving forward.
New England Patriots DEF (at NOR)
The New England Patriots put it all together in Week 5 to defeat the Buffalo Bills, the dominant force in the AFC East. Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs drew the plaudits, but the Patriots’ defense also showed up in a big way.
New England’s defense was the seventh-best in fantasy in Week 5 and is the seventh-best on the season. Head coach Mike Vrabel continues to build the team in his image, and those impressive fantasy rankings are unlikely to change moving forward.
The Patriots travel south to face the New Orleans Saints this weekend and will be looking to dampen the mood after the Saints’ first win of the season in Week 5.
Chicago Bears DEF (at WAS)
Bye weeks mean dropped defenses sitting on waivers, and Week 6 is the first opportunity to capitalize on the value that creates. The Bears had a terrible Week 2, finishing dead last among all defenses in fantasy after giving up 52 points to the Lions.
However, in their other three games, the Bears have finished in the top-12 among defenses, scoring double-digit fantasy points each time. Fresh off a bye week, Chicago will look for another top-12 finish against Washington.
The Bears have forced a turnover on almost 20% of opposition drives (19.6%), the third-highest rate in the NFL. Outside of what looks to have been an outlier game against Detroit, their consistency makes them a solid weekly fantasy option moving forward.
With their bye week out of the way, the Bears’ defense could carry you through the rest of the season.
