There are four positions in fantasy football where managers can get by without a weekly starter on their regular roster. QB, TE, Kicker, and Defense all lend themselves to streaming. Here are our top streaming options for Week 9.
All streamers are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. IND)
Aaron Rodgers has performed well in fantasy recently, despite the Pittsburgh Steelers losing back-to-back games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers. This week, he faces an Indianapolis Colts defense that has given up over 300 passing yards in three of its last five games.
The two quarterbacks not to top 300 passing yards in those five games were Geno Smith and Cam Ward, who rank No. 26 and 36 in PFSN’s QB Impact metric. Rodgers hasn’t hit 300 passing yards yet this season, but ranks No. 14 in that metric, and leads the NFL in passing touchdown percentage (7.7%).
However, his best passing games this season, in terms of yards and touchdowns, correlate strongly with the number of points the opposition scored. That makes him a strong fantasy play this week, with the Colts being the highest-scoring team in the NFL this season (270 points).
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks (at WAS)
Sam Darnold has been a solid streamer this season, with the Seattle Seahawks offense hitting its stride surprisingly quickly after so many offseason changes. Darnold has struck up a very productive understanding with star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who currently leads the NFL in receiving yards (819), despite already having had his bye week.
The Seahawks travel from the West Coast to the East Coast this weekend to take on the Washington Commanders, and should be able to put up some points. Washington has allowed an average of 244 passing yards per game this season, the seventh-most of all teams.
Also, the Commanders have given up three passing touchdowns in each of their last two games. Washington will hope to have Jayden Daniels back, but that won’t help their defense much and should, if anything, help push up the score.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (at LVR)
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense has been difficult to trust at times this season, especially in the passing game. Brian Thomas Jr. has struggled to recapture his sparkling rookie-season form, while second-overall pick Travis Hunter only had his breakout game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
But after a Week 8 bye, offensive guru Liam Coen should have the Jaguars firing this week, and they have a great matchup to get things going. The Las Vegas Raiders faced the hapless Tennessee Titans in Week 6, but on either side of that game, they faced two good offenses: the Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Over those two games, the Raiders gave up 71 total points and forced zero turnovers. Pete Carroll has also had a bye week to work with his new team, but Las Vegas has struggled on that side of the ball all year.
Meanwhile, outside of games against top defenses in the Rams, the Seahawks, and the Houston Texans, Jacksonville has topped 25 points every week.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints (at LAR)
After multiple weeks of being able to list Oronde Gadsden II, Cade Otton, and Mason Taylor, none of those players are available this week. This week’s options represent a steep drop-off from past weeks, but there are still options for those in need.
Juwan Johnson has been targeted 15 times in his last two games, catching seven of those targets for 132 yards. He enters Week 9 with a new quarterback, the uninspiring Tyler Shough, and faces an impressive Rams offense, but there is hope.
Despite playing little over a quarter of the New Orleans Saints’ Week 8 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shough targeted Johnson six times in the fourth quarter. That bodes well for Johnson’s potential Week 9 usage, with Shough named the team’s starter for the trip to the West Coast.
It might not be pretty, but Johnson could be fantasy-relevant on volume alone in Week 9.
Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants (SF)
Second-year tight end Theo Johnson has stepped up this season and has become a big part of the New York Giants’ offense. The former Penn State standout is a regular target for Jaxson Dart, who just lost Cam Skattebo, a regular receiving option over the middle of the field.
The San Francisco 49ers are also missing some key players, including four-time All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who is also out for the season. That should make things easier for Johnson, who can dominate that area of the field when given the opportunity.
Johnson leads the Giants in red-zone targets, with eight, while his four targets inside the opposing 10-yard line are also a team-high. Johnson tallied 66 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 7, and should be capable of another big game this weekend.
Elijah Arroyo, TE, Seattle Seahawks (at WAS)
Elijah Arroyo is a more speculative option this week, having not recorded a top-25 fantasy finish yet this season. That makes him a much more risky play than either of the Johnsons, but due to his long-term potential, I thought it was worth listing him here.
Arroyo is a second-round rookie and was targeted five times against the Texans in Week 7, his most of the season. That progression should be expected to continue after the team’s Week 8 bye, as is often the case with rookie pass catchers.
Most notably, were Arroyo’s two targets inside the Houston 10-yard line. Previously, teammate AJ Barner was the team’s go-to guy in the red zone. But Barner has now gone two games without a target in that area of the field, and all signs point to an Arroyo takeover.
Playing whack-a-mole with the Steelers’ tight ends is another option this week. However, with so few standout options, Arroyo should be considered purely for his post-bye breakout potential and long-term upside.
Tyler Loop, K, Baltimore Ravens (at MIA)
The absence of a team’s starting quarterback impacts every other position on the roster, and that’s exactly what has happened with Tyler Loop recently. The Baltimore Ravens kicker ranked seventh at the position in fantasy points per game (10.3) in Weeks 1-4, with Lamar Jackson playing.
In Weeks 5-8, that average dropped to just 6.7 fantasy points per game, which ranked 25th among all kickers. However, Jackson is expected to return to action this Thursday night against a struggling Miami Dolphins defense.
In a shock result, the Dolphins blew out the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8, but only after giving up 87 points over their previous three games. The Ravens should be able to put up some numbers against Miami to kick off Week 9, and Loop should be a top-10 fantasy kicker again moving forward.
Jason Myers, K, Seattle Seahawks (at WAS)
Jason Myers is available on waivers, due to the Seahawks being on bye last week, but he will be scooped up by this time next week. The Seattle kicker ranks ninth at the position in fantasy points per game (10.4), and fifth among kickers expected to start this week (Lucas Havrisik is still Green Bay’s backup at the time of writing).
Washington has allowed the sixth-most points per game this season (372.75), and Myers should reap the rewards on Sunday.
The Seahawks veteran has recorded a top-10 finish in four of his last five games. Also, as with Loop, Myers has already had his bye, and should be a top-10 fantasy kicker for the rest of the year.
Cairo Santos, K, Chicago Bears (at CIN)
Cairo Santos was the ninth-best kicker in fantasy last week, despite missing one of his field goal attempts. The Chicago Bears kicker is tied for 12th among all kickers on the season in fantasy points per game (9.4), and finished in the top 10 in each of his last two games.
In fact, between Santos and Jake Moody, the Bears have had a top-10 kicker in each of their last four games, including three top-four finishes. This week, they face the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed more points than any other team in the NFL (253).
Since Week 3, the Bengals have allowed a top-12 fantasy kicking performance in all but two of their games. In the two other games, they didn’t give up a single field goal, and instead, conceded a total of nine touchdowns to the Broncos and the Detroit Lions.
Seattle Seahawks DEF (at WAS)
Rounding off a clean sweep for Seattle on this list is the Seahawks defense, which ranks second this season in fantasy points per game (9.4). Again, the Seahawks are only available because they’re on bye in Week 8, so fantasy managers should be looking to pick them up this week, even if they don’t need a streamer.
Seattle has ranked in the top 12 on defense in six of its seven games this season, including four top-five finishes. Washington’s offense has turned the ball over seven times in its last three games and rushed for only 60 combined yards against Kansas City on Monday night.
The Seahawks should be considered a top-10 defense this week and for the rest of the season, with the potential to rank in the top five each week.
Los Angeles Rams DEF (vs. NOR)
If looking to maximize your Week 9 output, the Rams defense should be among the favorites to lead the way this weekend. The NFC West contenders rank fourth among all defenses in fantasy points per game this year (8.7) and have a dream matchup against the Saints on Sunday.
Shough played a little over a quarter of New Orleans’ Week 8 loss, but still managed to throw his first NFL interception. Among all players to attempt more than two passes, only Carson Wentz had a lower completion percentage than Shough (56.7%), and Wentz was playing through a season-ending injury.
The Rams’ defense is tied for eighth in turnovers (10) and is second in sacks (26) this season. They might not get a better opportunity to add to those numbers than they have this week.
Chicago Bears DEF (at CIN)
Finally, if you get outbid for the Seahawks and Rams’ defenses this week, the Chicago Bears have been a productive unit all season. Despite conceding the eighth-most points per game in the NFL, their high turnover volume has made them a great fantasy asset.
The Bears lead all defenses in turnovers (16) despite having already had their bye and being bottom-half in both sacks (14) and quarterback pressure rate (18.6). They have been a top-12 defense in five of their seven games so far this season, and are another long-term fantasy asset, beyond just this week.
Joe Flacco hasn’t thrown an interception in three games with the Bengals, but threw six in four games before that. In a potentially high-scoring game, the Bears are a riskier play this weekend, but have more than proven themselves capable of big fantasy weeks.
The Seahawks and Rams are both preferable, but Chicago’s defense is a perfectly good option if needed.
