With six teams on bye in Week 9, it’s a bit tougher this week to find good streaming options at kicker and D/ST.
If you’re a weekly reader of this column, then you’ll be saddened to know that streaming-darling Jason Myers has passed the 50% rostership threshold.
There are still some fine kickers to stream, though defenses don’t look too inspiring this week. So you’re basically just hoping to put up 8+ fantasy points.
In Week 8, only eight teams hit that mark, and the median was five points. While there are plenty of traits to target for streaming these positions, sometimes it’s still as simple as looking at past performances. As always, though, these traits should also stand out when choosing a new kicker or D/ST to stream.
Other Traits to Look For Streaming Kickers
- Potentially high-scoring matchups
- Teams with good, but not great, red zone efficiency
- Domes/good weather
Other Traits to Look For Streaming D/STs
- Potentially low-scoring matchups
- Slow-paced offenses
- Turnover-prone quarterbacks
- Bad weather
As a reminder, eligible kickers and defenses for this column must not be rostered in more than 50% of leagues, per FantasyPros’ rostership data. Following these guidelines doesn’t hurt, either.
Top Streaming Kickers for Week 9
Chase McLaughlin, IND, at New England
- Rostered in 5.5% of leagues
- Even with Sam Ehlinger at the helm of a sputtering offense – one that just fired their offensive coordinator – McLaughlin still scored 11 fantasy points in Week 8.
- Excluding a scoreless Week 2, McLaughlin has scored 9+ fantasy points in four of six games.
- That includes two 11-point games and one 17-point game.
- He’s also 13/14 in field goals and 8/8 in extra points.
- Only two teams have scored fewer points per game than Indianapolis this season.
- The Patriots have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to kickers this season.
- Week 8 was the first game where a kicker scored fewer than eight fantasy points against New England.
- Rostered in 1.9% of leagues
- In three games played, Badgley has scored 13, 9 and 10 fantasy points, respectively.
- He’s also 8/8 in field goals.
- No kicker has averaged more fantasy points per game than Badgley, albeit he has a small sample size.
- No team has scored more points at home this season than Detroit (35.8).
- The Packers have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to kickers this season.
- In their last four games, Green Bay has allowed 10, 8, 10 and 10 fantasy points to kickers, respectively.
- The Lions play indoors.
Jake Elliott, PHI, at Houston
- Rostered in 23.5% of leagues
- Elliott has reached double-digit points just once in six games.
- The Eagles are third in points per game this season (28).
- Week 8 was the first time a kicker didn’t score 7+ fantasy points against Houston.
- Kickers have also scored 10+ fantasy points in four of seven games against the Texans.
- Houston plays indoors.
- If you start Elliott, you’re banking on a massive offensive performance from the Eagles… or a shockingly close game.
Top Streaming D/STs for Week 9
Chiefs D/ST v. TEN
- Rostered in 16.9% of leagues
- Chiefs D/ST has scored 7+ points just three times this season.
- That includes 10 points in Week 7.
- The Chiefs are coming off a bye, so they may be well-rested.
- The Titans have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to D/STs.
- D/STs have scored 7, 9 and 7 fantasy points against Tennessee one the last three weeks, respectively.
- The Texans played from behind the Titans all of Week 8, yet they still recorded three sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
- If Kansas City can somehow shut down Derrick Henry, this could be streaming gold.
Dolphins D/ST at CHI
- Rostered in 34.4% of leagues
- Dolphins D/ST is only 27th in fantasy points per game.
- They have just two games of 6+ fantasy points: 19 in Week 1 and 11 in Week 7.
- Adding Miami is betting on a good matchup.
- The Bears have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to D/STs.
- Average points scored by D/STs versus Chicago in even weeks: 11.5
- Average points scored by D/STs versus Chicago in odd weeks: 6
- Justin Fields has been sacked 3+ times in all but two games this season.
- Early weather forecasts suggest heavy rain and high winds all weekend in Chicago.
Vikings D/ST at WAS
- Rostered in 13.2% of leagues
- Vikings D/ST has averaged the ninth-most fantasy points since Week 5.
- The Commanders have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to D/STs.
- That includes five games of 8+ fantasy points allowed to D/STs.
- Taylor Heinicke has thrown an interception in each of his two starts this season.
- Heinicke threw 15 interceptions and 20 picks in 16 games last season.
- Minnesota’s defense is averaging an interception a game.
- Washington scored 23 and 17 points in their last two games, respectively.
