(Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
If you drafted a quarterback early this season, then week 5 was for you. This was the first week so far that Rodgers, Brees, and Brady were all in the top 5. This was also the first time this season that Tom Brady cracked the top-5, and it was only the second time that Aaron Rodgers did. Needless to say, the top pre-draft quarterbacks were not as sure fire as they may have first seemed. This week’s successful stream-able quarterbacks were Blake Bortles (despite his 4 interceptions), C.J. Beathard, and Case Keenum. Here is the list of the week’s full top 12:
| Player | Team | Opponent | Percent Owned | Fantasy Points |
| Tom Brady | New England | Indianapolis | 100 | 29.5 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | Detroit | 100 | 26.7 |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | Washington | 100 | 26.6 |
| Blake Bortles | Jacksonville | Kansas City | 44 | 24.6 |
| Andrew Luck | Indianapolis | New England | 87 | 24.6 |
| C.J. Beathard | San Francisco | Arizona | 4 | 22.7 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | Atlanta | 96 | 22.6 |
| Case Keenum | Denver | NY Jets | 20 | 22.1 |
| Deshaun Watson | Houston | Dallas | 99 | 22.0 |
| Philip Rivers | LA Chargers | Oakland | 96 | 21.4 |
| Carson Wentz | Philadelphia | Minnesota | 94 | 21.0 |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | LA Rams | 93 | 19.9 |
So, how did our streamers do? We went with Blake Bortles (our stream of the week with 24.6 points), Derek Carr (14.2 points), Joe Flacco (12.2 points), and Ryan Tannehill (9.1 points)–as well as pointing out Alex Smith (14.7 points) was worth a look. While we didn’t find as many gems as usual due to the success of the “favorites”, we still found a stream of the week who finished 4th overall (Blake Bortles) and easily gave you a chance to win your week. There weren’t as many high flying match-ups to be found in week 5, and I think this directly correlates to us having a hard time finding a good waiver wire choice. We can hope for a better outlook in week 6 as there will be at least one big time match-up we can chase after. Without further ado, let’s get after it.
Jameis Winston (50% stream of the week)
If I was looking for big match-ups this week, I would have my eyes on Patriots-Chiefs, Falcons-Buccaneers, and maybe Bengals-Steelers as my third choice. Unfortunately, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton, and Ben Roethlisberger are most likely owned (70+%). However, that was only 5 quarterbacks. We are left with Jameis Winston and the plethora of weapons at his disposal. I love the offense and I love how things looked in the first couple weeks. On top of that, Winston looked great towards the end of last season. We also have a defense to face that gives up an average 330+ yards per week since week 2 as well as 3 passing touchdowns in every one of those weeks. I don’t really see how Winston doesn’t succeed against the Falcons, and he is my stream of the week as a result. He would easily be a top-10 play for me this week and his ownership percent could spike moving forward. I remember a lot of experts mentioning Winston before the season as a top-10 sleeper…until he was suspended.
Baker Mayfield (42%)
Over the last two weeks (his only 2 starts), Baker Mayfield has averaged 315+ yards and 1.5 touchdowns per week. He is playing against a Chargers defense that is still desperately waiting for Joey Bosa to return and reignite the pass rush. I like Mayfield in good matchups, and this looks like a good matchup to me. It was nearly impossible to imagine a successful Browns quarterback last season, but this is a brave new world we enter. I like the talent of Mayfield, and I would like most anyone throwing to Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, and Duke Johnson if I’m being honest. We haven’t even mentioned the running game powered by Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb yet. I think the Chargers will put up some points, and Cleveland will have to as well. I’m fine rolling with Mayfield in week 6 in what could become a shootout. I can even start to talk myself into the Browns as a playoff team if they can win one like this.
Blake Bortles (42%)
Let’s play a little game. Which quarterback has put up 375+ yards in 3 of the last 4 weeks, as well as 7 touchdowns in those three games? Here’s another clue: he was a top-5 fantasy quarterback if you looked at the last 5 weeks of last season. Any guesses? Well of course it’s Blake Bortles…this is his blurb. Bortles gets a decent matchup in Dallas this week, and he has the chance to light it up again. I love his weapons, and we know the defense is good at getting the ball back in his hands. So with all the success, why isn’t Bortles my number one? There is one major reason for concern: Dallas and Jacksonville both play a ball control style of offense. This could make for few possessions, limited opportunities to score, and an anemic final score. We’ve seen Bortles has the ceiling to win you a week, but I could see the floor being low in this one as well. Buyer beware.
C.J. Beathard (5%)
Let’s finish up with a new face on the streaming list: C.J. Beathard. It was only one week ago that I recommend starting the Arizona defense as they had the chance to face San Francisco’s backup–a likely source for defensive success. However, Beathard has averaged 320+ yards in his two starts as well as 2 touchdowns in each game. Not only this, but the volume has been impressive: 45 throws per game. I don’t necessarily think Beathard is an amazing talent, but it’s clear that the offense is willing to let it fly with him behind center. The San Francisco 49ers travel to Green Bay and will likely need to put up points against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers. I can easily see 300 yards and another couple touchdowns this week, even if San Fran will probably lose again.