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Welcome to the start of the 2020 NFL Season! It sure feels great to say that. We here at Rotoballer are set to kick off another season of sound fantasy football advice. Each week we will be providing streamer advice for all of those who need it, which is pretty much anyone and everyone. Streaming players with the best matchups each week as well as during your stud's bye weeks is an integral part of winning a fantasy championship and we are here to provide the best choices week in and week out.
Each week in this article, we will break down streamers for both shallower leagues of 8-10 teams (around 40% rostered or less) and deeper leagues of 14 or more teams (around 20% rostered or less). We will provide a specific roster in each type of league, which will include a QB, RB, WR, TE, and Flex. It should also be noted that if you play in a deep league, but a shallow-league player mentioned here is available in your league, feel free to stream them as well.
Let's take a look at Week 1's best streaming options with some highlighted players to keep an especially close eye on.
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Stream Team for Shallow Leagues (<40% Rostered)
- QB: Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts
- RB: Chris Thompson, Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR: Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers
- TE: Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks
- Flex: N'Keal Harry, New England Patriots
Philip Rivers (QB, IND) - 28% Rostered
Rivers will be making his debut with Colts on Sunday and has some solid weapons to throw to in T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell. He has a favorable matchup with the Jaguars who allowed nearly 18 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks in 2019, which ranked them 20th in the league. They gave up nearly 225 passing yards per game as well as 21 passing touchdowns on the season, so Rivers should be able to have a solid debut.
Chris Thompson (RB, JAX) - 41% Rostered
The departure of Leonard Fournette could mean more touches for Chris Thompson, and this matchup vs. the Colts could be a great place for him to start the 2020 campaign. Thompson is a big-time pass-catching back as he has averaged over 55 receptions per game across the previous five seasons. The Colts struggled in this department in 2019 as they gave up a league-worst 101 receptions to backs. They also allowed the fifth-most receiving yards to backs with 724 yards allowed. It could be a solid day for Thompson, especially considering the Colts are favored by eight and the game script could lead to more receptions.
Allen Lazard (WR, GB) - 44% Rostered
Lazard will enter the season as the number two wide receiver on the Packers depth chart and has a favorable matchup against the Vikings in Week 1. The Vikings gave up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2019 by allowing nearly 40 points per game. They gave up nearly one touchdown per game to wide receivers and allowed them to average 13 receptions for 143 yards combined. Lazard could definitely be the main benefactor here as the defense likely keys in on Davante Adams.
Greg Olsen (TE, SEA) - 28% Rostered
This game is expected to be a shootout down in Atlanta as it has one of the highest totals on the board at 49. The Falcons struggled a bit in 2019 vs. the tight end as they allowed 12 fantasy points per game to the position. They also gave up six touchdowns to tight ends, which ranked them tied for ninth-worst in the league. With the game expected to be high scoring as noted by the 49 total, Olsen could see a number of targets and have a solid day.
N'Keal Harry (WR, NE) - 33% Rostered
There has been much hype surrounding N'Keal heading into 2020 and he gets his first crack to live up to that hype Week 1 vs. the Dolphins. The Dolphins were awful vs. wide receivers in 2019, so Harry has a good shot to perform well here. The Dolphins allowed a league-worst 23 touchdowns to the position and also gave up the 15th most receiving yards with an average of 151 per game.
Stream Team for Deep Leagues (<20% Rostered)
- QB: Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
- RB: Justin Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers
- WR: Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
- TE: Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
- Flex: James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers
Derek Carr (QB ,LV) - 17% Rostered
Carr is in a solid spot Week 1 vs. the Panthers. In 2019, Carolina ranked dead-last in the league by allowing over 22 fantasy points per game to the quarterback position. They allowed quarterbacks to throw for nearly 250 yards per game and also gave up 21 passing touchdowns. This game also has a projected total of 48, so the fireworks could be flying.
Justin Jackson (RB, LAC) - 13% Rostered
We all know that streaming a running back in a deep league is a very difficult thing to do. Plus, this early in the season it is unlikely you are looking to stream a running back, but if you are, Jackson could be a decent play. We all know Austin Ekeler is the man in LA right now, but the number two is still pretty much wide-open and Jackon is likely going to get the first crack at it Sunday vs. the Bengals if healthy. The Bengals gave up the seventh-most rushing yards and 10th-most rushing touchdowns to backs in 2019. The Chargers are also favored in this game, so there should be plenty of carries to be had late as well.
Hunter Renfrow (WR, LV) - 18% Rostered
The struggles of the Carolina Defense were not limited to quarterbacks in 2019. They also allowed the third-most receiving yards to wide receivers and the second-most receptions. The Raider offense could have a huge day vs. Carolina and Renfrow is set up as the number two wide receiver on the depth chart and should be in line for a solid workload.
Irv Smith Jr. (TE, MIN) - 15% Rostered
Irv Smith Jr. should see plenty of work in the Minnesota offense with the recent departure of Stefon Diggs. In Week 1, he gets a solid matchup vs. the Packers Defense. In 2019, the Packers ranked 20th in the league by allowing over 12 fantasy points per game to the tight end position. They also ranked eighth-worst by allowing over 54 yards per game to the position as well as six receiving touchdowns.
James Washington (WR, PIT) - 13% Rostered
James Washington is listed third on the Steelers depth chart behind Diontae Johnson, but could certainly share or even overtake the number two spot from him. He has a solid opportunity in Week 1 vs. the Giants, who were horrendous against wide receivers in 2019. The Giants allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to the position with over 41. They also gave up the second-most receiving touchdowns to the position with 22 and allowed the fifth-most receiving yards with over 167 per game.
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