With Week 15 here, announcing the start of a majority of fantasy football leagues' playoffs, I'm going to be highlighting my favorite weekly streams and stashes as there isn't a use for picking up a player in the hopes that their role evolves into a more significant one 3-4 weeks down the line, but rather only immediate options that are either streaming into your lineup or have the potential to be played next week/beyond due to an injury to a player ahead of them on the depth chart.
Top Streaming Options of the Week:
These are purely the best available options for this week and this week only, making them options to "plug-and-play" due to favorable matchups, situations, and/or injuries to other players. These aren't "luxury" plays but rather ones to fill in if you have a hole in your lineup due to bye weeks and/or injuries. Only players available in over 60% of leagues will be included.
Quarterbacks:
Jameis Winston (vs KC)
Aaron Rodgers (at JAX)
Mason Rudolph (vs CIN) - If Will Levis is inactive
Drake Maye (at ARI)
Bryce Young (vs DAL)
Runningbacks:
Patrick Taylor Jr. (vs LAR) - If Isaac Guerendo is inactive
Isaiah Davis (at JAX) - If Breece Hall is inactive
Tyler Allgeier (at LV)
Jaleel McLaughlin (vs IND)
Jeremy McNichols (at NO)
Wide Receivers:
Elijah Moore (vs KC)
Ray-Ray McCloud (at LV)
DeMario Douglas (at ARI)
Cedric Tillman (vs KC) - If active
Devaughn Vele (vs IND)
Tight Ends:
Hunter Henry (at ARI)
Juwan Johnson (vs WAS)
Grant Calcaterra (vs PIT)
Mike Gesicki (at TEN)
Noah Gray (at CLE)
Defense/Special Teams:
Arizona Cardinals (vs NE)
Washington Commanders (at NO)
Cincinnati Bengals (at TEN) - If Will Levis is active
Atlanta Falcons (at LV)
Dallas Cowboys (at CAR)
Top Stashes Ahead of Next Week:
These aren't players that you should be playing this week, but rather ones that have the potential to be league-winners beyond this week due to favorable matchups in the future and/or potential handcuff value. Only players available in over 60% of leagues will be included.
Tyler Allgeier (RB - Atlanta Falcons)
He's the handcuff to Bijan Robinson and would immediately step in as a top-15 (likely top-12) fantasy RB if Bijan were to go down. Stash him if he's available.
Jaylen Wright (RB - Miami Dolphins)
He's the handcuff to De'Von Achane and we've already had a bit of a scare with a potential injury to Achane (exiting due to a head injury in Week 14, but shortly returning).
Make sure he's rostered as Wright would likely step into an Achane-type role given the comparable skill set and become a borderline top-15 fantasy option if the star RB went down.
Noah Gray (TE - Kansas City Chiefs)
Gray continues to be relevant in the Chiefs' offense, even behind TE Travis Kelce, now making it 4 consecutive games of 4+ catches and hitting 10+ points in three of his last four.
He's slowly entering a borderline top-15 status on a weekly basis and still has the potential to become an immediate must-start player if Travis Kelce would miss any time.
Worth a stash as a TE2 (if you have the roster space) with top-5 potential as a "handcuff" to Kelce.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn (RB - San Francisco 49ers)
Yes, we're at the point where an NFL free agent at the start of last week is a realistic stash candidate.
Vaughn is the next man up behind Patrick Taylor Jr. in San Francisco after the 49ers lost another RB in Isaac Guerendo. It's still not clear how long (if at all) Guerendo will be out, but if he's expected to miss any time, Vaughn becomes a fairly stashable option.
Xavier Legette (WR - Carolina Panthers)
He's taken a step back since Adam Thielen has returned, but Legette has still hit 4+ targets in his last six games, including five of those with 6+ targets and four with 4+ catches.
Legette doesn't jump off the page as a borderline startable option at this point in the season, but if Thielen went down again, the rookie would immediately enter the WR3/FLEX range that he was in earlier this season.
Devaughn Vele (WR - Denver Broncos)
Didn't play in Week 14 due to a bye and had an underwhelming Week 13 performance (4 targets, 1 catch for 16 yards), but prior to that, he had three straight weeks of 4+ catches and 10+ fantasy points.
Top Defense/Special Teams Stashes:
These are DSTs to stash if you have the roster space, allowing you to get one step ahead of others competing to stream a defense from waivers in the coming weeks. Only DSTs available in over 60% of leagues are included.
Week 16 Stashes
Atlanta Falcons (vs NYG)
Green Bay Packers (vs NO)
Indianapolis Colts (vs TEN)
Jacksonville Jaguars (at LV)
Cincinnati Bengals (vs CLE)
Week 17 Stashes
Los Angeles Chargers (at NE)
New Orleans Saints (vs LV)
Indianapolis Colts (at NYG)
Las Vegas Raiders (at NO)
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs TEN)