Welcome to Crossing the Streams (Week 2). This is where we come to highlight kickers and D/STs we are starting this week. For the starts, we will be avoiding the obvious starts, and will only be selecting players outside the top 10 who could conceivably be available to stream off the waiver wire. After each week we will show a report card with a grade of our Hit and Miss rate. A hit will be any player that scores more than 8.0 fantasy points which we will refer to as the magic number, with anything under that being a miss. For our full list of weekly rankings, head over to The FFU Weekly Rankings Page or try out our Sit/Start Tool Powered by Fantasy Pros.
*Disclaimer* Don’t bet too heavily based on this column in the early weeks of the NFL season. The data gets more accurate as we go, but in the first few weeks of the season, you should bet smaller as we need some time to see what data holds and what data has to be reevaluated.
Kickers
Younghoe Koo, Falcons vs PHI (10)
Koo put up only 3.40 fantasy points in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was 1 for 1 on both field goals and extra points so it was simply due to lack of opportunities. This Week he faces the Philadelphia Eagles who are the 10th best matchups for kickers after allowing 11 fantasy points to Green Bay in Week 1.Look for Koo to bounce back to his old ways this week when he should have several opportunities for long field goals.
Joshua Karty, Rams vs ARI (11)
Karty totaled 8.70 fantasy points in a Sunday Night showdown with the Lions last week and was 2 for 2 on both field goals and extra points. In Week 2, the Rams should have more opportunities to score against a weak Cardinals defense thar ranks as the 11th best matchup for opposing kickers allowing 10 fantasy points per game to the position. The Cardinals defense is not the Lions defense and they should allow significantly more points as a result which in turn will make Karty a reliable streamer with massive upside.
Greg Zuerlein, Jets vs TEN (7)
Zuerlein totaled a single fantasy point in Week 1 against the vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense but did manage to hit the only extra point he attempted. The 49ers shut down the Jets all game and prevented Zuerlein from getting in range to attempt a field goal. This week however, Zuerlein goes up against the Tennessee Titans who are the 7th best matchup for opposing kickers after allowing 13 fantasy points to the lowly Chicago bears offense in Week 1. The Jets will finally mount an offense this week and Zuerlein will have opportunities to put up solid numbers. Stream him with confidence.
D/ST
Jaguars DST vs CLE (3)
The Jaguars put up one fantasy point in Week 1 after a matchup with the high-flying Miami Dolphins. They allowed 20 points against while totaling three sacks. In Week 2, they math up with the Cleveland Browns who rank as the 3rd best matchup for opposing DSTs allowing 17 points to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. The Browns are nowhere near as lethal on offense as the Dolphins were and the struggling Deshaun Watson should allow them ample opportunities to rack up fantasy points.
Patriots DST vs SEA (8)
The Patriots held the Cincinnati Bengals to only 10 points in Week 1 on route to a massive upset. They recorded three sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovered in the win for a total of 14 fantasy points. They look to keep the positive production going with a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks who rank as the 8th best matchup for opposing DSTs after allowing 10 points to the Denver Broncos in Week 1. The Patriots are a risky start, but despite how poor their offense looked, their defense is solid.
Commanders DST vs NYG (2)
The Commanders posted -4 fantasy points in Week 1 after allowing 37 points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luckily for the Commanders, the Giants are not the Buccaneers. New York may be the league’s worst offense and currently ranks as the 2nd best matchup for opposing DSTs after allowing 22 fantasy points to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. Look for tackles, sacks, and interceptions galore this week against Daniel Jones who has thrown more touchdowns to the other team than he has his own team since signing his blockbuster contract extension.
2023 Report Card
D/ST- 2 for 3 (66.7%)
Kickers- 3 for 3 (100.0%)
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