Welcome to Crossing the Streams (Week 3). 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 re-evaluated.
Kickers
Daniel Carlson, Raiders vs CAR (2)
Carlson has gotten off to a solid start through two games and currently sits as PK13 on the year. He is 5 for 6 on field goals and 3 for 3 on extra points. Carlson has yet to hit a field goal from beyond 40 yards so his numbers haven’t exploded just yet, but a Week 3 matchup with the Carolina Panthers should work wonders. The Panthers currently rank as the second-best matchup for kickers and are one of the worst defenses in football. This matchup provides the Raiders with more touchdown potential than normal and should ensure that Carlson has a safe floor and plenty of upside.
Cairo Santos, Bears vs IND (4)
Santos is currently PK7 after back-to-back solid, but not week-winning performances against the Titans and Texans. He has nailed both extra points he attempted and is a perfect 5 for 5 on field goals. Of his 5 field goals, 3 are from beyond 50 yards and 1 from 40 yards. That shows just how much leg Santos has every week. This week he gets a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to kickers and should make for a get-right spot for the struggling Bears offense. Even if the Bears aren’t able to get things back on track, it has provided Santos with plenty of opportunities for long touchdowns on stalled drives.
Dustin Hopkins, Browns vs NYG (7)
Hopkins and the Browns struggled in Week 1 against a tough Cowboys defense but bounced back solidly against a much more favorable Jaguars defense. He is 3 for 3 on extra points and 4 for 4 on field goals with 1 field goal from more than 40 yards, and 2 from beyond 50 yards. Hopkins draws the Giants this week who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to kickers and will surely struggle to shut down Cleveland in this one.
D/ST
Packers DST vs TEN (1)
The Packers struggled in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles but looked far better last week against the Indianapolis Colts. They currently sit as DST9 on the season with three sacks and five interceptions as a team. Green Bay is playing a much slower-paced game with Jordan Love injured and is certain to keep this game to a low-scoring struggle with the equally defensive-minded Titans. Tennessee ranks as the best matchup for opposing DSTs and has allowed a high-end fantasy finish in both weeks this season. This is a prime spot for the Packers who are likely to put up a monster stat line against Tennessee, similar to what the Bears did against them in Week 1.
Colts DST vs CHI (4)
The Colts sit as DST23 on the season after disappointing against both Houston and Green Bay to start the season. They carry with them inherent risk after losing stud defender Deforest Buckner, but this matchup is too good to pass up for a defense as talented as Indianapolis. The Colts have recorded four sacks this season but have failed to haul in an interception through two games. The Bears are the fourth-best matchup for opposing DSTs in what is likely to be an ugly, sloppy game between offenses that are hit-and-miss.
Bears DST vs IND (13)
The Bears are on the other side of the ball in this game and I expect them to be stream-worthy this week as well. As I said above, these offenses have struggled at times and are not likely to get into a high-scoring shootout. The Bears are DST2 on the season despite being ranked low in ECR and have racked up six sacks, two interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. Indianapolis ranks as the 13th-best matchup for opposing DSTs which isn’t spectacular, but with Anthony Richardson‘s habit of channeling his inner Ryan Fitzpatrick and throwing YOLO balls, they will have ample opportunity for turnovers and touchdowns.
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