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Fantasy Football: Quarterbacks, tight ends and defenses to stream in Week 1

Many fantasy football managers elect to “punt” the quarterback, tight end and defense positions, essentially investing minimal draft-day resources into those spots in favor of giving them extra attention throughout the season.  

Streaming these positions requires keen attention to detail when scouring the waiver wire for the best potential matchups on a week-to-week basis — and for many that starts Week 1. 

The following are three widely available streaming options for Week 1 at each of the QB, TE and D/ST positions.

Quarterback

Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

Taylor was only recently named the starting quarterback for the Chargers, otherwise he probably would have been drafted to more starting lineups prior to a Week 1 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. There's a lot going in his favor, starting with the matchup — PFF’s strength of schedule metric ranks Tyrod’s visit to Cincy as the week's fifth-easiest matchup — the Bengals allowed the most rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks in 2019. 

The Cincinnati defense will look different this season after drafting three linebackers and adding defensive tackle D.J. Reader and a couple of secondary pieces in free agency, but it’s fair to expect some hiccups early in the new season.

Tyrod is also an underrated talent — he finished as the QB15, QB12, and QB17 as a starter during his three-year stretch as the Bills' starting quarterback from 2015-2017. PFF’s fantasy projections anticipate a QB15 performance — borderline QB1 production, and Taylor's rushing ability offers a much higher ceiling. 

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

The Carolina Panthers were a relatively average defense against opposing quarterbacks in 2019, ranking 17th in points given up to the position, but the defense — and in particular the secondary — has undergone a major reconstruction since it last took the field.

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