2017 Fantasy Football Week 2: Streaming options at tight end, DST and kicker

Heath Cummings tries to follow up a strong Week 1 streaming effort with three Week 2 options at tight end, kicker and DST.

By Heath Cummings

Sep 12, 2017 at 4:12 pm ET • 3 min read

It won't always be that easy.

But we're going to enjoy it when it is.

Last week's No. 1 tight end streaming option, Charles Clay, finished sixth at the position. The top DST streamer (Rams) finished as the No. 2 defense. Brandon McManus wasn't great as the No. 1 kicker, but it's not like seven points out of your kicker hurts you.

Can we follow that up in Week 2?

It gets tougher because ownership has trended a bit sharper, but there are still plenty of options out there. Also, we're adding to the degree of difficulty this week, with at least one deep-league option (10 percent owned or less) at all three positions.

Tight End

1	Jared Cook Oakland Raiders TE
Charles Clay just put up 53 yards and a touchdown against this Jets defense and Jared Cook has even more upside than that. Cook caught all five of his targets in Week 1 and is just 54 percent owned. He's touchdown-dependent like most streamers, but he has a decent floor in both PPR and standard leagues.
2	Charles Clay Buffalo Bills TE
Not enough of you listened to the advice on Charles Clay last week because he's still just 25 percent owned. I would expect that will go up when a majority of waivers run Tuesday night, but I'm not sure it will go up enough. Clay has a more difficult matchup in Week 2 but he should have a better game script -- his team is more than a touchdown underdog to the Panthers.
3	Zach Miller Chicago Bears TE
The Chicago Bears just keep losing receiving options. With Kevin White now lost as well, Miller is arguably the team's best pass-catcher. That makes it all the more amazing he's just 8 percent owned. Miller is borderline startable in a 12-team league in Week 2 but he's a good option in a league that is 14 teams or deeper.

DST

1	Ravens
The Ravens are 69 percent owned, which is slightly higher than I like for the purposes of this column, but they're worth making an exception. The Ravens first team defense didn't give up a single point in the preseason or Week 1. They get the Browns in Week 2. The Ravens should be 100 percent owned by the time Sunday rolls around.
2	Raiders
I have a lot of questions about the long-term viability of the Raiders defense, but they get the Jets in Week 2 and anyone is startable against the Jets. They're available in 65 percent of leagues and a better option than teams that are owned in more than 90 percent like the Patriots and Chiefs.
3	Browns
I get why the Browns are only 4 percent owned. They are, in fact, the Browns. But their defense looked halfway decent against the Steelers in Week 1 and the Ravens offense they'll face in Week 2 is nothing special. The Ravens have a ton of trouble on the offensive line and Joe Flacco has been known to toss an interception or two when under pressure. The Browns are an excellent streaming option in deeper leagues.

Kicker

1	Giorgio Tavecchio Oakland Raiders K
When Sebastian Janikowski went on the IR Giorgio Tavecchio instantly became an interesting name at kicker. With a Week 2 matchup against the Jets, he's elite. The Raiders will live on the Jets side of the field, giving Tavecchio a floor of five of six extra points. The ceiling is much, much higher.
2	Brandon McManus Denver Broncos K
If you picked up McManus last week I wouldn't hesitate to hold on to him. He has another home game against a defense that isn't near as good as the Giants made it look. McManus should get plenty of opportunities in Week 2 and finish as a top ten kicker.
3	Blair Walsh Seattle Seahawks K
Blair Walsh is Tavecchio-light this week. He has a higher owner ship (49 percent) as well. In other words, you're only adding him if you can't get the Raiders kicker. But he has plenty of upside himself against a bad 49ers club.