At the quarter mark of the NFL season, Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith is leading the NFL with a 77.3% completion percentage -- yet he's available in more than 70% of ESPN leagues. One of my top streaming options for Week 5, the veteran quarterback gets the Saints on the road this Sunday.
Along with Smith, I've identified the players -- all rostered in under 50% of ESPN leagues -- who can be picked up for this week's slate of games. There are rookie running backs in here, wide receivers with explosive play chops and a couple of veteran tight ends who found the end zone last week. While you might notice some overlap with Eric Moody's pickup column that publishes on Mondays, an important distinction is that the options mentioned in this column are focused solely on this week's matchup and not the players' values for the remainder of the season.
With all of that in mind, let's get into it for Week 5's streaming pickup options.
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (28.6% rostered, at Saints): Smith gets a tougher matchup in Week 5 at New Orleans, but I still like the veteran quarterback here, given his ability to play as a timing/rhythm passer (and with rushing upside) in the Seattle system. This past Sunday, Smith cooked the Lions' defense, completing 76.7% of his passes, while posting a season-high 31.7 fantasy points. The rushing totals matter here too, as Smith picked up 49 yards (and a score) on the ground. He's playing very efficiently from the pocket and delivering the ball with both location and accuracy. Plus, Smith is identifying and throwing the one-on-ones to WR DK Metcalf. He'll be a top streaming option in all league formats.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (15.6% rostered, at Commanders): There's a lower floor to playing Tannehill in your lineup, given the limited throwing volume of the Tennessee system. This season, Tannehill has attempted more than 30 passes just once. However, we know how the Tennessee passing game works -- with play-action throws, in-breaking concepts and isolated one-on-ones. I like the matchup vs. the Washington defense as well. A better play for deeper leagues (or 2-QB formats), you are banking on some explosive play-action throws in this one, with Tannehill (12 rushing attempts, one touchdown this season) carrying the ball on boot or designed-run concepts in the low red zone area of the field.
Other potential options: Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (4.0% rostered, vs. Chargers); Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (3.3% rostered, at Rams)
Running backs
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (42.7% rostered, at Buccaneers): The Week 5 matchup versus Tampa Bay gives me some pause here. However, with the news that Cordarrelle Patterson is heading to the IR, Allgeier's value is rising in the Atlanta system. The rookie finished with 84 yards on 10 carries in the Week 4 win over Cleveland, including an explosive play rush of 42 yards. He added 20 more yards on his only reception, too. Now, we should expect Caleb Huntley (also 10 carries in Week 4) to factor into the Falcons' backfield rotation as well. There's more value with Allgeier, however, who showed his ability to press the ball to the edge this past Sunday. Plus, I think he could see a boost in passing-game targets. That said, Huntley (8.3% rostered) is also a potential option, should someone else get to Allgeier first.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs (15.7% rostered, vs. Raiders): The rookie's 63 yards rushing (on 11 carries) were a season high in the Week 4 win over Tampa Bay. Pacheco showcased his running traits in this one, too. The short-area burst jumped ... lower body power on contact ... get downhill in gap schemes. While game flow most likely led to more rushing volume Sunday night for this Chiefs offense, the tape tells us that Pacheco should earn more touches. If he plays as the No. 2 behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire and picks up more carries in scoring position, then you can bet on the rookie as a deeper-league flex in Week 5 versus the Raiders.
Other potential options: Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans (27.0% rostered, at Jaguars); Craig Reynolds, Detroit Lions (5.7% rostered, vs. Patriots); Eno Benjamin (7.0% rostered, vs. Eagles)
Wide receivers
Corey Davis, New York Jets (25.2% rostered; at Dolphins): With Zach Wilson back in the lineup for the Jets on Sunday in Pittsburgh, Davis posted a season-high 18.4 PPR points, while leading New York in targets with seven. Davis has now registered 13-plus PPR points in three of his four games played this season -- and he's scored a touchdown in two of those games. The veteran wide receiver can run the schemed in-breakers and create separation back to the ball, outside of the numbers in this offense, too. Given Wilson's willingness to look for Davis in the route tree, he fits as a WR3 in deeper leagues for this Sunday's matchup versus a Dolphins defense that could be without cornerback Xavien Howard (injury).
George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers (48.6% rostered, at Bills): With rookie QB Kenny Pickett being named the starter for this week's game at Buffalo, I believe there is more potential volume for Pickens. In the Week 4 loss to the Jets, Pickens posted season highs in receiving yards (102), targets (8) and receptions (6) -- with four of those grabs coming on passes thrown by Pickett. Yes, this is a really tough matchup for Pickens against the Bills' defense. I get it. But I'm betting on the talent base of Pickens. He can win on the boundary, stretch coverage from slot alignments or see the rock on schemed throws underneath to beat the Bills' zone looks.
Other potential options: Devin Duvernay (21.1% rostered, at Bengals); Nelson Agholor, New England Patriots (11.9% rostered, vs. Lions); Noah Brown, Dallas Cowboys (10.8% rostered, at Rams)
Tight ends
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers (22.4% rostered, vs. Giants in London): Tonyan caught his first TD pass of the season in the Week 4 win over the Patriots on a seam ball from Aaron Rodgers to beat split-safety coverage in the red zone. While Tonyan only saw two targets in that game, he's scored at least 9.0 PPR points in both of the past two weeks and has registered two games with five-plus targets. You're counting on a volume boost in the Week 5 London game for Tonyan, where he can work the second level versus the Giants' Cover 1/3 schemes and two-deep coverages.
Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals (22.8% rostered, at Ravens): With two games of seven-plus targets already this season, plus a TD reception in the Week 4 win over the Dolphins, Hurst has some streaming value as a deeper-league target for Sunday's game at Baltimore. I see Hurst as an underneath option for QB Joe Burrow versus the Ravens' pressure looks, and we know the tight end can be schemed as a middle-of-the-field stretch option in this Cincinnati offense.
Other potential options: Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders (27.6% rostered, vs. Titans); Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks (6.2% rostered, at Saints)
Defense/special teams
Minnesota Vikings (36.2% rostered, vs. Bears): Take the Vikings' defense here, given the pass rush this unit can create versus the Bears. This Chicago offense is allowing a sack rate of 16.0% per dropback -- the highest in the league. Some of that is on the quarterback, some is on the offensive line, and some is on the wide receivers' inability to shake coverage. The Vikings have logged nine sacks this season, and you can expect that number to jump in Week 4 thanks to schemed pass-rush matchups with split-safety coverage. Heat up QB Justin Fields with the front -- and play top-down on the ball in the secondary.
Other potential options: Jacksonville Jaguars (48.6% rostered, vs. Texans)