Week 10 D/ST and Kicker Streamers: Target the Rookie and Backup QB Starters

At least six teams will start a quarterback this weekend who opened the season as a backup, a rookie or on another roster, and that's the best D/ST streaming board of the season. Fernando Mendoza (Raiders), Carson Beck (Cardinals) and Kyle McCord (Dolphins) are all making their first NFL starts. Kirk Cousins returns to Minnesota days after the trade. Deshaun Watson is back from the concussion protocol in Cleveland. On Monday, Jacoby Brissett becomes Baltimore's fourth starting quarterback in four games.

Each of those situations was confirmed this week by the team or by multiple reports. The one starter still to be made official is McCord, whom Miami has all but named after placing Malik Willis on injured reserve. The bye teams this week are the Bears, Broncos, Eagles and Buccaneers, which takes Chicago's and Denver's defenses off the board and pushes more managers onto the waiver wire.

The quarterback situations, confirmed

The Vikings haven't formally committed to Cousins, but Packers coach Matt LaFleur said publicly that he expects Cousins to start, and Murray is not expected to be available.

Tier 1: start with confidence

Packers D/ST vs. Vikings. Green Bay has 10 sacks and six takeaways over its last two games, per Roto Street Journal, and it gets a Minnesota offense working in a quarterback who was on another roster a week ago. Cousins knows the system and Justin Jefferson, which helps, but timing with the rest of the offense and protection calls take more than a few practices. At home at Lambeau in clear, cool weather, Green Bay is the most consistently recommended streamer of the week.

Rams D/ST at Cardinals. Beck's first start comes against a veteran Rams defense in a division game where Arizona will probably be chasing points. A rookie's first start against an experienced pass rush is a classic setup for sacks and turnovers. The Rams are probably rostered in more leagues than the other names here, but if they're on your wire, grab them first.

Texans D/ST at Browns. Watson missed Week 9 and has not consistently looked like the passer from his Houston years since arriving in Cleveland. The Browns' offense is still sorting out its receiver group. Cleveland's forecast carries a modest rain chance and a steady wind off the lake, both of which tilt toward the defense. Houston is a strong start.

Tier 2: viable streamers

Colts D/ST vs. Dolphins. Indianapolis has three sacks in each of its last three games, per FantasyPros, and gets McCord in his first NFL start indoors. The concern is that the Colts are 2-7 and haven't consistently stopped anyone. Some analysts actually like McCord against Indy's secondary as a superflex add. Treat the Colts as a sack-floor streamer rather than a turnover bet.

Seahawks D/ST at Raiders. Mendoza's debut against Seattle's defense in a dome is a sensible target. Rookies tend to hold the ball and take sacks in their first start, and Las Vegas just lost its starting quarterback to a trade. The risk is that the Seattle offense under a banged-up Lock may not build the kind of lead that forces Mendoza into obvious passing downs.

Chargers D/ST at Ravens (Monday). Brissett is a steady veteran who rarely gives the ball away, so this matchup is less about interceptions and more about a Baltimore team that has taken lopsided losses in recent weeks with a rotating cast at quarterback. Brissett had about one week of practice with his new team before this start. Several outlets prefer the Ravens D/ST in this game. Both are playable, and the Chargers are the more contrarian choice.

Raiders D/ST vs. Seahawks. This is a deep-league play only. Lock is starting through oblique and throwing-elbow problems, and backup quarterbacks playing hurt take sacks. Las Vegas has no other reason to be on your radar.

Kicker streamers

Kickers follow scoring environments, weather and dome games. This week has several attractive spots:

- Cam Little (Jaguars at Titans): RotoBaller's top-ranked kicker this week. He plays outdoors in dry, calm conditions in a game Jacksonville should control. - Brandon Aubrey (Cowboys vs. 49ers): Indoors in what several outlets project as one of the highest-scoring games on the slate. He's rarely available, but he's an automatic start. - Spencer Shrader (Colts vs. Dolphins): 4for4 has him among its top streaming projections this week. He kicks indoors against an offense led by a first-time starter that could hand Indianapolis short fields. - Jake Bates (Lions vs. Patriots, Munich): SI flagged him as a riser. Detroit has a solid offense, and Munich's forecast holds no major weather risk.

Avoid Jason Sanders and Tyler Bass at MetLife, where early gusts in the low 20s mph are forecast. 4for4's projection for Sanders looks fine on paper, but wind shortens field-goal range and makes coaches more aggressive on fourth down.

What to do in your league

If you lost the Bears or Broncos D/ST to byes, the order is Packers, then Rams or Texans if available, then Colts or Seahawks. In leagues where you can stream a second defense on Monday, the Chargers are a reasonable hedge if your Sunday choice disappoints. For kickers, get off the MetLife kickers and pick up Shrader or Little, whichever is available.

To see how Verdexed rates each game, check the NFL predictions page at /nfl/predictions or the full Week 10 picks breakdown at /blog/nfl-week-10-picks-2026.

What's next

Watch the final injury reports Saturday and Sunday for two items: whether Lock is cleared without restriction and whether Miami formally names McCord. If Lock is downgraded, the Raiders D/ST becomes more interesting and Mendoza's matchup stays the same. Looking ahead, Mendoza, Beck and McCord could all be starting again in Week 11, which makes their opponents early streaming targets for next week as well. Bottom line for Sunday: start Green Bay, and pick up Shrader if your kicker plays in the MetLife wind.