It has been a high-scoring start to the NFL season, and with bye weeks officially in effect, finding solid starts, sleepers, and waiver-wire streamers at D/ST is going to become more difficult for fantasy football owners. However, with a bigger sample size, it is easier to figure out which defenses are even close to legitimate, and it's also easier to figure out the league's worst offenses to exploit. Our Week 5 fantasy defense rankings will help sort through all this information to identify the best options this week.
Once again, the Rams find themselves near the top of the defense rankings because of an excellent matchup with the Washington Football Team. The Patriots and Steelers return to the top five, as well, after a tough matchup with the Chiefs and a postponed game, respectively. They should be solid performers against the Broncos and Brett Rypien (or possibly Drew Lock) and the beat-up Eagles.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
The byes (Packers, Lions) likely don't affect fantasy owners too much, as neither team is one you stream against, nor are either of their defenses particularly useful. Still, you might be looking for a streamer, and it's not a great week for that. The Cardinals (@ Jets) top the list of worthwhile D/ST pickups, while the Cowboys (vs. Giants), Browns (vs. Colts), and Jaguars (@ Texans) all represent good dart-throws. Denver (@ Patriots) and Jacksonville (@ Texans) are also possibilities. If you don't have one of the top-10 defenses this week, the Cardinals are best option out there, so do your best to scoop them up.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
Per usual, the Thursday night game figures to be a potential solid spot for defenses. The Buccaneers and the Bears are facing off in an interesting matchup, and both have a chance to emerge as top-12 defensive units against immobile quarterbacks. Tom Brady may not turn the ball over much, so the Bucs represent the better play, but both of these teams can be started this week.
WEEK 5 DFS CASH LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
NOTE: Check back for updates and further analysis throughout the week.
WEEK 5 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Week 5 Fantasy Defense Rankings
WEEK 5 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams @ Washington. Washington ranks third-worst in the league in both total yards (301.8) and total points (19.8) per game, so the Rams should have a chance to post similar numbers to those that they did against the Giants last week. Los Angeles allowed only nine points, sacked Daniel Jones five times, and forced him into an interception in their victory. Feel free to fire them up as the top defense this week. |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Eagles. Another week, another banged-up offensive lineman for the Eagles. They were without Jason Peters in Week 4 and right tackle Lane Johnson is playing on a balky ankle. That's part of the reason that Carson Wentz has thrown seven interceptions and been sacked 14 times through four games. The Steelers will be well-rested coming off an unexpected bye and should be able to pressure Wentz into more mistakes with T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree. |
| 3 | New England Patriots vs. Broncos. The Broncos may have Drew Lock back for this game but if not, they'll be relying on Brett Rypien again. Rypien looked good at times in his first NFL start, but he did throw three interceptions against the woeful Jets defense. If Rypien starts, the Patriots, who had seven takeaways through three games to start the season, should have a great chance to intercept and pressure Rypien. If it's Lock, the Patriots will still be in good shape as the Patriots have the personnel (Stephon Gilmore, the McCourty Twins, J.C. Jackson) to eliminate Denver's top weapons (Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick) especially with Noah Fant (ankle) likely out for Week 5. |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens vs. Bengals. The Ravens had one clunker against the Chiefs but they are still third-best in the league in points per game allowed at 18.3. They should be able to slow down the Bengals offense even with Joe Burrow performing well in recent weeks. Burrow hasn't faced a defense as tough as that of the Ravens yet, so his performance could be closer to his week one effort against the Chargers (13 points, three sacks, one INT) than his recent offensive hot streak (six TDs the past three games). |
| 5 | Arizona Cardinals @ Jets. The Jets are tied with the Giants for the fewest total yards through four weeks this season with a mark of 278. They also are scoring just 16.3 points per game, good for second-worst in the NFL, and are allowing the most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing defenses (15.0). The Cardinals defense is in a bit of a downturn as they're allowing 28.5 points per game their last two outings but they should be able to contain the Jets and potentially rack up a pick-six. |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts @ Browns. So far this season, no defense has been better than that of the Colts. They are allowing the league's fewest yards per game (236.3) and the fewest points per game (14) through four games. The Browns have racked up at least 30 points in their last three outings, but those came against the Cincinnati, Washington, and Dallas defenses respectively. Expect them to come back to earth a bit in this contest, especially if Nick Chubb (knee) is out for the game. |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers vs. Dolphins. Despite all of their injury woes, the 49ers have limited their opponents to just 17.8 points per game, good for second-best in the NFL, and 294.8 yards per game, third-best in the league. The 49ers should have a chance to limit the Dolphins, especially if they can get Ryan Fitzpatrick out of rhythm and force him into his third multi-interception game of the season. |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Bears. Nick Foles made his debut as the Bears starter against the Colts and he mostly flopped. Foles was able to lead only two scoring drive and one came in garbage time with the Colts up 16 late. On a short week, Foles could have trouble moving the ball on a Buccaneers defense that allows the fourth-fewest yards per game. |
| 9 | Buffalo Bills @ Titans. The Titans have played three subpar defenses so far including the Broncos, Jaguars, and Vikings. The Bills are, far and away, better than those three teams and should have a chance to turn Ryan Tannehill and Co. over, as the Bills' six takeaways are tied for the eighth-most in the NFL. Plus, the Titans may be significantly shorthanded with numerous players on the COVID list, so the Bills could do damage against a depleted squad. |
| 10 | Cleveland Browns vs. Colts. The Colts have been winning games with their defense more than their offense so far this year, and Philip Rivers is still prone to bouts with inaccuracy as we saw against the Bears (55 percent completion rate). If the Browns can pressure Rivers, they may force him into a bad throw or two which could result in an interception. It's not ideal to trust a team that's allowed 29.3 points per game the last three weeks, but the Browns lead the NFL in takeaways (10) and the Colts are only scoring 22.3 points per game when excluding their two defensive TDs against Sam Darnold which don't count against fantasy defenses. |
| 11 | Chicago Bears vs. Buccaneers. Tom Brady is coming off a five-TD game, but the 43-year-old is also scheduled to play a tough defense on the road on a short week in colder weather. Brady has thrown four interceptions including a couple of pick-sixes this year, so there is some significant upside in trusting the Bears in that regard. Additionally, Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Leonard Fournette (ankle) are questionable for this game so the Bucs may have fewer weapons this week than normal. The Bears can be trusted in this spot considering that they give up the seventh-fewest points per game league-wide at 20.3. |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys vs. Giants. Considering that the Cowboys have the league's worst scoring defense at 36.5 points allowed per game, this may seem like an odd pick. But the Giants are, simply put, bad offensively. They are averaging 278 yards per game, tied for the fewest in the NFL, and are averaging only 11.8 points per game this year, the worst mark in the league by 4.5 points. The Cowboys are certainly a gamble, but considering that the Giants have score nine points in back-to-back games and Daniel Jones has multiple turnovers in 3-of-4 games this season, they may be worth a shot as a streamer or low-cost DFS play. |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints vs. Chargers. The Saints are banged-up in the secondary, but if they get Marshon Lattimore and/or Janoris Jenkins back before they play the Chargers, they should have a chance to do well in that contest. The Chargers allow 6.3 FPPG to defenses this season and despite dropping 31 points on the Bucs last week, they allowed 6.0 fantasy points in that contest thanks to turnovers. Justin Herbert is a rookie QB and will be prone to some mistakes, as evidenced by his one interception per start this season, so perhaps New Orleans can make his second road start difficult in the Superdome. |
| 14 | Denver Broncos @ Patriots. With Cam Newton out, Brian Hoyer is starting. Hoyer is a journeyman veteran and while he has been solid at times throughout his career, he can be prone to interceptions (as evidenced by his 8-to-8 TD-INT rate the past three seasons). The Broncos are pretty banged-up on defense but if they can contain the Patriots' running game, they should have a chance to limit the Patriots' offense as a whole. The Broncos also did just sack Sam Darnold six times, so perhaps they can repeat their magic against Hoyer. |
| 15 | Kansas City Chiefs vs. Raiders. Incredibly, the Chiefs allowed exactly 20 points in their first three games of the season. No more, no less. Their defense has been top-tier in points allowed, middle-of-the-pack in yardage allowed, but below-average in takeaways. So, while they have a high floor because of their third-ranked scoring defense, their ceiling is low given that they're averaging just one takeaway per game before Monday Night Football against the Patriots. Still, they're a good streamer against a Las Vegas offense that could be missing Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards again. |
| 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars @ Texans. Through three weeks, the Texans had allowed the fourth-most FPPG to opposing defenses at a mark of 9.7. That may surprise some, but it's important to remember that teams facing the Texans usually have a high floor because Deshaun Watson is sacked so frequently. This year, he has been sacked 16 times through four games and in each of those contests, he has been sacked at least three times. The Jaguars and Josh Allen, in particular, should be able to take advantage of this and the Jaguars could be a quality streamer as a result. |
| 17 | Seattle Seahawks vs. Vikings |
| 18 | Houston Texans vs. Jaguars |
| 19 | Tennessee Titans vs. Bills |
| 20 | Los Angeles Chargers @ Saints. The Chargers will be a quality starting option beginning in their Week 6 matchup with the New York Jets. They're not a recommended start against a Saints team that allows the third-fewest FPPG to defenses, but if you need a defense for the future and they become available, feel free to grab the Chargers this week. |
| 21 | Philadelphia Eagles @ Steelers |
| 22 | Miami Dolphins @ 49ers. The 49ers may be getting Raheem Mostert (knee) and Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) back this week. Garoppolo's absence would make the bigger impact, as CJ Beathard would likely start in place of Garoppolo after Nick Mullens struggled against the Eagles. If Beathard starts, Miami would be a potential top-16 play, but for now, they shouldn't be considered as a streaming option. |
| 23 | Washington Football Team vs. Rams |
| 24 | Carolina Panthers @ Falcons |
| 25 | Minnesota Vikings @ Seahawks |
| 26 | New York Jets vs. Cardinals |
| 27 | Cincinnati Bengals @ Ravens |
| 28 | Atlanta Falcons vs. Panthers |
| 29 | New York Giants @ Cowboys |
| 30 | Las Vegas Raiders @ Chiefs |
