Six weeks ago, we didn't truly know which defenses to trust beyond the perennial elites. Now, a couple of weeks into bye-week season, we have a large sample size with which to work and a firm understanding of which D/STs are studs and which offenses we should avoid. Our Week 6 fantasy defense rankings will help steer you in the right direction at D/ST, the often-overlooked but always-important position at the end of your active roster.
What did Week 5 teach us? A few things. The 49ers are not just very good — they are great at every level. They made the Cowboys look like they were in a different class on Sunday Night Football.
San Francisco and Dallas were easy calls last week, as they both rank top three in scoring and yardage. However, we nailed some tough calls, too. When all was said and done, we had well over half of the top-12 highest-scoring D/STs through Sunday ranked in our top 12.
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Our best Week 5 hits include the Steelers (vs. Ravens) at No. 4, and they finished with the second-most points. We also had the Bengals, Jets, and Dolphins ranked well above the industry average, and they all finished among the top six on the weekend.
Don't forget about those feisty Lions, who we've assured you for weeks should be 100-percent rostered and viewed as a solid starting unit. Detroit reached double-digits for the fourth time in five weeks, and Dan Campbell's guys have now scored 41 points since Week 3.
WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Let's keep our positive week-to-week results going and get you set up for success in Week 6. Those following our weekly Waiver Wire Watchlist likely already have a streaming strategy in place for this week, but it's still a good idea to come by here early and often for updated rankings and developments.
Read on below to see the thought process behind our rankings, and to see how you stack up against your opponent in the ever-important D/ST spot. No position left behind here! Championship-caliber teams dominate from top to bottom — now let's get it! Here's our Week 6 fantasy defense rankings.
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Which fantasy defenses are on bye in Week 6?
It's a quiet week for byes but not an insignificant one for the defensive landscape. The Steelers (rostered in 56 percent of Yahoo leagues) and Packers (28 percent) have the week off, so owners of those squads who didn't utilize our look-ahead waiver article will be scrambling to put in FAAB and waiver claims ahead of Wednesday. Have no fear, fantasy friends — we'll help you come to a decision that will help you and not haunt you.
WEEK 6 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 6?
You already know the cream of the crop — you can't do much better than the 49ers (@ Browns in Week 6), Eagles (@ Jets), and Cowboys (@ Chargers) even though the latter unit has a date in L.A. against Justin Herbert. Micah Parsons has been a MasterClass of front-seven dominance this season, and only the Niners' Fred Warner looks close to him in the Defensive Player of the Year race.
Of course, Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions (@ Buccaneers) might have something to say about that. Hutch took a huge leap between last season and this one, and suddenly the hype train in Motown revolves around more than just the offensive side of the ball. The 42-24 win over Carolina makes it look closer than it was (good ol' garbage time), but it's important to note that the Lions have made three consecutive NFL QBs and run games look pretty bad.
Speaking of bad, the Bills (vs. Giants) looked abysmal in London last week against the (sort-of hometown) Jaguars. That should serve as a wake-up call that Buffalo has to bring it each week, and we have no doubt Sean McDermott's team will against a downtrodden Giants squad.
We also love the Ravens (vs. Titans) after a tough loss in Pittsburgh, and we like the Saints (@ Texans) to go marching on after crushing New England in Week 5. The Dolphins (vs. Panthers) have a good matchup on both sides of the ball, they might dominate time of possession while forcing Bryce Young into a few turnovers.
WEEK 6 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 6?
The Seahawks (@ Bengals) serve as our top sleeper of the week. Most fantasy folks will shy away, thinking that this Bengals' offense is back after a strong showing in Arizona, but Seattle has been much better than the Cardinals and Cincinnati needs more than a win over a bottom-dwelling squad to assure us they're fixed.
The Texans (vs. Saints), Chiefs (vs. Broncos), and Patriots (@ Raiders) all face shaky, inconsistent veteran QBs in Derek Carr, Russell Wilson, and Jimmy Garoppolo, respectively. Sounds like sack and turnover opportunities to us, and all three of these defenses have ball-hawking upside. The Pats have fallen the hardest, missing stud pass-rusher Matt Judon (biceps) and top rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder). Still, a Belichick defense will almost always get the best of a Josh McDaniels offense, especially in a must-win situation.
We're somewhat interested in the Falcons (vs. Commanders) and Bengals (vs. Seahawks) even though the offenses of Washington and Seattle have both shown signs of positive regression over the past few weeks. ATL and Cincy both have strong pass-rushes, which could force the young Sam Howell and the banged-up Geno Smith into some poor throws.
We usually have the Jets (vs. Eagles), Browns (vs. 49ers), Titans (vs. Ravens), and Buccaneers (vs. Lions) much higher. However, you probably shouldn't risk rolling any D/ST against Philly, San Francisco, or Detroit right now, and Tennessee looked bad against Gardner Minshew, so who knows what a pissed-off Lamar Jackson and company will do to Mike Vrabel's squad.
We'll be updating these D/ST rankings throughout the remainder of the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.
Fantasy Defense Rankings Week 6: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Rank Player
1 San Francisco 49ers @ Browns
2 Buffalo Bills vs. Giants
3 Philadelphia Eagles @ Jets
4 Detroit Lions @ Buccaneers
5 Dallas Cowboys @ Chargers
6 Baltimore Ravens vs. Titans
7 New Orleans Saints @ Texans
8 Miami Dolphins vs. Panthers
9 Seattle Seahawks @ Bengals
10 Houston Texans vs. Saints
11 Kansas City Chiefs vs. Broncos
12 Atlanta Falcons vs. Commanders
13 New England Patriots @ Raiders
14 Tennessee Titans vs. Ravens
15 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Seahawks
16 Indianapolis Colts @ Jaguars
17 New York Jets vs. Eagles
18 Washington Commanders @ Falcons
19 Cleveland Browns vs. 49ers
20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Lions
21 Las Vegas Raiders vs. Patriots
22 Minnesota Vikings @ Bears
23 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Colts
24 Los Angeles Rams vs. Cardinals
25 Arizona Cardinals @ Rams
26 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Cowboys
27 Chicago Bears vs. Vikings
28 Denver Broncos @ Chiefs
29 New York Giants @ Bills
30 Carolina Panthers @ Dolphins
Week 6 D/ST fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
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