Are you looking for some fantasy football streamers at your D/ST position this week? Here are three low-owned options for you, including the New England Patriots’ defense!
Through five weeks of NFL action, there are three defenses tied for the most fantasy points scored at the position. Now, here’s the real kicker: The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of those top-scoring defenses, yet are available in over 75% of ESPN leagues at the time of writing! The Jags also notably lead the NFL with 14 takeaways, four more than any other team. As for another surprise, the Baltimore Ravens are the only defense that has scored negative fantasy points through the first five weeks. Few would’ve had that on their bingo card coming into the year, and such surprises help to illustrate the benefit of utilizing defense fantasy football streamers on a weekly basis.
Given that so much of the DST position is predicated on forcing turnovers and generating sacks, streaming the position weekly to attack the best matchups is arguably the most surefire way to achieve consistent success. Anyone who has been paying any sort of attention to the NFL thus far knows full well that there are some really bad offenses around the league for fantasy football defense streamers to take advantage of.
Let’s have a look at our favorite defense fantasy football streamers for Week 6. Be sure to also check out our Week 6 fantasy football rankings!
Note: Players must be owned in less than 60% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football streamers at defense column.
Week 6 Defense Fantasy Football Streamers
New England Patriots Fantasy DST (51.2%)
With a pair of double-digit outputs and at least four points in all five games played to date, the Patriots DST quietly ranks seventh in fantasy scoring at the position. New England’s defense has averaged 7.4 points per game under standard scoring rules, and a propensity to force turnovers has been a big reason why. The Pats showcased this for all to see last Sunday night as they came away with three takeaways in an upset win over Buffalo. What’s more, this unit got a major boost on the back end two weeks ago with the return of star corner Christian Gonzalez. His ability to shut down half the field makes everyone’s job that much easier.
In the hunt for the best defense fantasy football streamers this week, the Patriots rank right up there among the available options thanks to a matchup against the New Orleans Saints. While it is true that the Saints have not been as awful offensively as many expected, this is still an uninspiring outfit with Spencer Rattler at quarterback. New Orleans managed to get its first win of the year last week in a game where they ran the ball effectively against a bad Giants run D.
Needless to say, a similar strategy doesn’t figure to work quite as well this Sunday. The Pats have allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game and rank fifth in EPA/rush defensively. We’ll bet against Rattler to successfully make up for this perceived disadvantage.
More Fantasy Football Streamers Week 6
Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy DST (31.7%)
Remember when the Chargers rattled off three straight wins against divisional opponents to begin the season? Yeah, me neither. Now, it seems like the Chargers are falling right back into their typical ways. To be fair to Jim Harbaugh’s group, injuries haven’t helped matters. Fortunately, a matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 6 looks like the perfect get-right spot. It also figures to be a positive matchup for Los Angeles’ defense as a fantasy football streamers target. Given all of the injuries the Chargers are facing on offense, they could really use a big-time defensive performance in this contest.
Through the first five weeks, L.A. ranks 15th in fantasy scoring at the DST position. While this middling rank resembles their status in adjusted DVOA, the Bolts boast a much more promising ranking of ninth when it comes to EPA/play defensively. Now, to the Dolphins’ credit, they have been competing over the last few weeks. However, Miami’s offensive line still stinks, and Tua Tagovailoa is prone to making a couple of terrible passes on a weekly basis. The absence of Tyreek Hill can’t be overlooked when it comes to the Dolphins’ offensive capabilities.
Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy DST (8.7%)
Opportunities to even consider (let alone use) the Raiders as a defense fantasy football streamers play are few and far between. Week 6 just so happens to be one of those sneaky spots where the Silver and Black could post a big stat line for fantasy purposes. To be clear, this is not a great defensive unit. The Raiders rank just 25th in EPA/play defensively and are 19th in defensive DVOA. Maxx Crosby and Co. were able to generate a half-dozen sacks in the first two games but have only two as a team over the last three weeks.
With Las Vegas having lost four straight, one has to believe that a strong effort will be put forth in this home game. Along with getting the pass rush rejuvenated, fantasy managers should also feel good about the Raiders’ ability to stop the run, as they actually rank sixth in EPA/rush defensively. This figures to serve them well in a matchup against a Tennessee Titans outfit that has looked incompetent offensively for the vast majority of the season so far. If the Raiders can snuff out the ground game, they have a real chance to dominate a bad Titans offensive line, thereby making it a long afternoon for rookie QB Cam Ward.
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