Best Fantasy Football Week 6 Defense Streamers (D/ST): Eagles DST, Texans DST Should Smother Inferior Opponents

Check your Week 5 bingo card — did you have the Giants D/ST putting up the top performance through Sunday’s action and cementing their spot as a top ten fantasy defense through five weeks? Neither did I, and judging by their ownership rate of 3% on Sleeper, I don’t think I’m alone.

On the bright side, our top two picks last week were two of the better performers of the day, with Denver (16 points) and Seattle (12 points) each logging a 100+ yard defensive touchdown. Those TDs also happened virtually simultaneously, which was a fun jolt to my RedZone watching experience on Sunday. Unfortunately, the Colts put up a measly two points against Jacksonville, ruining what could have been a great week for our D/ST streamer picks.

READ: WEEK 6 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS

Looking ahead to Week 6, we’ve got a couple of good defensive units coming off bye weeks and some high-ownership D/STs running into tough matchups. And of course, those pesky bye weeks continue!

All that said, let’s take a look at the best fantasy football Week 6 defense streamers (D/ST).

The BEST Fantasy Football Week 6 Defense Streamers (DST)

DEFENSES TO AVOID IN WEEK 6

BYE WEEKS

This week brings an early rest for the Chiefs, Vikings, Rams, and Dolphins. The Vikings (73% rostered) are really the only must-stash of this group, as they’ve been the number one unit in the league so far and have a favorable post-bye schedule aside from Detroit in Week 7. Let’s hope the bye week doesn’t cool them off too much from their red-hot start.

The Rams have improved after a slow start to the year and will face the Raiders, Dolphins, and Patriots in three of the five weeks coming out of their bye, so they’re definitely a stash candidate if you have the roster flexibility to do so.

Kansas City is a tough one, as they’ve been pretty average and will follow up their bye week with a trip to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. Their schedule eases up a bit from there, but you should be fine to drop them for the time being heading into their bye.

And finally, there’s Miami. The Dolphins have faced two of the most generous offenses to fantasy DSTs the past two weeks and averaged just four fantasy points per game in those matchups. If you’re a part of their 53% ownership, feel free to cut them loose and not think twice.

MATCHUP-BASED

Dallas Cowboys (64% rostered): Dallas has been pretty average after a huge Week 1, and this is the perfect time to cut them loose. They’ll face Detroit this week followed by a bye week, then go on a tough stretch of San Francisco, Atlanta, Philly, Houston, and Washington.

New York Jets (89%): I got a lot of questions last week about the Jets heading into their matchup with Minnesota in London. They put up a respectable nine points, but now head back stateside to face Josh Allen and the Bills. I’d stash them if possible due to their overall talent and a pretty favorable schedule after this week, but I’m looking elsewhere for Week 6.

FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 DEFENSE STREAMERS (DST)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DST (21% ROSTERED ON SLEEPER)

vs Cleveland Browns | 1 PM

The Eagles are owned in only a fifth of leagues coming off their bye, but hadn’t been performing particularly well heading into their week off. The last time we saw them, they were putting up just three points against Tampa Bay, and on the season they have just six sacks and two turnovers through four games.

However, this week is a great time to buy into Philly, heading into matchups against the Browns and Giants the next two weeks.

Day after day, the Deshaun Watson acquisition continues to look worse and worse for the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland has surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, primarily due to an insane 26 sacks allowed, which is by far the most in the league. Their passing offense is 30th in yards per game, and the run game hasn’t been much better, ranking 27th at under 97 yards per game. And their 15.8 points scored per game is better than only New England and Miami through five weeks. Yikes.

Some murmurs have begun that Cleveland needs to turn to Jameis Winston, although given their current QB’s salary, I find it hard to believe that they would make that move this early. Regardless, as much as I love Jameis, I don’t know how much of a difference it would make. Their offensive line has been unable to let anything develop in the pass game, and as Greg Olsen alluded to during Sunday’s loss to Washington, Cleveland is running an incredibly predictable offense that any defensive coordinator with a brain can stop.

Philly should be able to rise to the occasion this week and significantly increase their sack total, which currently has them tied for 29th in the league. They’ve had two weeks to prepare for this one and should be one of the week’s top performers if they show up on Sunday.

HOUSTON TEXANS DST (23%)

@ New England Patriots | 1 PM

After exploding for 15 points in Week 2 with a seven sack, two interception performance against the Bears, Houston has come back down to Earth, averaging less than three points per game the last three weeks in matchups with the Vikings, Jaguars, and Bills. They’ve mustered up only two sacks and zero turnovers the past two weeks, but I feel good about those numbers increasing heading into a matchup with the Patriots.

The Patriots differ from the Browns in the fact that we expected them to be bad this year. However, that notion aside, the two offenses are very similar in how incredibly terrible they are. New England has yielded the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season, but they are at the top of that list over the past two weeks, surrendering six points to Miami last week and 26 to San Francisco the week before. They have the second-worst scoring offense in the league at 12.4 points per game and have surrendered 19 sacks, less than only Cleveland league-wide.

Despite turning the ball over only four times on the year, the combination of sacks and a completely stagnant passing attack has resulted in them topping 16 points just once through five games. Many are starting to say that it’s time to turn to Drake Maye, but behind the offensive line they’re putting out there that continues to be worsened by injuries, I don’t think even prime Tom Brady could save this offense (okay, maybe he could).

Regardless of who starts at QB for the Patriots, they’re in trouble. Their line is abysmal, their receiving group is young and inexperienced, and as Jacoby Brissett showed on the final play in Sunday’s loss to Miami, they have virtually no situational awareness to speak of. Houston should feast on this offense that is in complete shambles and showing no signs of turning things around.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS DST (8%)

@ Denver Broncos | 4:05 PM

You may have forgotten about the Chargers during their bye week, but that’s why I’m here. LA has been one of the best defensive units in football so far this year, averaging ten fantasy points per game and allowing the fewest points scored in the league at 12.5. The last time we saw them, they were holding their own against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, finishing with three sacks, two turnovers, and a total of nine fantasy points on the day.

Bo Nix and the Broncos put up 34 points in a win over the Raiders in Week 5, but things could’ve been very different were it not for a Pat Surtain II 100-yard pick six that stopped Vegas from taking a 17-3 lead halfway through the second quarter. Nix finished with a respectable 206 yards and two touchdowns on the day, but was sacked three times as well.

There was also clearly some disarray in Denver’s offense — obviously they got the last laugh by getting the win, but this is a hilarious soundbite nonetheless.

Confusion at the line of scrimmage can be overcome against a unit like Vegas,’ which really only has one guy that you need to worry about, but the Chargers will wreak havoc on Denver if given the same opportunity. Harbaugh’s unit has been one of the league’s best in 2024, and I’d scoop them up now while their ownership is low coming off their bye.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Atlanta Falcons (5% rostered): The Falcons had a tough time slowing down Baker Mayfield and the Bucs, but should turn things around against the Panthers in Charlotte.

Buffalo Bills (30%): Buffalo’s ownership has dipped with consecutive matchups against Baltimore and Houston, but I see them being a popular addition this week heading into a matchup with the Jets (11th-most points allowed to fantasy defenses) followed by Tennessee in Week 7.

Indianapolis Colts (9%): The Colts burned me this week, but with consecutive matchups with the Titans and Dolphins looming, this has to be when they start to perform. Right?

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