When it comes to fantasy football, getting off to a good start is paramount for a successful season. Sure, you can start 0-2 or 0-3 and still make some noise, but playing from ahead makes a huge difference in setting the right tone and avoiding going into desperation mode from the jump.
In that vein, our D/ST streamer picks also managed to get off to a solid start last week, with the Patriots and Rams both tallying five sacks and a turnover to finish with 13 and nine points, respectively (New England also benefitted from what turned out to be a game-winning kickoff return TD by Antonio Gibson). The Cowboys struggled to contain Malik Nabers and the Giants and finished with just two points, but our top two picks for the week certainly came to play.
Looking ahead to Week 3, we’ve got a tantalizing slate that includes two matchups featuring four of the eight remaining undefeated teams, as the Rams will square off against the Eagles and the Cardinals head west to face the 49ers. We’ll also end the week with a potential Super Bowl preview in Baltimore on Monday night as the Ravens host the Detroit Lions (more on this one in a second).
As we gear up for another exciting week of NFL football, let’s take a look at our picks for the best fantasy football Week 3 defense streamers (D/ST).
TEAMS TO AVOID IN WEEK 3
Detroit Lions (63% rostered) @ Baltimore Ravens (96% rostered): For the first time this year, our two defenses to avoid will both play in the same game, with 1-1 Detroit heading to Baltimore to face the 1-1 Ravens. Both teams lost in Week 1 and bounced back in a big way last week, putting up a combined 93 points with an average margin of victory of over 27 points in their Week 2 contests.
Both of these teams’ defenses were heavily rostered heading into Week 2, but I expect the tide to shift on that heading into their primetime matchup. The over/under for this game is set at 51.5, the highest opening total of the week, and for good reason, as both offenses are firing on all cylinders coming off big wins.
This game has the makings of a shootout, with tons of talent on both offenses and neither team wanting to fall to 1-2 on the young season. If you have either of these defenses, they’re likely both stash-worthy with Detroit facing the Browns in Week 4 and the Ravens heading to Kansas City, but you’ll want to keep reading and find an alternate option for Week 3.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 3 DEFENSE STREAMERS (D/ST)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (53% ROSTERED)
Yes, I’m breaking my own rule slightly here. We generally stick to defenses that are rostered in less than 50% of leagues on Sleeper, but with Green Bay just a hair over that threshold and under it on ESPN (45% rostered), I just had to include them.
After finishing as the DST3 in 2024 and adding Micah Parsons just before this season, the Packers would have been a much more popular defense in fantasy drafts this year had they not been stuck with such a daunting early schedule. Green Bay started off the year hosting Detroit, holding their ultra-talented offense to just 13 points with four sacks and a turnover on their way to a ten-point fantasy day. They followed it up with another home win on Thursday night against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, racking up another four sacks and finishing with five points on the night.
Through the Sunday games of Week 2, Green Bay ranks third in total defense, second in rush defense, and fifth in scoring defense, and their eight sacks through two games is just one behind New England for the league lead. Parsons has 1.5 of those sacks himself, but even more significant are the opportunities his presence is creating for his teammates, as opposing offensive lines have yet another talented pass rusher they have to worry about fending off alongside Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt.
The Packers will hit the road for the first time in Week 3 and head to Cleveland to face the 0-2 Browns, who through two weeks have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses via four sacks, four turnovers, and a 28th-ranked scoring offense that’s putting up only 16.5 points per game. Green Bay’s powerful pass rush will be going up against one of the league’s oldest offensive lines that is trying to protect their 40 year old quarterback, and the result could be disastrous for Cleveland. And for a Browns team that is still sorting out their running back hierarchy after Quinshon Judkins‘ late signing, the last thing they need is to face a defense that allowed just 34 yards on 12 carries to Washington running backs on Thursday night.
Green Bay’s schedule is a little less exciting after this week with Dallas, Cincinnati, and Arizona on the horizon, but they’re my favorite play for this week and should be well on their way to a 3-0 start.
ATLANTA FALCONS (1%)
The Falcons defense was a fantasy afterthought heading into 2025, finishing as the DST20 last season and barely squeaking onto any draft boards this year. This appeared to be justified in Week 1 as they finished their loss to the Buccaneers with just one point, totaling one sack and no turnovers on the day, but they turned things around in a huge way on Sunday Night Football against Minnesota.
Facing a 1-0 Vikings squad in their home opener, Atlanta sent 67,000 fans home disappointed as they held the home team to just two field goals, racking up six sacks and three turnovers on their way to a 21-point fantasy performance.
Now sitting at 1-1, the Falcons will stay on the road but head a bit closer to home in Week 3 as they travel to Charlotte for a divisional matchup against the 0-2 Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers have allowed 12 points per game to opposing fantasy defenses through two weeks, the third-highest mark in the league. Bryce Young has so far been unable to build off the momentum of his late-season surge in 2024. Through two games he’s been sacked four times, thrown three interceptions, and lost a fumble against Arizona on Sunday on the third play from scrimmage that resulted in a defensive touchdown and an early 7-0 deficit from which they never crawled out of.
Carolina has started to see some growth from their young pass catchers, with Tetairoa McMillan and Ja’Tavion Sanders combining for 13 catches and 154 against the Cardinals, but it doesn’t matter much if Young doesn’t have enough time to get them the ball in space. As long as Atlanta can even partially replicate the constant pressure they generated on JJ McCarthy again this week, they should be in for another big day.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7%)
The Colts came out with a bang to start the 2025 season, waxing the Dolphins 33-8 and finishing with 14 fantasy points on the day. Week 2 was a different story; although they snuck out of a matchup with Denver with a 29-28 win (aided by a questionable flag on the game-winning kick attempt that makes me think Vegas had someone at Lucas Oil Stadium on speed dial), they failed to sack Bo Nix and generated just one turnover to finish with one fantasy point.
Every year, there are a few offenses we can identify early as the ones we want to target for defensive streamers, and Tennessee is once again one of those offenses in 2025. Through two weeks they’ve allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, allowing 16 to Denver in Week 1 and another nine to the Rams in Week 2. Cam Ward has the Titans ranked dead last in total offense and passing offense, while the run game hasn’t been much better, ranking 25th with 90 yards per game on the ground.
The Titans look to be headed for another season in the basement of the AFC South, while the Colts look primed to take the division over through two weeks. Facing a struggling offense with a young QB that’s still figuring things out, I expect Indy to look more like their three-sack, three-turnover selves from Week 1 in this contest.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Seattle Seahawks (24%): The Seahawks are fresh off a 31-17 win over the Steelers and will return home to face 0-2 New Orleans. The Saints have been surprisingly adequate with Spencer Rattler under center, but if Seattle was able to put up eight points against both San Francisco and Pittsburgh, they should be in for an even better day in Week 3.
Kansas City Chiefs (31%): The Chiefs are 0-2, but the majority of the blame there lies on the offense that’s scoring just 19 points per game through two weeks. With their backs against the wall and an 0-3 start within reach, they’ll do everything they can to shut down Malik Nabers and the Giants.
Washington Commanders (49%): After holding the Giants to six points in Week 1, Washington took a step back in Week 2, losing to Green Bay and finishing with two sacks and no turnovers for a two-point fantasy performance. They’ll look to turn things around at home against Geno Smith and the Raiders.
