The calendar has flipped to October, a month that many people (the smart ones) hail as the best month of the year for sports fans. Between NFL and college football picking up steam, MLB playoffs, and the NBA and NHL kicking off their new seasons, there’s something for just about everyone.
October is also the true make or break month for fantasy football — a 1-3 or even an 0-4 start in September can be salvaged with the right moves, but if you’re in the basement of the league at the end of this month, it’s panic button time for sure.
Our D/ST streamer picks for Week 5, if you used them, should’ve helped a bit in your quest to start this key month off on the right foot. The Cardinals gave Tennessee their first win of the year with a monumental second half collapse but still managed eight points; the Browns put up nine in a close loss to the Vikings across the pond in London; and the Colts finished as the second-highest scoring defense of the week through Sunday’s games, scoring seventeen points in a blowout win over the Raiders.
The Eagles and Bills both lost last week, meaning the ’72 Dolphins can once again pop the champagne as the only fully undefeated team in NFL history — but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some great matchups ahead in Week 6. Two 4-1 teams will square off in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers host the 49ers, and we’ve got a primetime matchup on Sunday featuring two of the final eight teams from last year as the Lions face the Chiefs in Arrowhead.
As we watch the leaves die and the sun begin its ungodly journey toward setting at 4:30, let’s take a look at the best fantasy football Week 6 defense streamers (D/ST) that should be available on the waiver wire.
TEAMS TO AVOID IN WEEK 6
Arizona Cardinals (85% rostered): The Cardinals were a popular pick for Week 5, increasing their ownership rate from 19% to 85% heading into a matchup with Tennessee. They still finished with a respectable eight points via two sacks and two turnovers, but things were looking much better when they went into halftime with a 21-6 lead. A few wacky plays later and they were gifting Cam Ward and the Titans their first win of the season.
Arizona has been a borderline top ten fantasy defense in 2025 — partially due to a schedule that featured the Saints, Panthers, and Titans in the first five games — but they’re nowhere near my fantasy radar this week with a road matchup against the Colts. Indy has let up the fewest fantasy PPG to opposing defenses in 2025 and Daniel Jones has them looking like a legitimate title contender at 4-1. Arizona is ranked 28th against the pass this year, and Jones should have a field day attacking that week secondary with a receiving group that seems to be getting better every week.
Baltimore Ravens (61%): Somehow, some way, the Ravens are rostered in over 60% of leagues despite negative point totals in all four of their losses this year. Talk about coasting off an old reputation. They’re last in the league in scoring defense with over 35 points allowed per game, they’re tied for 29th with just six sacks on the year, and they’re tied for 30th with two turnovers forced through five games. In their defense, Baltimore is banged up on both sides of the ball in key areas, with over $160 million of their $270 million payroll inactive due to injury in Week 5.
Even with Lamar Jackson healthy, Baltimore’s offense has been struggling, and it’s making things even tougher for their injury-plagued defense. The Rams have been relatively league average in terms of points allowed to opposing fantasy defenses, but I’m still fully out on the Ravens this week. However, keep an eye on them after their Week 7 bye. They’ll have a stretch of the Bears, Dolphins, Vikings, Browns, Jets, and Bengals, and they have to turn it around at some point, right?
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 DEFENSE STREAMERS (D/ST)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (20% ROSTERED)
I try to avoid wasting two roster spots on defenses at any point in the year, but I was forced to do so this week for a few leagues I was holding New England’s defense in. I didn’t want to lose them for this upcoming stretch of games they have, especially with how they dominated the Panthers, but I couldn’t start them for a primetime blowout loss to Buffalo, could I?
Shows what I know. The Patriots shocked the world on Sunday Night in Orchard Park, sacking Josh Allen just once but forcing three turnovers in a 23-20 win to improve to 3-2. New England was one of my favorite defenses heading into the year with a new defensive-minded coach and all the roster improvements they made in the offseason, but those changes couldn’t fully come to fruition until Christian Gonzalez returned from injury. He made his season debut in Week 4, and in the two games since, New England has scored 21 fantasy points on defense and won both games.
New England will attempt to extend their win streak to three this week, and standing in their way will be the 1-4 New Orleans Saints led by Spencer Rattler, who just got his first NFL win as a starter last week against the equally-sad Giants.
Despite a bad start that has them in the basement of the NFC South, the Saints have been relatively stingy to opposing fantasy defenses in 2025. They’ve only surrendered nine sacks and turned the ball over just three times, but they’re scoring only 18.4 points per game and are ranked 25th in passing offense. They’ve got a decent amount of talent on offense with guys like Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, but have yet to show anything that steers me away from wanting to consistently stream their opponents.
The Pats will be a hot commodity on the waiver wire this week given their high-profile win, but do whatever you need to do to get them. After the Saints this week, they’ll follow that up with games against the Titans, Browns, and Falcons. Then, after what should be a tough matchup with Tampa, they have a stretch of the Jets, Bengals, and Giants, before a late bye in Week 14.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (40%)
The Packers were looking like one of the best defenses in football for the first few weeks, but took a huge step back in a 40-40 tie against Dallas in Week 4. Not only did they allow 40 points, but they sacked Dak Prescott just once and failed to force a single turnover, finishing with an ugly point total of -2.
Now, coming off a bye, they’ll look to get back to their early-season ways in a home matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati has struggled mightily on offense since Joe Burrow was lost to injury, and through five weeks they’ve allowed the most points to opposing fantasy defenses. They still have plenty of pass catching talent, but if Jake Browning can’t get those dynamic playmakers their opportunities, it doesn’t matter. And when Ja’Marr Chase‘s stat line looks like this:
Things are clearly not going well. Head Coach Zac Taylor expressed his confidence in Browning after the loss, in which the QB threw three bad interceptions and was sacked twice, so it sounds like we’re probably getting at least one more week of terrible quarterback play from the Bengals. We might as well take advantage.
Despite a tough performance against Dallas, Green Bay is still ranked 11th against the pass and 2nd against the run, and their 11 sacks puts them ahead of over a dozen teams who have yet to have a bye week in 2025. Following an 0-1-1 stretch against two bad teams heading into the bye, and with an off week to continue to get Micah Parsons further ingrained in the defensive game plan, I expect the Packers to come out on fire on Sunday and make Zac Taylor’s seat a little bit warmer in the process.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (19%)
After a 3-0 start that included wins over the Chiefs and Broncos, the Chargers have dropped two straight games to the Giants and Commanders and find themselves at 3-2 entering a Week 6 matchup in Miami.
Los Angeles is tied for fifth with 14 sacks on the year and and they’re eighth in scoring defense, but they’ve struggled to generate many turnovers so far with just four on the season (three of those are interceptions, all coming in one game against NFL interception leader Geno Smith). In many ways their offense is more to blame for their recent struggles, but with Terry McLaurin out with a quad injury and Jayden Daniels fresh off missing a game with a knee issue, they should’ve been able to do more against Washington in Week 5. Instead, they let up 27 points, generated just one sack and one turnover, and lost the game in convincing fashion.
Coming off two straight defeats, I’m counting on the Chargers to right the ship this week against a bad Miami team that just fell to 1-4 after a close loss to Carolina. The Dolphins are figuring out what their offense looks like without Tyreek Hill, and so far it looks like a lot of Jaylen Waddle and Darren Waller.
Waller in particular has been huge for the Dolphins since he came back, but he’s had big games against two defenses that have struggled to contain tight ends in general. This week, he’ll face a Chargers defense that’s allowed the fourth-fewest receptions and fifth-fewest yards to tight ends this year, so we’ll see if he can keep up the momentum he’s built for Miami’s offense.
Miami struggled to get any sort of rushing attack going against the Panthers, with their top two running backs combining for 14 yards on 13 carries, so Tua Tagovailoa was forced to make things happen with his arm. He played well, throwing for over 250 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, but Tua’s history doesn’t make me think that game plan is particularly sustainable, especially against a good defense.
Ultimately, this is a good team that’s dying for a win going against a bad team that’s just trying to stay afloat. They may not put up huge numbers in this one, but if the Patriots and Packers aren’t available, the Chargers will get you where you need to go this week .
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Las Vegas Raiders (2%): Normally the team facing the Titans would be a featured player in this article, but Tennessee showed me a little bit of something in the second half last week, and the Raiders are too bad to put a lot of stock into. Nonetheless, Vegas is at home and should have a decent game.
Washington Commanders (30): Washington put up 14 points on the Chargers in Week 5 with five sacks and two turnovers, and will face the Bears off a bye at home this week.
Dallas Cowboys (6%): Coming off an eight point performance against the Jets with five sacks and a turnover, Dallas will head to Charlotte to face the 2-3 Panthers.
