After a two-week stretch where over 71% of NFL games were decided by one score or less, Week 5 was categorized by some much more lopsided contests.
We had a handful of close games and even a tie, but there were some major blowouts as well; in the early window alone, the Texans, Patriots, and Packers beat the Titans, Raiders, and Bears by a combined score of 102-27.
Amongst some high scoring and one-sided games, our Week 5 streamer picks had a pretty good day, with two of them sitting in the top ten for the week heading into Sunday Night Football. The Bengals were a popular pick but disappointed a bit in their matchup with Miami, letting up 24 points but managing to amass ten fantasy points via three sacks and three turnovers. And the Browns showed out in a wet one at the Meadowlands, racking up 13 points via four sacks and two turnovers despite the loss to the Jets.
The Cowboys prevented a three-for-three week with a dismal showing on Thursday night, however, making Jalon Daniels look like prime Mike Vick and putting up just one point en route to handing the Bucs their first win of the season. Admittedly, Dallas should’ve already been on my “never again” list, but after that showing, they definitely are now.
As we head into Week 6, I see a handful of top defenses that find themselves with tough matchups, namely the Texans in London against the 4-1 Jags and Denver at home against Seattle on Thursday night. Factor in the significant ownership jumps we saw from popular Week 5 streamers like the Bengals, Jets, and Commanders, and lots of people are in need of a streamer this week.
That said, let’s take a look at the best fantasy football Week 6 defense streamers (D/ST) that you should be eyeing on this week’s waiver wire.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 DEFENSE STREAMERS (D/ST)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (30% ROSTERED)
5-0 after a big divisional win over the Seahawks, the 49ers’ hot start has mainly been spurred by their offense, which is scoring over 30 points per game and has Brock Purdy in the MVP conversation.
Their defense hasn’t been quite as impressive, but they’re still around the middle of the league in fantasy scoring. As is customary for San Francisco, they’ve dealt with some injuries on defense, including Mr. Snowflake Nick Bosa missing the last three games with a calf injury, but they’ve generally been able to stay afloat. They’ve given up under 19 points per game on the year and scored at least nine fantasy points in three out of five weeks.
Most recently, the Niners turned in a huge day in the aforementioned win over Seattle, finishing the game with five sacks and four turnovers, including a fumble recovery for a TD, to put up 20 points on the day. Their totals for the year in sacks (11) and turnovers (six) aren’t overly impressive, but they’ve been a serviceable unit nonetheless.
Looking to start 6-0 for the first time since 2019, the 49ers will host the Commanders on Monday Night Football. Washington is coming off a tie against the Giants in Week 5, and while they say a tie is like kissing your sister, for the Commanders, this tie was more like going to kiss your girlfriend and getting slobbered on by her dog instead.
1-3-1 and in last place, it hasn’t been a great year for Washington so far. Despite a shocking win over Seattle in Week 3, they’re now 0-2-1 in the division and have a -34 point differential, the worst in the NFC East.
Washington’s offense has dealt with some injuries, with Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, and Stefon Diggs all missing games. Despite this, they’re scoring a respectable 23 points per game and have only allowed about four fantasy points per game to opposing fantasy defenses, limiting sacks (ten) and turnovers (two) through the early part of the season.
While Washington has managed to put up decent numbers and continues to get healthier, I still love the Niners in this matchup. Bosa may be able to return to action this week, but even if he can’t, Washington’s lackluster offensive line still has to deal with the likes of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who’ve combined for 87 tackles and four forced fumbles through five weeks.
The Commanders have been surprisingly competent at scoring points and avoiding turnovers so far this year, but I don’t think that trend continues in primetime on Monday. The Niners face the Falcons next week followed by a bye, so they likely aren’t a multi-week play, but they’re one of my favorite options for Week 6.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (17%)
After a great showing in Week 1 against Denver that featured four sacks, two turnovers, and just ten points allowed, the Chiefs have fallen off a bit defensively. They’re undefeated at 4-0, so clearly they’re doing enough to win games, but they’ve totaled just 14 fantasy points over their last three games after putting up 13 against the Broncos.
Kansas City has picked off one pass in each game played so far this year, but have forced only two other turnovers and have only four sacks, which all came against Denver. However, a few things point to the Chiefs righting the ship and putting up some big numbers this week.
First and foremost, Kansas City was idle in Week 5, and we all know how great Andy Reid is coming off a bye with a lifetime record of 22-5. The rest was likely welcome after a hard-fought win over the Raiders in Week 4, and now KC’s older-than-average defensive line has had a week to recharge and work to get back into the sack column.
Possibly even more important than Kansas City’s R&R heading into this matchup is their upcoming opponent — the winless Chargers.
Things just keep going from bad to worse for the Chargers. They’ve given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, including 15 from Denver this week via five sacks and three turnovers. Justin Herbert has seven interceptions on the year against just five touchdowns, while Omarion Hampton, drafted in the first round in many leagues this year, is averaging just 54 yards per game.
Beyond the skill positions, the Chargers also have what’s widely considered to be one of the worst offensive lines in the league that’s allowed 17 sacks through five weeks. Chris Jones and company will be chomping at the bit to go against this unit and continue what’s been a brutal season for them so far.
The Chargers may be better than what we’ve seen from them so far in 2026, but until they prove it, I’ll continue to target them with my streaming picks. The Chiefs won’t be a popular pick two weeks from now when they head to Seattle to face the defending champs, but they follow that up on the road against Denver, who they beat handily in Week 1, and could also be worth stashing for a Week 9 matchup with the Jets at home.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (32%)
It’s not often that I can pick a defense for three straight weeks, but Cleveland’s roster rate has remained in streamer territory despite averaging 11 points per game over the last two weeks with nine sacks and four turnovers.
The Browns’ offense turned back into a pumpkin a bit in Week 5 as they fell 17-12 to the Jets on the road, but the defense came to play once again, sacking Geno Smith four times and forcing two fumbles on the day. Ignoring a Week 1 beatdown in Jacksonville, over their last four games the Browns are 3-1, allowing less than 20 points per game and amassing 15 sacks.
This week wasn’t originally a good streaming spot for them as they head into a divisional matchup with the Ravens, but with Lamar Jackson‘s health in question and after giving up 12 points against Atlanta in primetime, I’m sticking with Cleveland once again.
Tyler Huntley has made 16 starts since joining the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2020, even starting a playoff game, so he’s not your run-of-the-mill backup QB. However, he’s no Lamar Jackson, and even though the above sequence was not due to any shortcomings on his end, Baltimore’s offense is noticeably less scary without the threat of Jackson’s legs present.
Now for the caveats. First, it’s entirely possible Jackson will feel good enough to return for this game, completely changing the dynamic of the matchup. Even if Jackson remains out, Derrick Henry is still a Baltimore Raven, and we know how powerful he gets as the season goes on and the cold weather settles in. The current forecast for Cleveland next week is mid-50s and sunny at kickoff, but we all know how quickly that can change, and the worse the weather, the more dominant Henry often is.
Due to these uncertainties, Cleveland sits behind the Niners and Chiefs in my streaming priorities this week, but if you’re already rostering them after listening to me the last couple of weeks, they’re a good option to hold onto — especially with the Titans and Steelers on deck over the next two weeks.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Atlanta Falcons (6%): Atlanta has the best run defense in football (although they took a huge step back against Baltimore), but have struggled against the pass. It’s hard to know which version of the Bears offense they’ll get this week, but if they get a version that needs to rely on the ground game to move the ball, they’ll be in good shape.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7%): The Bucs stifled the Cowboys’ explosive offense on Thursday night to earn their first win of the season; now, they’ll return home to host the Steelers, who are top five in points allowed to opposing defenses in 2026.
Indianapolis Colts (4%): Indy hasn’t been very good at all in 2026, topping out at eight points in Week 4, but they’ll host the Titans this week, who got demolished by the Texans in Week 5 and have score ten points or fewer in three of their five games so far.
