One of the biggest strategies in fantasy football is streaming defenses. Each week owners will look at matchups and make waiver wire acquisitions to find their starting defense. Here are fantasy football defenses to stream week 5.
(Note: All defenses mentioned are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. Stats from before Monday Night Football)
The Colts have a solid fantasy defense, ranking ninth at 7.8 points per game. They have two double-digit scoring games, which were against the Dolphins and Titans. Indianapolis has no negative performances this year.
In week 5, the Colts play the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are scoring just 19.3 points per game and starting quarterback Geno Smith has struggled protecting the football. While Ashton Jeanty got things going in week 4, the Colts could stop the run and force turnovers. Indianapolis is rostered in 40.1 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Cardinals have an average fantasy defense this season, scoring 6.3 points per game and ranking 15th in the league. They have one double-digit scoring game, which was against the Carolina Panthers. Their lowest total they have put up is four points, which has happened twice.
The week 5 game against the Titans presents a good opportunity for the Cardinals. Tennessee scores just 12.8 points per game, which ranks last in the league. Cam Ward hasn’t been consistent and going on the road this week likely won’t help. The Cardinals are rostered in just 24.6 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Giants have not been good as a fantasy defense this season, ranking 29th in the league at 1.3 points per game. They have no double-digit games this season. Their lone negative-scoring game was in week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
In week 5, the Giants are playing the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are scoring just 16.5 points per game this season, which ranks near the bottom of the league. New York is after to get after the quarterback and can force some turnovers in this game. They are rostered in 7.2 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Rams have the sixth-ranked fantasy defense and 8.5 points per game. They have one double-digit scoring outing, which was against the Texans in week 1. The lowest output they have had this season was against the Colts in week 4, when they put up six points.
Los Angeles plays the San Francisco 49ers in week 5 on Thursday Night Football. San Francisco is scoring 20.0 points per game, which is below average. They have some injuries and will be without a few key players. On a short week, the Rams can keep the game low-scoring. The Rams are rostered in 29,3 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tampa Bay has a solid fantasy defense, ranking 13th at 6.5 points per game. They have one double-digit scoring game, which was against the Jets in week 3, when they notched 16. They have no negative-scoring games, but did score 0 against the Falcons in week 1.
In week 5, the Buccaneers are playing the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks are scoring 27.8 points per game, which ranks sixth in the league. A lot of that is propelled by their 44 points against the Saints in week 3. If the Buccaneers can generate pressure, Sam Darnold could make mistakes. The Buccaneers are rostered in just 27.7 percent of ESPN leagues.
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