Fantasy Football: 3 Defenses to Stream for Week 5

Every point matters when it comes to winning in season-long fantasy football, meaning you can't afford to leave points on the table. While we don't spend top-notch draft capital on D/STs in our fantasy football drafts, ignoring them during the season can cost you dearly.

Streaming defenses throughout the year is a great way to ensure you get the most out of your D/ST slot. Even the best defenses draw tough weekly matchups, and even the worst defenses are capable of strong fantasy outings in the right situations.

This article is here to help you parse through all of those situations and to present you with three streamers that are available in most leagues.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Fantasy Football D/ST to Stream for Week 5

Seattle Seahawks

Matchup: vs. Giants

Prior to Week 4's Monday night matchup with the Detroit Lions, the Seattle Seahawks have one of football's top defenses. The Seahawks have numberFire's top-rated defense while giving up only 14.3 points per game (fourth-fewest) and 248.7 yards per contest (fewest).

This unit is pretty much checking out everywhere from giving up the fewest yards per play (3.9) to the fewest yards per passing attempt (4.7). Seattle is also in the top half of takeaways per game while holding the sixth-highest sack percentage. It's directly led to fantasy success, finishing 10th, 16th, and 5th in weekly finishes.

However, the Seahawks' quality of opponents through three games should be put into question. They faced the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Miami Dolphins. All three opponents are in numberFire's bottom 10 offenses while the Broncos and Fins are in the bottom 5 of the category.

We should expect some of Seattle's defensive numbers to rise following a matchup with the Lions, who average the fourth-most yards per game. Still, Week 5 brings an intriguing matchup against the New York Giants.

New York is numberFire's 9th-worst offense, logging 15.0 PPG (4th-fewest), 296.8 yards per contest (11th-fewest), and 4.7 yards per play (6th-fewest). The Giants also give up the 10th-most turnovers per game as most of us know Daniel Jones has consistently dealt with turnover woes throughout his career.

Sitting last in yards per rushing attempt (3.4) is perhaps the most encouraging stat. The Seahawks have shown some weakness in defending the run (16th-fewest yards per carry allowed). Between a favorable matchup and Seattle's ability to force turnovers, this is a worthy D/ST streamer for Week 5. Injury concerns for New York provides only more support as Malik Nabers is in concussion protocol.

Denver Broncos

Matchup: vs. Raiders

The Denver Broncos against the Las Vegas Raiders is currently tied for the lowest total of Week 5 at 36.5. Each team is among the bottom eight teams for yards per game. Denver is numberFire's fifth-worst offense while the Raiders are the seventh-worst unit.

Nearly everything across the board suggests this should be a low-scoring, defensive game. Among the two teams, the Broncos' D/ST is the superior streaming option. According to FantasyPros, Denver holds the fourth-highest mark in fantasy points per game for defenses. The unit has produced two top-six weekly finishes over the last two games (prior to MNF).

Las Vegas gives up the 10th-most turnovers per game and has the 7th-highest sack percentage allowed. Meanwhile, the Broncos average the ninth-most takeaways per contest paired with the highest sack rate in football. In fact, Denver has the second-most team sacks prior to MNF at 16.0.

This streamer is pretty simple: the Broncos hold one of the top D/ST for fantasy and are expected to be in a low-scoring game against a below-average offense in Week 5.

Las Vegas Raiders

Matchup: at Denver

As is the nature with streaming options, not everything always goes as planned, hinging on the pecking order of your leagues. While the Denver D/ST is the best option for the Raiders-Broncos, Las Vegas' unit is also worth a look.

The same idea applies for the Raiders' defense; it gets to face a weak offense as Denver is logging 15.5 PPG (fifth-fewest), 266.0 yards per contest (sixth-fewest), and 4.3 yards per play (fourth-fewest). Plus, we can look at that 36.5 game total once again.

Las Vegas D/ST hasn't been near as productive as the Broncos' unit, though, as it's posted the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game. Following three consecutive bottom-10 weekly finishes, the Raiders finally came up with a good performance in Week 4, posting 9.0 points (seventh-most prior to MNF).

Denver giving up the fifth-most turnovers per game yields some confidence. Maxx Crosby's status for Week 5 is up in the air with an ankle injury. If the star defensive end suits up, the upside could be even better with more potential for sacks.

This play is mostly the product of playing a bad offense. Las Vegas has the eighth-lowest sack rate and average the fifth-fewest takeaways per contest. Don't expect a jaw-dropping performance, but this unit could put up decent points in a low-scoring affair.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.