While scoring was down overall last week, it was hard to find good sleeper D/STs. The Panthers were a low-rostered recommendation that paid off as the D/ST1 of the week. The 49ers and Packers were stashes that also returned good results. However, the Cardinals were a Hail Mary that didn’t hit, and the Buccaneers were shocked by the Browns.
Matchups can be decided by the thinnest of margins. While projections are good, diving deep into matchups gives you the biggest edge
More Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | Players You Can Drop | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Re-Draft Trade Targets | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Dynasty Risers and Fallers | Weekly Rankings | Game Previews
Week 2 Results:
- Carolina Panthers: 28 Points (1st-Ranked D/ST)
- San Francisco 49ers: 9 Points (T-14th)
- Green Bay Packers: 9 Points (T-14th)
- Arizona Cardinals: 3 Points (T-24th)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2 Points (T-26th)
Check out all of our Week 3 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings | MOP Rankings
Week 3 D/ST Streamers
All D/STs are rostered in under 50% of Fantrax leagues
Last Week’s Stashes: San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants
The 49ers and Packers are now rostered in over 50% of Fantrax leagues. If you did not manage to roster them last week, it’s unlikely that you can find them now. Both defenses still have great matchups if you have them and are projected over 11 fantasy points each. Start them over any of these teams.
Carolina Panthers (at Cleveland Browns)
Fantrax Rostership: 25% (Other Platforms: )
The Panthers showed us both ends of the spectrum. In Week 1, the Bears dropped 59 points on them. In Week 2, the Falcons only managed three points. This game will tell us the most about what kind of defense this is. Caleb Williams and HC Ben Johnson are a different animal than Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. The Browns are projected to be one of the league’s worst offenses this year, but look much better. Deshaun Watson is averaging over 220 passing yards per game and has thrown three TDs to just one interception.
Despite Watson’s success through the air last week, the ground game was pitiful. Cleveland only managed 44 rushing yards, half of which came from Watson himself. That was not far off from what happened in Week 1 when the Browns ran for 87 yards against the Jaguars and Watson had 38 of those. Sophomore RB Quinshon Judkins has run 24 times for 54 yards. Stopping the run has been a big weakness for the Panthers this season, though, so Cleveland could turn things around. There are red flags here, but there are reasons the Panthers are on waivers.
Cleveland’s offense looks better than usual under new HC Todd Monken, but the Browns allow the 11th most points to opposing D/STs. The Panthers are unlikely to repeat last week’s 28-point performance, but they’re a solid streaming option in Week 3.
New York Giants (vs. Tennessee Titans)
Fantrax Rostership: 21% (Other Platforms: )
While the Titans kept pace with the Eagles last week, they still did not look like a great offense. The run game was doing well, accumulating 122 yards on 29 carries. However, Cam Ward did not eclipse 200 yards and did not throw for a TD. He did score twice on the ground, though. Ward has only thrown a single TD this season but barely averages over 160 passing yards per game. If Tennessee can continue to succeed on the ground, they may overwhelm the Giants.
New York was thrashed both through the air and on the ground last week, but that was against a Rams offense that led the league in yards and points last year. Matthew Stafford was an All-Pro at 37, while Cam Ward has yet to throw for 3 TDs or 300 yards in a game. Those qualifiers don’t make the Giants a great D/ST streaming option alone but it’s unlikely that the Titans destroy opposing defenses weekly.
The Giants boast a strong defensive line that limited the Cowboys to just 69 yards and 3.8 yards per carry in Week 1. Safety Jevon Holland has also recorded two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery to start the season. Not only is the Titans offense struggling like last year, but the Giants D/ST has what it takes to show up. Stream them in Week 3.
Cincinnati Bengals (at Pittsburgh Steelers)
Fantrax Rostership: 19% (Other Platforms: )
Through two weeks, the Bengals are the D/ST1 of the year. That’s surprising, as Cincinnati’s defense ranked bottom-5 in DVOA, EPA/Play, yards, and points allowed last season. The Bengals did use their 2nd- and 3rd-round picks on defense in the draft, but that can’t explain it all. Former Giants All-Pro Dexter Lawrence II was traded to the Bengals in the off-season, too, and was a major addition to bolster the defensive line. Lawrence has been a model of consistency and ranks 1st in PFF rating amongst Defensive Linemen.
Pittsburgh’s offense looked like it could be a bit more dynamic under new HC Mike McCarthy. That was not the case against the Patriots last week, with the Steelers only managing 3 points. Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times and threw an interception in the loss. The Steelers offense was not horrible in Week 1’s win over the Falcons, but they only scored 20 points in that game, seven of which came from a defensive TD and the ensuing extra point. This could be a bounce-back spot for the Steelers while the Bengals could regress and look closer to last year’s team. However, this is a good matchup on paper, and the Bengals made necessary moves to improve on defense. The Bengals are a high-upside streamer at D/ST in Week 3.
New Orleans Saints (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)
Fantrax Rostership: 17% (Other Platforms: )
Kirk Cousins and the Raiders have impressed so far. Las Vegas is 2-0 this year and has scored 53 points so far. Cousins leads the league in passing TDs with six, but has also thrown three interceptions. It’s hard to tell if the Raiders are legitimately good or if they have just played bad teams. The Saints have also allowed a lot of points, but have played difficult opponents. This is not a sure thing, but there’s a reason the Saints are rostered so low. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens only put up 17 points against them last week, though. Jackson threw an interception and was sacked three times in the loss, but the Ravens were missing WR Zay Flowers. The Raiders may also finally see the return of star TE Brock Bowers.
The Saints have been on the road against two of the league’s best offenses – the Ravens and Lions – but kept both games within a score. While the Raiders have impressed so far, there is a chance that Cousins’ turnovers keep pace while his TDs don’t. Cousins is throwing a TD on over 10% of his pass attempts. His season-high when starting multiple games was 6.8% in 2020 per Pro Football Reference. We just don’t know if or when Cousins cools down, so the Saints are a higher-risk D/ST streaming option in Week 3. Prioritize the teams mentioned above, but don’t be afraid to take a shot on New Orleans.
D/STs to Stash
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a streamer in Week 3, but they also host the Falcons next week. Atlanta has struggled tremendously, going from QB to QB with no success. Michael Penix could give this offense the boost they need, but it’s worth stashing the Saints in case things look as bad as usual. So far, the Falcons are the best matchup for opposing D/STs. Atlanta QBs have thrown five interceptions and have taken seven sacks so far while only scoring 16 points in two games.
Cleveland Browns
A divisional dogfight on Thursday Night Football is a great spot for the Browns D/ST to go off. The Browns play host to the Steelers, the second-best matchup for opposing D/STs. Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger, and while he usually takes care of the ball, he has not helped the Steelers put up points. The Steelers have only scored one offensive TD this season and would face the Browns on a short week. The projected point total for this game should be fairly low, and there isn’t much to like about the Steelers offense thus far. Stash the Browns D/ST.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites in the fantasy sports industry, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
