Despite recommending the highest-scoring DST last week, I consider it a bad week. The Rams, Bears, and Chargers were perfectly fine, but I may have gone a little too bold with the Panthers. I noted some glaring issues, but I wanted to give a very low rostered recommendation. It did not work out. Let’s move on to my Week 5 DST streamers and a few teams to stash in fantasy football, too!
Week 4 Results (Standard Fantrax Scoring)
- Detroit Lions: 25 Points (1st-ranked DST)
- Los Angeles Rams: 11 Points (T-9th)
- Chicago Bears: 8 Points (T-13th)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 6 Points (15th)
- Carolina Panthers: 1 Point (T-29th)
Week 5 DST Streamers
Kansas City Chiefs (at Jacksonville Jaguars)
Fantrax Rostership: 62% (Other Platforms: 13.2% – 56%)
Slowly but surely, we are seeing a great Chiefs team again. After dropping games to the Chargers and Eagles, Kansas City is rolling. Sure, one of their dominant performances was against the Russell Wilson Giants, but they destroyed the Ravens. Even before Lamar Jackson’s injury, the offense struggled mightily against a great Chiefs defense. Their pass defense ranks 8th in DVOA, though they are a bit soft on the ground.
Facing a Liam Coen offense with Travis Etienne surging, there are some concerns. However, Trevor Lawrence has been bad enough that running may not be possible for very long. The game script is likely going to be in favor of the Chiefs. The Jaguars possess their own great defense, forcing a staggering 13 turnovers, so we could be in for a low-scoring affair for both teams. Trevor Lawrence is prone to making mistakes, and he seems to have issues with his receivers right now. This is a good spot for the Chiefs to produce a solid fantasy week.
Los Angeles Rams (vs San Francisco 49ers)
Fantrax Rostership: 53% (Other Platforms: 25% – 31%)
Is my love for this Rams pass rush apparent enough? Los Angeles is tied with Detroit and Pittsburgh for the league lead in sacks with 14 each. The Rams had a fairly difficult matchup, going against a Colts team that was producing well on offense and making very few mistakes. Daniel Jones only got sacked twice, but that was a season-high for him. He also threw his first two interceptions of the season and even fumbled, though the Colts recovered it.
The San Francisco 49ers are not a bad offense by any means, either, but they have underwhelmed. The 49ers scored 21 last week in a loss to the Jaguars, and only eclipsed that mark against an awful Saints team. In two divisional matchups, the 49ers have scored 17 and 16 points. Injuries started before the season and have not let up. Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings are all in danger of missing this game with a short week. Mac Jones would start again if Purdy does miss time, and his performances so far have not been inspiring. Beating up on the Saints and having a solid game against the Cardinals is not something to be afraid of. The Rams have a few injuries of their own, but they’re mainly on offense. Expect another good performance from the Rams DST.
Arizona Cardinals (vs Tennessee Titans)
Fantrax Rostership: 40% (Other Platforms: 21% – 25%)
I won’t quote Cam Ward exactly because this is a family-friendly article, but he is right that the Titans are…very bad. The first overall pick is barely averaging 150 passing yards per game, has 2 TDs to 2 INTs, and is being sacked a league-high 17 times in four games. It’s not surprising that last year’s worst team is, once again, very bad. The Arizona Cardinals have returned solid results in fantasy this year, beating up on the Panthers and an injured 49ers team. I won’t trust the Cards in tougher matchups, but the Titans offense has yet to score more than 20 points in a game this season. After putting up a goose egg against the Texans, they’ll stay on the road and likely struggle in Arizona.
Indianapolis Colts (vs Las Vegas Raiders)
Fantrax Rostership: 34% (Other Platforms: 20% – 40%)
The Colts do not boast an elite defense by essentially any metric. What they do offer is reliability against bad offenses. Indy has combined for 36 fantasy points in their games against the Dolphins and Titans, but only 7 combined against the Broncos and Rams. The Las Vegas Raiders don’t project to be an unstoppable force anytime soon.
Geno Smith has now thrown 3 picks in a game twice this season. His 7 interceptions lead the NFL, and he has taken 12 sacks so far. The Colts pass rush has generated 3+ sacks in three of four games to start the year. Indianapolis doesn’t generate a ton of pressure, but they have taken advantage of great matchups. I trust the Colts DST as a Week 5 streamer.
Cleveland Browns (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
Fantrax Rostership: 25% (Other Platforms: 3% – 10%)
Considering the Browns have played against Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, and Jared Goff – and the rest of the great players around them – Cleveland has played very good defense. Cleveland ranks 2nd in defensive DVOA, and the stat now adjusts for opponents played. Even in EPA/play, which doesn’t adjust for your opponents, the Browns defense ranks 9th. Myles Garrett is averaging a sack per game, and the team has 11 sacks on the season despite generating pressure at only an average rate.
Cleveland may have gotten blown out by the Ravens and Lions, but those were away games against elite offenses. Pittsburgh just sacked Carson Wentz 6 times in Dublin, and the Vikings will be staying across the pond this week as they head over to England. This is technically a Browns home game, but it won’t help them much. Despite the neutral game and Minnesota making a much shorter trip, Wentz just isn’t going to be good enough to destroy Cleveland. Center Ryan Kelly left last week’s contest with a concussion and will need to clear protocol to play in Week 5. The team was already missing Guard Donovan Jackson, but will also lose Tackle Brian O’Neill. Wentz has taken 9 sacks in 2 games so far, and things are not looking up anytime soon.
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs Kansas City Chiefs)
Fantrax Rostership: 24% (Other Platforms: 6% – 7%)
There’s a lot I need to mention here. Yes, the Chiefs DST was already recommended as a stream. Yes, the Chiefs have only allowed the Eagles to score more than 2 fantasy points in a game in standard Fantrax scoring this year. Yes, Patrick Mahomes is a magician who just got Xavier Worthy back. Yes, the Jaguars are the Jaguars. Yet, I feel like they are a desperation play that could pay off for logical reasons. The Jaguars DST has scored at least 9 fantasy points in each of their games this season, and 15 or more in three of four. Jacksonville leads DSTs in season-long scoring to start the year. The Jags have beaten up on some weak offenses like the Panthers, Texans, and the injured Bengals and 49ers. However, their defense ranks 3rd in defensive DVOA and 2nd in EPA/play.
The Kansas City Chiefs will be by far the best offense the Jaguars have faced up until this point. So far, Patrick Mahomes has only thrown a single interception, has taken 7 sacks, and ranks top 10 in passing yards and TDs. The past results that the Jaguars have enjoyed don’t mean much when they play a well-oiled machine. The Chiefs struggled to start the season, but their game-planning and QB talent are starting to win out again. One of the bigger advantages for the Jaguars is that they get to play this game at home. If you are truly desperate and want a low-rostered play with a good, maybe great, defense, this is your team. I don’t trust them as much as a team like the Seahawks, but the Jaguars could prove to be valuable even in tougher matchups.
DSTs to Stash
Green Bay Packers
The first bye weeks of the season have arrived, and Green Bay joins the teams with a break. Most fantasy managers will continue to roster them, burning a bench space to hold one of the better units in the league. However, not everyone is going to be able to afford that. Keep an eye on Green Bay after waivers clear this week. Heading into Tuesday, they’re being rostered in 92% of Fantrax leagues. They host the Cincinnati Bengals at home. With a week of rest, that should be one of the juiciest matchups in the league. Joe Burrow may not return this season, and Cincy has struggled against two great defenses and pass rushes in the Vikings and Broncos. The Bengals get to continue their nightmare against the Lions in Week 5. Things are not going to look up for them for a while.
New England Patriots
Outside of their loss to the Steelers, the Patriots have scored at least 11 fantasy points in three games this season. They have been buoyed by scoring 2 TDs, something that is not entirely predictable, and facing off against awful offenses. The Panthers, Dolphins, and Raiders are hardly contenders, and they are all prone to mistakes. Lucky for the Patriots, they have one of the easiest schedules in the league.
Back in Week 1’s article, I noted that New England has a multitude of juicy matchups in 2025. You can stash or start the Pats for quite a while if you have the bench space. After a visit to Buffalo in Week 5, New England plays the Saints, Titans, Browns, and Falcons. There’s a tough matchup in Tampa Bay, but they’re back at it against the Jets, Bengals, and Giants. Some of those offenses have shown flashes of success, but they’re all in the top half of matchups to target in fantasy football. If you’re tired of churning through a new defense each week, the Patriots are an intriguing long-term hold.
