The top eight defense/special teams units in terms of fantasy points per game are all rostered in at least 90 percent of leagues. All eight are in action this week, and most have solid matchups. However, there are still plenty of fantasy managers looking for Week 6 D/ST streamers.
Buffalo (87 percent rostered) has underwhelmed from a fantasy perspective to this point and has a date with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. New Orleans (76 percent rostered) and the Los Angeles Chargers (53 percent) have byes. And the Green Bay-Tampa Bay and Los Angeles Rams-San Francisco games figure to have plenty of scoring. So here are a few of my favorite streaming choices for you to consider this week.
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Week 6 D/ST Streamers
Miami Dolphins (vs. New York Jets, 35 percent rostered)
A week ago, the Miami Dolphins were heading cross country to take on the NFC Champion 49ers. A loss and a 1-4 record seemed imminent. But a funny thing happened on the way to one-and-four-dom. Miami shellacked San Francisco.
And while Fitzpatrick led the charge, the defense was just as impressive. They sacked the combination of Jimmy Garoppolo and C.J. Beathard five times while forcing three turnovers and holding the vaunted 49ers offense to only 259 total yards. The Dolphins now rank 10th in the NFL in points allowed per game at 22.6. That number figures to decrease after this week after a visit from the New York Jets.
Because of recent scheduling changes related to Covid-19, the Dolphins now get to host the lowly Jets instead of again traveling out west to face the Denver Broncos. The Jets average just 15 points per game and have a scored a total of 29 points in their five first halves this season. It is almost like the team is poorly prepared to begin games for some mysterious reason.
The Jets recently released running back Le’Veon Bell and will again be without quarterback Sam Darnold who is nursing a shoulder injury. Their pass-catching group is a mess outside of Jamison Crowder. Miami should face little resistance in this game. They will be among the most popular Week 6 D/ST streamers, and with good reason.
Washington Football Team (at New York Giants, 32 percent rostered)
The Washington Football Team ranks in the top half of teams in fantasy points per game thus far in 2020. Washington is sixth in total sacks and second in adjusted sack rate through five weeks. They are also tied for 10th in the NFL in forcing turnovers.
However, I must admit that my recommendation of the Football Team is more an indictment on the New York Giants offense than it is an endorsement of Washington’s defense. People thought I was crazy for suggesting Dallas was worth streaming against the Giants last week.
And while I realize those ideas may not be mutually exclusive, Dallas did come through. They scored a defensive touchdown and recorded a pair of sacks, finishing as a top-10 fantasy defense.
Washington has allowed at least 30 points in four straight games following a Week 1 upset victory against the Eagles. But this could be a get right spot against the Giants. Per Football Outsiders, the Giants offensive line ranks dead last in adjusted line yards, while Washington’s defensive line ranks eighth-best in the same metric.
With the Giants unlikely to establish much of a running game, they will have to turn to Daniel Jones to get the job done. Jones finally went a week without throwing an interception but lost a fumble that ended up being a defensive score. Until Jones proves he can hold onto the football, streaming defenses against the Giants is a solid strategy.
New York Giants (vs. Washington Football Team, 16 percent rostered)
For their part, Washington’s offense has been generous to opposing fantasy defenses as well. Their quarterbacks have now been sacked 21 times through five games. Eight of those came last week against the Los Angeles Rams. Of the eight, six came against Alex Smith, while football fans universally cringed every time he went down as we waited to make sure he got up.
Thankfully he did, but it will be Kyle Allen under center against the Giants. Allen started last week’s game before leaving with an injury. He is no stranger to being sacked or turning the football over in his own right, as I noted in last week’s Looking Ahead section.
The Giants’ defense ranks in the middle of the pack in several categories and metrics, including fantasy points, turnovers, adjusted sack rate, and adjusted line rate. They have held their own in recent weeks (at least from a fantasy perspective) against solid offensive clubs in the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys.
Their Week 6 matchup against Washington figures to be an ugly affair that should favor both defenses. If I had to choose either D/ST to stream in this game, it would be Washington. But I certainly would not shy away from using the Giants in this spot if forced to look elsewhere.
Detroit Lions (at Jacksonville Jaguars, 9 percent rostered)
The Detroit Lions have not exactly been synonymous with a stout defense since the arrival of Matt Patricia in 2018. In fact, it seems they have regressed defensively during his tenure. However, this could be a spot to consider them a Week 6 D/ST when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville has lost four straight games, and opponents have held them to 14 points or less in two of their last three games.
Gardner Minshew has turned the ball over six times and has endured 16 sacks this season. The Lions are also fresh off their bye week, so perhaps their defense has a little extra juice this week. There are safer options out there, but the Lions could be a sneaky streamer and cheap DFS alternative this week.
Looking Ahead
An early look at Week 7 reveals that the options are not great. Forward-thinking fantasy managers who have an extra roster spot handy should look to grab one of these options before the free-agent pool locks on Sunday. Two of the four are featured above for those looking to stack favorable matchups together.
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. New York Giants, 46 percent rostered)
Dallas Cowboys (at Washington Football Team, 42 percent rostered)
New York Giants (at Philadelphia Eagles, 16 percent rostered)
Washington Football Team (vs. Dallas Cowboys, 32 percent rostered)
The NFC East is terrible, but at least they manage to provide streaming options every week. New York and Washington have been my targets over the past few weeks, but it is not as teams led by Carson Wentz and Andy Dalton are beyond reproach. The Eagles have allowed the sixth-most points per game to opposing fantasy defenses this season. One thing to consider is that the Eagles-Giants matchup is a Thursday night game. Those usually tend to favor offenses.
Dallas is probably the team in the division to avoid given their offensive weaponry. But it remains to be seen how much firepower they will lose with star quarterback Dak Prescott out for the remainder of the season. Andy Dalton threw one touchdown or less in nine of 13 games last year, and the Cincinnati Bengals were all too willing to move on from the veteran both during and after the 2019 season.
If you enjoyed Mick’s Week 6 D/ST Streamers, make sure to check our full slate of Week 6 Fantasy Football Analysis.
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