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Streaming defenses is a popular strategy in fantasy football, but picking the wrong one can make or break your scoring week. The NFL is a week-to-week business with new matchups to exploit and avoid to maximize our weekly point total. At Sportskeeda, we'll take you through the best defensive streaming options, plus give you an overview of how the top defenses rank heading into the new fantasy week.
With four teams on bye in the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Detroit Lions, our possibilities for viable defenses to stream are limited. It doesn't help that our turnover king, Will Levis, won't suit up this weekend, but at least we still have Deshaun Watson!
Fantasy Football Week 5 defense rankings
Fantasy Football Defense Streamers for Week 5
1] Denver Broncos vs Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN 5% | Yahoo! 16% | FAAB Range 1%
It is time to change our paradigm about the Denver defense. We should no longer mindlessly start our fantasy quarterbacks and receivers against the Broncos, as it has been one of the best secondary through four weeks this season. Denver has allowed the sixth-least fantasy points to quarterbacks per game at 12.1 and ranks second in defensive DVOA-Adjusted Fantasy Points Against wide receivers at -35%.
Denver has been stingy to opponents' top receivers thanks to First Team All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Surtain has taken on the most challenging assignments this season and shut down some of the best fantasy stars in the game. In Week 1, Surtain shadowed DK Metcalf on 96.2% of his routes and held him to three receptions for 29 scoreless yards, and he followed that up by allowing a single catch for 16 yards to George Pickens in his coverage in Week 2.
Surtain drew Mike Evans in a Week 3 matchup and shadowed him on 67.6% of his routes, only to allow one catch for eight yards when in coverage against the Pro Bowl receiver. Finally, Surtain shut down another fantasy star in New York's Garrett Wilson, who finished with five receptions for 41 scoreless yards last Sunday. This week, the Broncos will take on a Raiders team dealing with drama with its star wideout Davante Adams.
Sportskeeda's NFL insider Tony Pauline reports there are four teams including (you guessed it) the New York Jets interested in the All-Pro playmaker.
Adams was already iffy due to a hamstring injury during practice last week and looks unlikely to suit up this weekend. Even with Adams, quarterback Garner Minshew has been one of the worst starters at 10.7 fantasy points per game this season.
After shutting down Aaron Rodgers in Week 4, the Broncos will look to keep it going with one of the best matchups in the league in Week 5, and it is in play as a premier streamer this week.
2] Washington Commanders vs Cleveland Browns
ESPN 2% | Yahoo! 1% | FAAB Range 1%
If you have followed along in the WR Ranks and Picks article this season, you know we have been targeting the Washington pass defense this year. The Commanders have given up the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks at 31.3 and the fourth-most fantasy points per game to receivers at 68.8.
This league evolves week-to-week, and sometimes even the weakest defenses have good matchups to exploit. The Browns are the second most advantageous fantasy matchup for defenses through four weeks, and Deshaun Watson has the 12th-worst fantasy points per game with 14.2 for qualified quarterbacks.
With Watson's struggles, it is unsurprising that Cleveland has the third-worst fantasy points per game for wide receivers this season. Watson hasn't had much time to throw behind his protection as the Browns have allowed the second-most pressure rate in the league at 41.3% of his dropbacks. Watson leads the league in sacks taken at 19 while having the third-most turnover-worthy throws at six this season. He has suffered by far the most QB hits, with 49 this season, while New England's Jacoby Brissett is second with 33.
At 31 fantasy points per game, Cleveland has been the second-worst rushing attack in the league with Jerome Ford leading the team with 203 rushing yards through four games.
Washington still has a way to go to be considered a respectable defense but it could be in play for a decent performance against a poor Cleveland offense. Washington's unit contained Kyler Murray in the desert last week to a QB20 finish and only ten fantasy points on a season-low 142 passing yards.
3] Seattle Seahawks vs New York Giants
ESPN 36% | Yahoo! 27% | FAAB Range 1%
There's no ideal way to lose the first game of your coaching career, but getting smashed on Monday Night Football couldn't have been fun for Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald.
Detroit's Jared Goff had a historic night and completed every throw for 292 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 42-29 shootout victory over Macdonald's Seahawks. Before last Monday, Seattle's secondary only allowed 11.1 points per game to quarterbacks and will look to get back on track against a poor New York passing offense.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is 20th in the league in fantasy points per game (13.1) despite having an emerging star in rookie Malik Nabers this season. Jones' protection has been leaky, with a 31.4% pressure rate, the 11th worst in the league. Jones is 26th in the league in completion percentage (63.2%) and 27th in yards per attempt (6.1) for qualified quarterbacks. Macdonald's defensive unit is second-best at applying pressure on the quarterback, with a 39.3% pressure rate through four games and the fourth-most QB hits with 27 on the season.
The Seahawks have also been stout against fantasy running backs this season by allowing a second-best 31.7 fantasy points per game before facing the dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery last Monday. The Seahawks should have a better matchup against veteran Devin Singletary, who is averaging a decent 12.8 fantasy points per game. This unit is coming into this matchup on a short week but could be one of the best streamers available with four teams on a bye in Week 5.
