The fantasy D/ST world begins to heat up as bye weeks slide into the NFL schedule with both solid defenses and streaming targets taking weeks off, leaving fantasy owners to pluck D/ST options from waiver wires. Week 5 of the 2016 season fits that bill perfectly, as Seattle owners will miss the services of their defense this Sunday, while streamers won’t have the luxury of relying on the defense opposing Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. These are the breaks in fantasy football, and the fine folks at Rotoworld are here to help your team stack wins no matter the circumstances. Below, you will find the top-16 fantasy D/ST options for Week 5 broken down into three tiers, followed by a brief look ahead at Week 6, and finally our kicker rankings. Strap on your hard hat and get ready to dig down deep while we uncover the best that fantasy special teams has to offer.
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Top Tier Choices
Six defenses populate our top tier this week and provide comfortable matchups.
The Minnesota Vikings (vs Houston) defense is on a serious roll, as this group is the only fantasy defense with four weekly top-10 finishes this season. Houston’s Brock Osweiler has thrown at least one interception in each game in 2016, and will have a tough time finding success against the Minnesota defense that has held all four opponents to under 6.0 yards per pass attempt through four weeks.
Atlanta’s offense is the best the NFL has to offer, scoring 38.0 points per game and racking up a ridiculous 478.8 yards per outing. The fun may be over however, as the Falcons travel to play the Denver Broncos (vs Atlanta) in Week 5, who lead the NFL in sacks. Denver has also recorded multiple takeaways in three of four games this season and have scored well in matchups with upper-tier offenses. Andy Dalton’s 206 yard performance in Week 3 is the best effort an opposing quarterback has put up against the Broncos D/ST, so don’t sweat this matchup with the revitalized Matthew Ice.
The Carolina Panthers (vs Tampa Bay) gave up 48 points and 571 yards of offense last week! Get that out of your system. Feel better? Ok, Carolina got demolished by Atlanta in Week 4 but thankfully a new game is on deck for Week 5. The Panthers will return home to face Tampa Bay and QB Jameis Winston, who has been sacked 10 times in 2016 while turning the ball over two or more times in his last three games. This is a prime spot for the Panthers to get right at home.
If someone let the Philadelphia Eagles (at Detroit) defense hit the waiver wire over their Week 4 bye, then get your claims ready. The Eagles allowed just 9.0 points per game in three outings to start the season, while stacking up at last three sacks in each game. Philadelphia is handing over just 71.0 rushing yards per game in 2016 and Detroit’s injury-riddled running back group won’t stand a chance in this matchup. A one-dimensional Matthew Stafford-led offense is a great target for a fantasy defense, especially one playing as well as the Eagles D/ST.
The New England Patriots (at Cleveland) turned in a mediocre defensive performance in Week4 after pitching a shutout in Week 3, but the whole dynamic of the Patriots D/ST will change now that handsome Tom is back under center. With Tom Brady in the fold, New England is the biggest favorite on the board this week, playing against Cleveland and rookie QB Cody Kessler. Kessler has been sacked four times and given the ball away just twice in two weeks, but will likely be playing from behind in this contest. The Patriots D/ST should be able to get after the rookie in this game with plenty of chances for impact plays.
After a clunker in Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams (vs Buffalo) defense has strung together three-straight top-10 fantasy performances and now returns home to face Buffalo, who ranks 28th in total offense. Tyrod Taylor has been careful with the ball so far in 2016, but this offense won’t scare the Rams, who have seven sacks in the last three weeks. The Los Angeles defense has had some trouble in pass defense recently but a Sammy Watkins-less Bills passing game shouldn’t be a major threat.
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Tier Two, Still Solid
These four units are not quite top options, but should produce solid point totals.
The defense of the Arizona Cardinals (at San Francisco) has been respectable in 2016, recording at least two sacks and one turnover in each game. Week 5 brings a trip to the Bay Area for Arizona, as they will face division foe San Francisco. The 49ers have not been quite the fantasy D/ST target as anticipated with Blaine Gabbert responsible for just five turnovers and three sacks through four weeks. Still, this is an advantageous spot for a solid defense as San Francisco is 30th among NFL offenses in yards per game. The only worry in this spot is that Carson Palmer (concussion) can’t suit up and Drew Stanton gets the start, potentially leaving the Cardinals D/ST in precarious spots throughout the game.
Life without J.J. Watt (back) will be unfriendly for the Houston Texans (at Minnesota), but this group was still able to turn in a decent fantasy performance in Week 4 without its star defensive end. Houston has held opponents to just 162.5 passing yards per game, the best mark in the NFL. Week 5 will see the Texans travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings and QB Sam Bradford, who has yet to turn the ball over in 2016, but has been sacked six times in three games. This game should be low scoring enough to keep the Texans D/ST useful no matter their turnover total.
The Green Bay Packers (vs NY Giants) have struggled in pass defense this season, but have dominated opposing running games. Green Bay has held each 2016 opponent to 50 rushing yards or less, with no individual player running for more than 39 yards (Yeldon, Week 1). The Packers have also recorded three or more sacks in each game and should be well rested after a bye week and ready to face the New York Giants, who will be playing on a short week.
While not a particularly good defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers (vs NY Jets) D/ST did put the clamps on Kansas City last week and face turnover machine Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 5. Our good pal Fitz has tossed a healthy nine interceptions in his last two games, and while he may find some success throwing the ball against the Steelers, there should be plenty of chances for big plays against this turnover-prone quarterback.
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Streamer Specials
Struggling offenses and quarterback changes present a nice selection of defenses to stream as Week 5 approaches. These units have their warts, but offer potential for owners looking to pluck production off the waiver wire.
The Miami Dolphins (vs Tennessee) have been generally manhandled on defense through four weeks, but will have a long layoff heading into Week 5 after playing last Thursday. Miami will host Tennessee, who has been friendly to opposing fantasy defenses in 2016 with QB Marcus Mariota turning the ball over at least once each week. The main cause for concern in this seemingly attractive streaming spot is the ground game, as Miami has been blasted for 129.8 rushing yards per week, while the Titans are fourth among NFL offenses in rushing through four weeks. Tennessee may choose to pound the ball on the ground and reduce the opportunities for Miami to force turnovers and sack Mariota.
Defensively, the San Francisco 49ers (vs Arizona) are what we like to call #notgood, as they have been smashed for 35.7 points per game since shutting out Los Angeles in Week 1. The appearance of the 49ers D/ST in this column is a result of Arizona’s Carson Palmer dealing with concussion issues on a short week. If Palmer can’t play on Thursday, Drew Stanton would take the snaps for Arizona. Stanton is a premium streaming target, as he has thrown 18 interceptions and 12 touchdowns in his career, including two picks in 11 attempts in Week 4.
Despite a Week 2 lapse on national television, the Buffalo Bills (at Los Angeles) have actually been a top-10 fantasy defense in three of four weeks. In fact, if we subtract Buffalo’s Week 2 debacle against the NY Jets, most of Buffalo’s defensive numbers look very respectable. Week 5 sends the Bills to Los Angeles to face the Rams, who are averaging only 15.8 points per game including a 37-point outburst at Tampa Bay in Week 3. The Bills D/ST carries a nice floor this week and should be able to keep rolling.
The Baltimore Ravens (vs Washington) had a streak of three top-10 fantasy finishes snapped in Week 4, but will look to get back in shape this week against Washington. Baltimore has been stout against the run in 2016, and the Redskins are 20th in rushing through four weeks, including a 145 yard showing in Week 4 against the lowly Cleveland run defense. The Ravens should be able to force Washington to throw in this game, putting its third-ranked pass defense to work. The Ravens are 29 percent owned in Yahoo leagues and warrant attention from streamers this week
The Indianapolis Colts (vs Chicago) have been awful on defense as expected, with the Colts D/ST scoring three or less fantasy points in three of four 2016 games. Week 5 brings the Bears to Indianapolis, who are led by QB Brian Hoyer. While Hoyer has a history of being careless with the football, he is responsible for just one fumble and zero interceptions in 97 pass attempts this season. While Hoyer has more conscientious with the football in 2016, the Bears are not scoring points, checking-in dead last among NFL teams at 15.5 points per game. The Colts D/ST are worth a streaming look for those in a desperate spot.
The NFL’s most sacked quarterback through four weeks is Andrew Luck, who will square off with the Chicago Bears (at Indianapolis) in Week 5. The Bears D/ST has yet to finish better than 14th in fantasy scoring through four games, but did force two turnovers in Week 4 and will have plenty of opportunity to do the same against Luck and the Colts. Additionally, the Bears D/ST is only one percent owned in Yahoo leagues, so there should be no traffic on the way to acquire the services of this defense.
Looking Ahead
The following six defenses look to have solid Week 6 matchups for folks looking to plan a week in advance.
Buffalo Bills (Week 6 vs San Francisco)
Tennessee Titans (Week 6 vs Cleveland)
Chicago Bears (Week 6 vs Jacksonville)
Detroit Lions (Week 6 vs Los Angeles)
Houston Texans (Week 6 vs Indianapolis)
Arizona Cardinals (Week 6 vs NY Jets)
Take Your Kick
Below are the top kicker options for Week 5. Keep in mind that Dallas’ Dan Bailey is dealing with a back issue and could be sidelined this week. Stay tuned to Rotoworld for more updates on his status as the week progresses.
1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England (at CLE)
2. Graham Gano, Carolina (vs TB)
3. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland (vs SD)
4. Mason Crosby, Green Bay (vs NYG)
5. Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis (vs CHI)
6. Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh (vs NYJ)
7. Brandon McManus, Denver (vs ATL)
8. Justin Tucker, Baltimore (vs WAS)
9. Blair Walsh, Minnesota (vs HOU)
10. Josh Lambo, San Diego (at OAK)
11. Caleb Sturgis, Philadelphia (at DET)
12. Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles (vs BUF)
13. Mike Nugent, Cincinnati (at DAL)
14. Dan Bailey, Dallas (vs CIN)
15. Chandler Catanzaro, Arizona (at SF)
16. Andrew Franks, Miami (vs TEN)
