Fantasy football can be a cruel game to play. I'm sure there are a good portion of people that had locked in the Washington Commanders defense against a struggling Chicago Bears offense last Thursday night. I bet people would want to reverse their week 5 position rankings.
Coming in as one of the top projected defenses for the week, Justin Fields and DJ Moore decided to ruin the party. The Commanders ended up finishing with -5 fantasy points in ESPN formats, allowing 40 points to the Bears
Let's try to come back from that in week 6 shall we? Maybe our fantasy football hopes will go up from here?
Top Plays of the Week
Buffalo Bills D/ST vs. New York Giants
It might seem like an obvious pick, but the Buffalo Bills defense against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football should be the No.1 ranked defense of the week. Even with some key losses on Buffalo's defense like Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones, they should still have a nice day attacking a vulnerable Giants offensive line and quarterback Daniel Jones.
In fact, New York has allowed the most sacks this season with 30, giving up seven of those to the Miami Dolphins last week. After losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Buffalo is looking to bounce back in a huge way on their home field, especially with Von Miller getting healthier.
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST @ New York Jets
It might be another obvious pick, but to give credit to the Jets, their offense hasn't been half-bad these past couple of weeks. They played a completive game against the Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs and scored 31 points against the Denver Broncos.
Some might say they're surging, but I don't buy it. Even in New York, I'd still start the Eagles defense led by defensive back Darius Slay and other impact players with confidence against Zach Wilson and an even more vulnerable offensive line because of the season-ending injury to Alijah-Vera Tucker.
Sleepers
Miami Dolphins D/ST vs. Carolina Panthers
Mentioned in the paragraph above, the Dolphins had a nice day defensively against the Giants with their sack total, scoring 12 points in ESPN formats. I expect the defense to have another nice day against rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the sluggish Panthers offense.
Besides the defense surging due to players like Andrew Van Ginkel, Christian Wilkins, Bradley Chubb, and others, the Dolphins could see the return of top pass rusher Jaelan Phillips. He missed his second consecutive game last weekend because of an oblique injury, but was limited at practice the whole week, possibly suggesting he's due for a return soon according to CBS Sports.
In terms of projected points in Fantasy Football, the Dolphins are ranked eighth on ESPN, so it might not be too hard to obtain the Dolphins. Take a flier on them.
New Orleans Saints D/ST @ Houston Texans
Listen…I know C.J. Stroud has been great. Last Sunday, he broke the record for most pass attempts without an interception at 186 throws, which broke Dak Prescott's previous mark in 2016. On the trajectory he's on, it's possible he could be one of the league's best.
However, I predict the streak ends Sunday as the Saints are coming off of a great outing against the New England Patriots. Even though the Saints are currently the No. 3 ranked fantasy defense through five weeks, they're the No. 17 defense in terms of ESPN Projections. People are easily going to overlook them.
I usually like to pick the defenses that are facing rookie quarterbacks who are prone to mistakes. Like I said, even though Stroud hasn't made a mistake just yet, it's inevitable.
BUSTS
Seattle Seahawks D/ST @ Cincinnati Bengals
I probably don't have to tell you not to start the Seahawks' defense against the Bengals, but I just have to make sure! It seemed like we were heading in a direction where Joe Burrow was too hurt to lead this team into fantasy relevance.
After the last game's performance, that narrative is on hold and more so put to bed. It finally looks like we're going to see the Burrow people recognize as he looked comfortable against the Arizona Cardinals and feasted to receiver Ja'Marr Chase who had 15 receptions, 192 yards, and three touchdowns. Steer clear of Seattle this week.
Minnesota Vikings D/ST @ Chicago Bears
Going back to the people who started the Commanders' defense last week against the Bears, I'm advising to not roll with the Vikings this week as well. Not saying that Justin Fields is matchup-proof, but there are a couple of aspects that are making me hold off on this game.
While the Vikings are favored to win this game as the Bears are +3 per CBS Sports, I always try to stay away from divisional games as they can get wacky in terms of the outcome, especially at Soldier Field. Especially since Fields and that offense are possibly starting to get it rolling, it could be a headache facing that team in Week 6. I don't necessarily blame you if picked them up since they're a projected top-10 defense this week, but there are much better options.
Onto the fantasy football defense rankings:
- Buffalo Bills D/ST vs. New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles D/ST @ New York Jets
- Atlanta Falcons D/ST vs. Washington Commanders
- Baltimore Ravens D/ST @ Tennessee Titans
- Kansas City Chiefs D/ST vs. Denver Broncos
- San Francisco 49ers D/ST @ Cleveland Browns
- Miami Dolphins D/ST vs. Carolina Panthers
- Minnesota Vikings D/ST @ Chicago Bears
- Las Vegas Raiders D/ST vs. New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New Orleans Saints D/ST @Houston Texans
- New England Patriots D/ST @ Las Vegas Raiders
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