Fantasy Football Defense Rankings & Streams: Week 5

Below, bettors can find Week 5 fantasy football defense rankings by implied NFL team totals.

NFL odds rank the Texans as the best defense in Week 5. DeMeco Ryans’ unit faces the Titans, whose team total sits at 14.5 points.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Arizona Cardinals. The defense returns home from New York to face the Detroit Lions, whose team total currently sits at 30.5 points.

Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings: Team Defenses

Fantasy Football Streaming Defenses for Week 5

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh looked dreadful against the Bengals and Browns. However, I like how this unit matches up with Indianapolis.

Last season, Pittsburgh successfully limited Jonathan Taylor. They also forced Daniel Jones into a ton of turnovers by creating pressure with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.

Indianapolis looked dreadful in Week 4 against the Commanders. Shane Steichen’s offense has posted only one above-average pass offense DVOA performance through four games.

The success came in Week 2 against the Chiefs. I expected better in Week 4 against a Commanders secondary that offers minimal resistance to opposing receivers.

If the Colts fail to establish the run, I’m confident the Steelers can limit Daniel Jones. Add in the Steelers’ extra prep days, and I rate the Steelers as a good streaming option in Week 5.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Denver Broncos

Over the last two games, the Chargers defense has started to find some form.

The unit faced Buffalo and Seattle, two of the better offenses by 2025 DVOA. At Buffalo, the unit recorded a -2.3% DVOA rating, largely driven by turnovers.

Against Seattle, the defense showed signs of life. Seattle recorded a -23.9% offensive DVOA rating against Los Angeles for the Chargers’ best defensive performance of the season.

For the season, Los Angeles has largely struggled to stop the run. Entering Week 5, the unit ranks 24th in rush defense DVOA.

I doubt the Broncos offense possesses the running backs to exploit that weakness. Through four games, Broncos backs are averaging only 75 rushing yards per game.

While Los Angeles ranks 20th in defensive DVOA, they’ve faced the sixth-hardest set of opposing offenses. Here, I predict the defense performs better against a volatile offense.