ClutchPoints
Week 6 of the NFL and fantasy football season is finally here as fantasy managers continue to make pivotal adjustments that will set their teams up for success in the rest of the season. Among a number of wild upsets, including a bizarre finish in the Tennessee Titans vs. Arizona Cardinals game, Week 5 was one of the higher-scoring weeks of the season thus far. Making solid fantasy decisions at the D/ST slot could make or break your weekly matchup, so be sure to follow trends in an ever-changing league.
After numerous injuries and depth chart moves throughout the last week, offenses and defenses will need to adjust to the weekly change of the NFL landscape. We’ll take a look at some key D/ST to start this week, along with some defenses you should look to avoid.
BYE Weeks: Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings
This Week’s Top-3 Starts
Green Bay Packers D/ST (CIN)
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming into another tough matchup against a top-3 ranked defense in the league in Green Bat’s unit. The Packers are allowing the league’s second-fewest rushing yards per game at just 77.5. They’re also holding teams to just 21.0 points on average, but they’ve only managed two takeaways thus far this season.
With a favorable schedule coming up that includes games against Arizona, Pittsburgh, and Carolina, the Green Bay Packers defense should be able to find their footing during this upcoming stretch. If the Cincinnati Bengals continue to struggle with their uncertainties at quarterback, expect this Green Bay unit to be one of the top options this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST (CLE)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a sort of culture flip this season, boasting a high-powered passing offense behind Aaron Rodgers while still being one of the more porous rushing defenses at 122 yards allowed per game. The Cleveland Browns, on the other hand, are sporting one of the best defenses in the league while having one of the worst offenses in the same breath.
Everything about this matchup screams classic Steelers vs. Browns grit and it’s implied in the betting odds with the total of 38.5 coming in as the lowest of Week 6. Expect a slow-paced, low-scoring games when these two teams meet.
New England Patriots (@NO)
The New England Patriots defense currently ranks seventh in fantasy scoring this season, but they’re only being rostered in 41.7% of ESPN leagues. This week, they’ll be facing a New Orleans Saints team in disarray that’s had five turnovers thus far this season. The Saints also rank among the NFL’s bottom-five in terms of points per game with 18.4.
The New England Patriots managed three turnovers on an otherwise clean offensive unit in the Buffalo Bills, so expect their momentum from a big Week 5 divisional win to carry over into this contest. Saints’ QB Spencer Rattler has shown flashes of irresponsibility...
