Top 3 Week 5 Defense Rankings & Streaming Options | Fantasy Football 2021

A few of the top defenses/special teams (D/ST) in fantasy have difficult matchups in Week 5. They include the Bills playing on the road against the Chiefs and the Rams traveling to Seattle to play the Seahawks. If you are looking for a streaming defense replacement, consider adding the following options that are still available in the majority of ESPN leagues. Also, check out the Awesemo projections and Week 5 defense rankings to see what is projected for all of the teams that will be in action.

Week 5 Fantasy Football Streaming Defense Options

Arizona Cardinals (73% available)

The Cardinals are undefeated through four games, thanks in large part to the play of Kyler Murray. He has 12 total touchdowns while leading them to score at least 31 points in each game. Their defense has also played well, though, holding their opponents to 20 points or fewer three times. That included a tough matchup in Week 4 against the Rams, who they limited to 20 points.

Up next for the Cardinals is a matchup against the 49ers, who are once again dealing with injuries. Jimmy Garoppolo left last week’s game with a calf injury, which forced rookie Trey Lance into action. George Kittle is also battling a calf injury, which might be partly to blame for him catching just four passes for 40 yards last week. The 49ers might be better off if Lance starts over Garoppolo, so this will be a situation to monitor. With that being said, if the Cardinals can hold the Rams to 20 points, they can at least have similar success against the 49ers regardless of who starts at quarterback.

Minnesota Vikings (83% available)

The Vikings defense started the season on a sour note, allowing 27 points to the Bengals in Week 1 and 34 points to the Cardinals in Week 2. However, they rebounded to hold the dangerous Seahawks offense to 17 points in Week 3 and then the Browns to 14 points last week. They recorded three sacks against the Browns, boosting their total to 13 for the season. That is tied for the fourth most in the NFL.

As far as favorable matchups go, the Vikings have one in Week 5 when they take on the Lions. Devoid of explosive wide receivers, the Lions have averaged only 20.3 points per game. Jared Goff has been sacked 10 times this season, so the Vikings could continue to build on their impressive sack total in this contest.

Las Vegas Raiders (89% available)

The Raiders finally suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the Chargers on Monday Night Football. While they only scored 14 points, their defense did not help matters, allowing 21 points in the first half. They did limit the Chargers to a lone touchdown in the second half, but the damage had already been done at that point.

As disappointing as that performance was, the Chargers have one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. The same cannot be said of the Bears, who they will play in Week 5. They have not scored more than 24 points in a game this season and have been held to 14 points or fewer twice. If Andy Dalton (knee) is healthy enough to make his return, he could start at quarterback over Justin Fields. The bigger headline, though, is that the Bears could be without running back David Montgomery, who went down with a knee injury in Week 4. They have built their offense around their running game, giving him at least 16 carries in three of their four games. With his likely absence, they could have a tough time scoring in this game.

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Want more fantasy football news and analysis? If all that free content isn't enough for you to dominate your Fantasy Football draft this year, check out the Awesemo Fantasy Football Draft Kit, which includes sophisticated tools and proprietary fantasy data that you can only get from us. We've also got a brand new Fantasy Football YouTube Channel where you can tune in every day for the best fantasy videos in the business. Check out our NFL fantasy rankings, our printable NFL fantasy football cheat sheet, our fantasy football late-round sleepers and our NFL player draft profiles.
Author
I’ve been covering fantasy sports since 2007. Along my journey, I’ve contributed to companies including SportsLine, RotoWire, Sports Illustrated and DraftKings. My passion for fantasy sports began by playing in traditional season-long leagues and has expanded into DFS and sports handicapping. In 2018, I was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. You can contact me by e-mailing [email protected].

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