Streaming Defenses: Week 2 Options

The streaming strategy got off to a nice start Week 1, with two of our top three picks — the Seahawks and Jets — reaching double-digit fantasy points. Each of the five defenses we highlighted scored at least six points, averaging 10.0 between them. The Week 1 average for team defenses was 6.9 fantasy points, and units with ownership above 90 percent on Yahoo averaged just 6.4.

Week 2 should be another good one for streaming, with five of the top-10 defenses in my weekly rankings available on waivers in a decent portion of fantasy leagues. We'll start with an obvious choice down in Texas, followed by four other teams with multi-week streaming potential.

For injury-related updates throughout the week, follow me on Twitter (@RotowireNFL_JD).

Note: These recommendations are limited to team defenses with ownership under 60 percent on Yahoo or 30 percent on ESPN as of Tuesday morning. Any references to fantasy points are based on Yahoo standard scoring, which doesn't include yards allowed.

Top Streaming Options for Week 2

1. Houston Texans (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

49% Yahoo ownership, 26% ESPN

Team implied total: 26.25 (6th of 32)

Opponent implied total: 17.25 (30th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 3: 28th (at NO) — Week 4: 11th (vs. CAR)

I'm not here to hate on Gardner Minshew. Heck, he got better results than Luke Falk at Washington State, chucking the ball around to a bunch of players that may not have NFL careers. It's entirely possible Minshew was a sixth-round steal for Jacksonville — it certainly looked that way after he replaced Nick Foles (clavicle) in Sunday's 40-26 loss to Kansas City.

Even so, we're talking about a rookie quarterback behind a questionable offensive line, making his first NFL start on the road. The Texans have legitimate issues on defense, but they mostly had the same problems last season — namely pass coverage — and nonetheless finished No. 3 in fantasy points. Playing as nine-point favorites, they should find their way to a few sacks and at least one or two takeaways, even if struggles in coverage allow Minshew to put up some fantasy points of his own.

2. Carolina Panthers (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

6% Yahoo ownership, 11% ESPN

Team implied total: 28 (t-4th)

Opponent implied total: 21.5 (21st)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 3: 11th (at ARZ) — Week 4: 18th (at HOU)

We've seen Jameis Winston rebound from plenty of ugly performances, and we've also seen him struggle (or thrive) for weeks at a time. The 'inconsistent' label is over-applied to mediocre players for the comfort of creating tidy narratives, but in this case it kind of makes sense given Winston's propensity for chucking the ball downfield. Any early struggles with the high-variance approach encourage more risk-taking, as the Bucs often fall behind when Winston turns the ball over (and sometimes even if he doesn't). In any case, the overall picture with Winston shows us a quarterback whose interception rate has been worse than league-average every year of his career.

The Panthers thus enter Week 2 as 6.5-point favorites, despite losing at home Week 1 to the Rams in a game that didn't feel quite as close as the 30-27 score suggests. Cam Newton and the offense largely deserve blame for the failure, considering the defense limited Jared Goff to 4.8 YPA. It was at least a better showing than what we saw from the Bucs, who lost by 14 points — also at home — to a much lesser team (the 49ers). 

3. Dallas Cowboys (at Washington Redskins)

68% Yahoo ownership, 27% ESPN

Team implied total: 25.5 (8th)

Opponent implied total: 21 (t-25th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 3: 1st (vs. MIA)  — Week 4: 27th (at NO)

Washington's offense was one of the bigger surprises of Week 1, coming out of the gates with a pass-happy gameplan that took advantage of an embarrassing performance from the Philadelphia secondary. The Eagles eventually recovered, and Case Keenum slowed down once the yards and touchdowns weren't coming on a silver platter. He's still the same guy that placed 21st in interception rate (2.6) and 30th in YPA (6.6) among 33 qualified passers last season. Sure, Keenum can win games and even put up decent numbers in the right situation; I just don't think his current digs meet that standard, even if rookie wideout Terry McLaurin is the real deal.

Facing Keenum and his ragtag cast of pass catchers, the Dallas defense is in a nice spot to play with a lead again, after holding the Giants to 17 points last week (including a garbage-time TD). Suspensions and injuries have left the Cowboys with depth issues on the defensive line, but it's less of a problem when you can trot out Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch and Sean Lee as the linebackers. The best part of picking up the Cowboys is that you also get to start them next week against none other than the 2019 Miami Dolphins.

4. Buffalo Bills (at New York Giants)

45% Yahoo ownership, 91% ESPN

Team implied total: 22.75 (t-18th)

Opponent implied total: 20.75 (27th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 3: 7th (vs. CIN) — Week 4: 22nd (vs. NE)

Different year, same Giants. Week 1 brought another episode of the Eli Manning dink-and-dunk show, with the washed-up quarterback ranking 24th in aDOT (6.6) while once again relying on yards after the catch to move the ball (or not). It can work fine against lesser defenses, but we just saw Adam Gase and Sam Darnold (4.3 YPA) learn a tough lesson about trying it against the Bills. 

Buffalo finished last season second in defensive DVOA (-14.5%) and third in yards allowed per play, led by an excellent secondary and budding star Tremaine Edmunds at middle linebacker. The team then added first-round pick Ed Oliver, who earned PFF's No. 14 grade among interior defensive linemen for Week 1. I still think Josh Allen will put this defense in some tough situations over the course of a season, but he shouldn't be enough to ruin things this weekend in what has all the makings of an ugly game. Bonus points for Buffalo if Sterling Shepard (concussion) doesn't play.

5. Green Bay Packers (vs. Minnesota Vikings)

7% Yahoo ownership, 3% ESPN

Team implied total: 23.5 (15th)

Opponent implied total: 20.5 (28th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 3: 5th (vs. DEN) — Week 4: 17th (vs. PHI)

It's hard to draw conclusions from Minnesota's Week 1 win over Atlanta, with Kirk Cousins throwing just 10 passes in a game dominated by the Vikings defense. A run-heavy approach is bad news for D/ST fantasy scoring, but it also becomes irrelevant if the team in question falls behind and is forced to throw the ball. And, for what it's worth, the Vikings did throw some passes early on in their Week 1 contest, including four of six plays on the first two drives (both resulted in TDs).

The Packers finally have enough defensive talent to take full advantage if Aaron Rodgers can provide a lead, with offseason acquisitions Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith combining for six QB hits and 2.5 sacks in last week's 10-3 win over Chicago. The Packers' other big signing, Adrian Amos, picked off a pass against his former team. Don't expect a repeat of last year's Vikings-Packers shootout at Lambeau.

Week 2 Rankings

1. New England Patriots (at MIA)

2. Baltimore Ravens (vs. ARZ)

3. Houston Texans (vs. JAX)

4. Chicago Bears (at DEN)

5. Cleveland Browns (at NYJ)  — moved up after Sam Darnold (illness) was ruled out Thursday

6. Carolina Panthers (vs. TB)

7. Dallas Cowboys (at WAS)

8. Denver Broncos (vs. CHI)

9. Buffalo Bills (at NYG)

10. Green Bay Packers (vs. MIN)

11. Kansas City Chiefs (at OAK)

12. Los Angeles Chargers (at DET)

13. Indianapolis Colts (at TEN)

14. Tennessee Titans (vs. IND)

15. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. SF)

16. San Francisco 49ers (at CIN)

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (at HOU)

18. New York Giants (vs. BUF)

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. SEA)

20. Minnesota Vikings (at GB) - replaced the Jets after Sam Darnold (illness) was ruled out Thursday

Looking Ahead to Week 3

1. Dallas Cowboys (vs. MIA)

2. Chicago Bears (at WAS)

3. Minnesota Vikings (vs. OAK)

4. Tennessee Titans (at JAX)

5. Green Bay Packers (vs. DEN)

6. New England Patriots (vs. NYJ)

7. Buffalo Bills (vs. CIN)

8. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. DET)

9. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. HOU)

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. TEN)

11. Carolina Panthers (at ARZ)

12. Washington Redskins (vs. CHI)

13. Los Angeles Rams (at CLE)

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (at SF)

15. San Francisco 49ers (vs. PIT)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (at BUF)

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYG)

18. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BAL)

19. Indianapolis Colts (vs. ATL)

20. Arizona Cardinals (vs. CAR)

Rest-of-Season Rankings

1. Chicago Bears

2. Baltimore Ravens

3. Los Angeles Rams

4. New England Patriots

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. Los Angeles Chargers

7. Philadelphia Eagles

8. Cleveland Browns

9. Buffalo Bills

10. Dallas Cowboys

11. New Orleans Saints

12. Tennessee Titans

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

14. Indianapolis Colts

15. Denver Broncos 

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

17. Houston Texans

18. Detroit Lions

19. Seattle Seahawks

20. Washington Redskins