Streaming Defenses: Week 3 Options

Week 2 brought decent results for this space, though it probably wasn't enough to make a difference if your opponent happened to start the New England defense. Our top streaming pick, Houston, tied for fourth among D/STs with 10 fantasy points, and our No. 5 streaming pick, Green Bay, finished third with 12. Things were less favorable in the middle, with Carolina (six points) and Buffalo (six) proving mediocre, while Dallas (one) was a complete dud.

The week ahead looks optimal for streamers, thanks to an onslaught of quarterback injuries setting up some potentially ugly games. The only downside? None of our streaming picks for Week 3 looks like a strong play for Week 4. Get ready to hit the waiver wire again next Tuesday.

For injury/ranking 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 3

1. Green Bay Packers (vs. Denver Broncos)

19% Yahoo ownership, 7% ESPN

Team implied total: 25.25 (8th of 32)

Opponent implied total: 17.75 (29th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 4: 17th (vs. PHI) — Week 5: 25th (at DAL)

This is my one pick that's more about the quality of the defense than a lack of quality from the opponent, though Joe Flacco, of course, is still Joe Flacco. The Broncos have committed just one turnover so far, but they've also been held to 30 points, and they'll have a hard time turning things around while their big offseason signing, RT Ja'Wuan James, is sidelined with a knee injury. 

The Packers came out of the gates with back-to-back dominant efforts against the Vikings and Bears, notching six sacks, five takeaways and 16 points allowed. With Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry getting push inside while Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith come off the edge, Green Bay has a legit, well-rounded pass rush for the first time since Clay Matthews' prime. The Packers also have the versatility to push one of the Smiths inside in nickel packages to make room for Kyler Fackrell, who led the team with 10.5 sacks last year. No wonder Green Bay holds PFF's No. 5 pass-rush grade through two weeks.

2. San Francisco 49ers (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

19% Yahoo ownership, 14% ESPN

Team implied total: 25 (t-10th)

Opponent implied total: 18.5 (28th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 4: Bye — Week 5: 14th (vs. CLE)

I'll take Mason Rudolph over any of the other fill-in quarterbacks, but not with a level of confidence that warrants going against the odds. Even if he's decent, the Steelers likely will have many of the same problems that led to an 0-2 start — no second WR behind JuJu Smith-Schuster; a weak pass defense that puts the offense in tough situations; and predictable play-calling on both sides of the ball.

 The 49ers appear more than capable of taking advantage, coming off back-to-back road wins to start their season. They're tied for sixth in sacks (seven) and second in interceptions (four), earning PFF's No. 5 cumulative defense grade. The 49ers have held running backs to 3.5 YPC and quarterbacks to 6.5 YPA, backing up the big plays with consistent work limiting yardage (apart from the John Ross touchdown in garbage time). DeForest Buckner is no longer a one-man show in the front seven, joined by Dee Ford (knee) and first-round pick Nick Bosa.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. New York Giants)

7% Yahoo ownership, 3% ESPN

Team implied total: 27.25 (4th)

Opponent implied total: 20.75 (t-21st)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 4: 27th (at LAR) — Week 5: 19th (at NO)

And so it begins — the Daniel Jones era in New York — with a wideout group that will be led by Bennie Fowler if Sterling Shepard and Cody Latimer can't make it through the concussion protocol before Sunday. Even if Shepard and Latimer are back, the Giants are playing as significant road underdogs in the first NFL start for a rookie quarterback.

The Bucs were a stay-away in nearly any matchup the past few years, and while I'm not necessarily sold after a couple good weeks, they've at least shown enough to warrant streaming against a bad team with a rookie quarterback. After shutting down down Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey in a Week 2 road win on Thursday, the Bucs return home with extra rest and only one man (Saquon Barkley) they truly need to worry about.

4. Seattle Seahawks (vs. New Orleans Saints)

68% Yahoo ownership, 27% ESPN

Team implied total: 24.75 (t-12th)

Opponent implied total: 19.75 (24th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 4: 11th (at ARZ)  — Week 5: 17th (vs. LAR)

I loved Teddy Bridgewater as a prospect five years ago, but nothing we've seen in New Orleans hints at a decent starting QB. He was crushed by Carolina in a Week 17 scrubfest last year, and he produced just 5.5 YPA after replacing Drew Brees (thumb) in last week's 27-9 loss to the Rams. Bridgewater wasn't even good this past preseason, managing 5.7 YPA on 70 attempts. Most of the optimism about his future relies on blind optimism in the Saints' talent evaluation, which has proven to be the same mixed bag that is for every other NFL team.

The Seahawks haven't done much to earn our confidence, but they at least fixed the pass-coverage breakdowns from Week 1 in Sunday's 28-26 win over the Steelers, and it should help to have DE Ezkiel Ansah in the lineup for the first time. The team has an impressive front seven on paper, with Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney backed by linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. The secondary just needs to not screw up too badly. 

5. Tennessee Titans (at Jacksonville)

36% Yahoo ownership, 56% ESPN

Team implied total: 20.75 (t-21st)

Opponent implied total: 19.25 (25th)

Upcoming Ranks:  Week 4: 23rd (at ATL) — Week 5: 7th (vs. BUF)

This is what happens when all the QBs get injured  — the favored team in the annual Jags-Titans TNF classic somehow ends up at the bottom of our streaming recommendations, sitting 10th in the weekly D/ST rankings. The lower-than-expected ranking mostly is about how great the other options look, but there's no denying Gardner Minshew has been a pleasant surprise. 

He's still someone we can pick on with defense streaming in future weeks, as he'll likely run into some trouble Thursday in his first test against a decent defense. That said, don't expect to see much passing in this game unless one of the teams falls behind by a large margin. A run-heavy contest isn't likely to yield many points, but it also isn't great for D/ST scoring unless you're in a league that de-emphasizes sacks and turnovers relative to yards and points allowed.

Week 3 Rankings

1. Dallas Cowboys (vs. MIA)

2. New England Patriots (vs. NYJ)

3. Minnesota Vikings (vs. OAK)

4. Green Bay Packers (vs. DEN)

5. Buffalo Bills (vs. CIN)

6. San Francisco 49ers (vs. PIT)

7. Chicago Bears (at WAS)

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYG)

9. Seattle Seahawks (vs. NO)

10. Tennessee Titans (at JAX)

11. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. DET)

12. Carolina Panthers (at ARZ)

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. TEN)

14. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. HOU)

15. Washington Redskins (vs. CHI)

16. Arizona Cardinals (vs. CAR) - move them up a few spots if Cam Newton (foot) is out

17. Los Angeles Rams (at CLE)

18. Indianapolis Colts (vs. ATL)

19. Cleveland Browns (vs. LAR)

20. Houston Texans (at LAC)

Looking Ahead to Week 4

1. Los Angeles Chargers (at MIA)

2. Los Angeles Rams (vs. TB)

3. New England Patriots (at BUF)

4. Chicago Bears (vs. MIN)

5. Minnesota Vikings (at CHI)

6. Indianapolis Colts (vs. OAK)

7. Denver Broncos (vs. JAC)

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CIN)

9. Houston Texans (vs. CAR)

10. Baltimore Ravens (vs. CLE)

11. Seattle Seahawks (at ARZ)

12. Washington Redskins (at NYG)

13. Atlanta Falcons (vs. TEN)

14. Dallas Cowboys (at NO)

15. Jacksonville Jaguars (at DEN)

16. Kansas City Chiefs (at DET)

17. Green Bay Packers (vs. PHI)

18. Carolina Panthers (at HOU)

19. Cincinnati Bengals (at PIT)

20. New Orleans Saints (vs. DAL)

Rest-of-Season Rankings

1. New England Patriots

2. Los Angeles Rams

3. Chicago Bears

4. Baltimore Ravens

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. Los Angeles Chargers

7. Philadelphia Eagles

8. Cleveland Browns

9. Buffalo Bills

10. Dallas Cowboys

11. Indianapolis Colts

12. Tennessee Titans

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

14.New Orleans Saints

15. Detroit Lions

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

17. Houston Texans

18. Denver Broncos 

19. Seattle Seahawks

20. Kansas City Chiefs