NFL · 1 year ago

NFL DFS: Ranking the Must-Play Defense Matchups for Week 6

Grant White

Host · Writer

1. Houston Texans
FanDuel Salary: $5,000

Opponent: New England Patriots

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 28th

Week 1's win over the Cincinnati Bengals is a distant memory for the New England Patriots. Losers of four straight, the Pats have looked completely out of their element in trying to get the ball downfield. The Houston Texans are the beneficiaries in Week 6, representing the highest defensive ceiling on the board.

Houston's defense deserves a ton of credit for its offseason adjustments. The Texans bolstered every layer of their D and it's paying immediate dividends. They are allowing the fourth-fewest yards, which is significantly better than their 17th-ranked scoring defense. We should start to see their points allowed per game decrease, reflecting their elite defensive performances.

Sadly, that comes at the expense of the Patriots in Week 6. New England has mustered a laughable 26 points over the past three weeks, dropping their points per game total to 12.4, 31st in the NFL.

Watch the Texans live up to their billing as the best defense on the main slate.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
FanDuel Salary: $4,800

Opponent: Cleveland Browns

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 31st

There's nothing quite like a matchup against the Cleveland Browns to get your defense going. And that's even more true when you're coming off a bye week. That's the Philadelphia Eagles' position heading into Week 6. The Browns have been absolutely atrocious this year, mustering barely over 200 yards against the worst defense in the league last week. With an extra week to rest and prepare, the Eagles will be ready to hold the lifeless Browns' attack at bay.

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4. Los Angeles Chargers
FanDuel Salary: $4,400

Opponent: Denver Broncos

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 17th

We've already seen the Jim Harbaugh magic transform the Los Angeles Chargers. Through the first four games of the season, the Chargers have dropped their yards allowed per game to 282.5, fifth-best in the NFL. Moreover, that's nearly 100 yards better than last year's mark of 362.9. That downward trend should continue as they take on a hapless Denver Broncos side.

LA is better in every defensive facet. Compared to last year's squad, they are averaging more turnovers, fewer yards, and fewer points, leading the NFL with just 12.5 points allowed per game. Those characteristics will serve the Chargers well as they take on a Broncos team that ranks in the bottom half of the league in points, yards, and giveaways per game.

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3. Atlanta Falcons
FanDuel Salary: $3,800

Opponent: Carolina Panthers

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 23rd

For some reason, the Atlanta Falcons defense is modestly priced at $3,800 on Sunday's main slate. It's almost like the salary-makers haven't seen what the Carolina Panthers are capable of.

We'll exclude Chuba Hubbard from these criticisms, but the Panthers' offense has been dreadful. They rank 26th or worse in total yards, passing yards, points, and third down conversion. That's without even considering their turnover woes. Carolina ranks 26th in the NFL, giving the ball away an average of 1.6 times per game.

While the Falcons run defense has been porous, the Panthers won't have the luxury of running the ball with any frequency. That plays right into Atlanta's defensive strength, pushing them into the top end of DFS performers.

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2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FanDuel Salary: $3,700

Opponent: New Orleans Saints

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 16th

Spencer Rattler has been named the starter in Derek Carr's absence, and he'll be welcomed to the NFL by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.

Granted, Tampa's defense hasn't looked exceptional this season, but it should have no problem forcing the rookie quarterback into mistakes. The Bucs forced one fumble, an interception, and sacked Kirk Cousins four times last week, representing one of their more productive outings of the season. They're positioned to build off that success against a Saints offensive line that doesn't stand up well to pressure.

The Bucs desperately need their defense to stand up. With a few extra days of rest and a rookie quarterback, they should respond with a standout fantasy performance.
1. Houston Texans
FanDuel Salary: $5,000

Opponent: New England Patriots

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 28th

Week 1's win over the Cincinnati Bengals is a distant memory for the New England Patriots. Losers of four straight, the Pats have looked completely out of their element in trying to get the ball downfield. The Houston Texans are the beneficiaries in Week 6, representing the highest defensive ceiling on the board.

Houston's defense deserves a ton of credit for its offseason adjustments. The Texans bolstered every layer of their D and it's paying immediate dividends. They are allowing the fourth-fewest yards, which is significantly better than their 17th-ranked scoring defense. We should start to see their points allowed per game decrease, reflecting their elite defensive performances.

Sadly, that comes at the expense of the Patriots in Week 6. New England has mustered a laughable 26 points over the past three weeks, dropping their points per game total to 12.4, 31st in the NFL.

Watch the Texans live up to their billing as the best defense on the main slate.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
FanDuel Salary: $4,800

Opponent: Cleveland Browns

FanDuel Opponent Rank vs. Position: 31st

There's nothing quite like a matchup against the Cleveland Browns to get your defense going. And that's even more true when you're coming off a bye week. That's the Philadelphia Eagles' position heading into Week 6. The Browns have been absolutely atrocious this year, mustering barely over 200 yards against the worst defense in the league last week. With an extra week to rest and prepare, the Eagles will be ready to hold the lifeless Browns' attack at bay.

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NFL DFS: Ranking the Must-Play Defense Matchups for Week 6

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