Best DST Streaming Options For Week 2 Fantasy Football: Buccaneers, Giants, Broncos
We did pretty well with identifying streaming options last week, as three of my four recommended teams finished in the top six in traditional D/ST scoring ... and then there were the Seahawks, who finished 31st with -2.0 points. That just illustrates the nature of the defense position in fantasy football: Playing the matchups increases your odds of having a productive week, but nothing is ever guaranteed. With that said, let's get right into the best streaming options for Week 2.
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Week 2 Fantasy Football Defense Streaming Options
New York Giants @ Arizona Cardinals
I'm now two-for-two in starting this column featuring a defense playing the Cardinals, and that trend may very well last all season, or at least until Kyler Murray comes back. Joshua Dobbs and Co. looked exactly as toothless as advertised in Week 1, posting an incredible -32.5% DVOA and gaining just 210 yards on offense.
With that in mind, it's no wonder that the Giants' defense has the third-highest projection in our Week 2 DST rankings, behind only two powerhouse units in the 49ers and Cowboys. Yes, New York allowed 40 points to those Cowboys in truly embarrassing fashion on Sunday night. But that wasn't really the defense's fault. They gave up one big play to CeeDee Lamb on the Cowboys' first drive, which resulted in a field goal.
By the time the Giants' defense next took the field, there was less than a minute less in the first quarter, and they were down three scores, thanks to a pick-six and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. They again bent but didn't break, holding a talented Dallas offense to just a field goal ... and then one play later they were back on the field thanks to another Daniel Jones interception in their own territory. The Giants' defense finally broke at that point, allowing the Cowboys to capitalize on the short field and score a touchdown, and that was essentially the end of the game. Any points after that can be regarded as essentially garbage time.
So, while I certainly can't say New York's defense played well in their Week 1 outing, they weren't nearly as bad as the scoreline suggested. And that creates an opportunity, as that ridiculous prime-time scoreline seems to have turned fantasy players off the Giants' defense, even in a much, much, much easier matchup. They are available in nearly 70% of leagues, and are a great choice if you need a streaming defense this week.
Denver Broncos vs. Washington Commanders
Following a disappointing start to the Sean Payton era against the Raiders in Week 1, the Broncos host the Commanders in Denver this week. That's an excellent matchup, as the Commanders are fresh off allowing the Cardinals' defense to rack up 20 fantasy points against them, despite Arizona's aforementioned terrible offense giving the Commanders plenty of possessions and multiple short fields. Sophomore QB Sam Howell was sacked six times and turned the ball over twice, with RB Antonio Gibson adding a fumble of his own.
I fully expect Vance Joseph's defense to pressure Howell early and often, racking up sacks and forcing a turnover or two. Our projections have them as just the 11th-ranked DST, but don't be surprised if they finish much higher on Sunday. They are relatively highly rostered for a streaming option at 41% ... but that still means they're available in 59% of leagues. If yours is one, definitely consider picking them up.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears
Ranked ninth in our Week 2 Projections, the Buccaneers are rostered in just 23% of leagues. However, they are heading into a matchup that looks much juicier than initially anticipated. The widely expected leap forward from Justin Fields and the Bears' offense failed to materialize in Week 1. Their play-calling was bad, their execution was bad, and Justin Fields was under pressure on an incredible 53.1% of his dropbacks. Fields himself is certainly not blameless either, as he took some bad sacks and threw a truly terrible pick-six.
?s=46&t=Ip42AyCa7MFiRlEwnIdjeAWhile this Buccaneers defense is by no means the unit it was just a few years ago, they still have enough talent to take advantage of a reeling Bears team. There is slightly more risk with this play, as the Bears' offense, in theory anyway, is more talented than the other two units we are targeting. But all that talent isn't translating into efficient, mistake-free football, and the Buccaneers at home can rack up fantasy points in sacks and turnovers, even if they allow some points all the way. That's exactly what they did in Week 1, allowing the Vikings to post 369 yards and 17 points but still finishing with 8.0 fantasy points thanks to three turnovers and two sacks ... and that Vikings offense is much better than the Bears'.
