Best DST Streaming Options For Week 3 Fantasy Football: Chiefs, Titans, Seahawks
After a great Week 1, our results were all over the place last week. Both the Giants and Broncos completely bombed, while the Buccaneers finished as the second-highest-scoring defense of the week. Hopefully this week we can maintain that ceiling while raising our floor ... but you never know with fantasy defenses. This week is tough, as most of the highest-projected defenses are likely already rostered in most leagues. But there are still some under-the-radar options to be had, so let's break them down.
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Week 3 Fantasy Football Defense Streaming Options
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears
The Chiefs might not be available in your league, as they are one of the hottest pickups at the position. But if they are, they are a must-add. Despite Kansas City's recent track record of having a below-average defense that is carried by Patrick Mahomes, they are our top projected unit this week, and with good reason.
So far this season, the Chiefs' defense has been solid, holding the Lions and Jaguars, two above-average offenses, to 15 and nine points, respectively. And they have a juicy matchup this week against a Bears team that already seems to be falling apart just two weeks into the season. Justin Fields seems to have only gotten worse since last season, but it's hard to put too much blame on him; given that everything else, from the play-calling to the blocking to the execution, is also terrible.
As I warned last week, the Bears do have more theoretical talent than teams we usually try to target when streaming defenses, and there is a chance Fields' plan to "play free" allows them to put up some points while chasing after the Chiefs' offense. But even when he was playing better at the end of last season, Fields still took sacks at an astronomical rate. I like Chris Jones and Co. to make his life miserable at home on Sunday, racking up sacks as well as a turnover or two.
Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns
Since there's a decent chance the Chiefs aren't available in your league, here's an option that almost certainly will be. According to our fantasy assistant, the Titans are rostered in just 5% of leagues, but I think they have a sneaky chance to perform well this week in Cleveland.
While they haven't been too impressive as of yet this season, Mike Vrabel's defenses in Tennessee have consistently played above their talent level. They are especially effective against the run: Last season, the Titans were the absolute best team at limiting yards per carry, allowing 3.4 yards on average ... so far this season that number is even better, as they are giving up just 2.7 yards per tote. Against a Browns' team that just lost All-World RB Nick Chubb, they should have no problem keeping things locked up on the ground.
Bottling up the Browns' run game will force Deshaun Watson to drop back, which has been a good thing for opposing defenses so far this season, as the 230-million-dollar man has taken nine sacks and thrown two interceptions while averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt.
At the very least, the Titans' defense isn't likely to be absolutely boat-raced, as both of these teams rank among the bottom 12 so far in neutral situation pace. With a relatively high floor and an intriguing ceiling, they're my favorite deep streamer for this week's action.
Fade: Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
The Seahawks seem like an obvious choice for this list. They are just 21% rostered and rank solidly in our Week 3 projections. They are facing a Panthers team that is dead last in points, has the fifth-fewest yards, and has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing defenses so far. Making things even better, Panthers star rookie QB Bryce Young was just ruled out for this game.
So why am I fading the Seahawks? Well, for one, they're simply not a very good defense. They have allowed a whopping 61 points across their first two games, allowing opposing offenses to score on 55% of their drives. They are also among the bottom three units in the league in both total yards allowed and yards per play. Yes, they have had relatively tough matchups in the Lions and the Rams (although, did anyone think the Rams without Cooper Kupp were a tough matchup heading into Week 1?), but their performances have been truly uninspiring.
To make matters worse for Seattle, Young's backup, veteran Andy Dalton, is arguably a better player than the first-overall pick at this stage in both of their careers. PFF grades should not be treated as gospel, but the gap between Bryce Young's league-worst 40.1 passing grade in his first two NFL games and Dalton's 2022 81.0 is huge. In 2022 with the Saints, Dalton also ranked among the five best quarterbacks in turnover-worthy-play rate. While he may not be the player he once was, Dalton is a wily vet who should be able to limit turnovers, which are the biggest driver of defensive fantasy scoring. With all that in mind, I will be looking elsewhere for my top streaming options this week.
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