Best Fantasy Football D/ST Streaming Options for Week 3: Colts, Buccaneers, Titans, Packers

After Week 1, it looked like this might be the easiest year ever for streaming defenses. In Week 2, things took a step back. Matt LaFleur made Malik Willis work, Bryce Young played badly enough to get himself benched, and the Raiders scored 26 points. That's three previously juicy matchups that suddenly look a bit scarier. Luckily, there are still plenty of terrible offenses around the league for us to target. Here we go!

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Week 3 Fantasy Football Defense Streaming Options

Indianapolis Colts (20.4% Rostered) vs. Chicago Bears

I trusted the Colts' defense last week, and they let me down. To be fair, it wasn’t really their fault. They allowed just 16 points on the day, but their offense never forced the Packers to let Malik Willis throw. The Packers finished with a truly absurd 74.6% rush rate, with Willis only attempting 14 passes on a 5.8 ADOT.  As a result, the Colts’ defense forced just one turnover and didn’t record a single sack, capping their production in most fantasy formats.

Luckily, that shouldn’t be a problem for Indianapolis this week. They get to face Caleb Williams and the Bears, who are tied for the league lead with nine sacks taken through two weeks. Through the first two games of his NFL career, Williams has a massive 31% pressure-to-sack ratio … which works out great, as the Colts are seventh in the league in pressure rate. 

As the Packers just demonstrated, the Colts are beatable on the ground, but the Bears have the 11th-worst rushing EPA in the league. As long as the Colts’ offense comes through enough to force the Bears to pass, Indianapolis’ defense should have a very solid week. Our Week 3 DST Projections have them as the DST3 overall.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4.6% Rostered) vs. Denver Broncos

Bo Nix and the Broncos are lucky that Caleb Williams and Chicago are stealing all the “underperforming rookie quarterback” headlines, because things have been ugly through two weeks in Denver. The Broncos have the third-fewest points, fourth-fewest yards, and fourth-lowest yards per play in the league. Their EPA per play is -0.28, while Nix is tied for the league lead with four interceptions. 

For their part, the Buccaneers’ defense has been surprisingly solid through two weeks of the season, bending but not breaking. They have allowed a ton of yards but still rank seventh-best in points allowed, including allowing just 16 points to the high-flying Lions offense on Sunday. They should be able to provide a decent outing against Sean Payton’s uninspired Denver group.

Tennessee Titans (1.1% Rostered) vs. Green Bay Packers

Einstein might call me insane for this one, but I’m going back to the Malik Willis well again. Unlike the Colts, the Titans’ defense lines up well against the ultra-run-heavy game plan the Packers used in Week 2. In 2023, Tennessee allowed just 3.8 yards per carry, the sixth-lowest in the league.

Really, what this will come to is, yet again, the play of a suspect AFC South offense. If Will Levis and Co. can put just the smallest amount of pressure on the Packers, Matt LaFleur’s house of cards should come tumbling down — it’s unlikely that Willis has actually turned from the league’s worst quarterback to competent in just a few weeks in Green Bay. If the Packers can’t protect him with an absurd three-quarters rush rate again, the cracks will start to show, and the Titans' defense should eat. 

Making this play more appealing, it is very low risk. The Colts in Week 2 were essentially the worst-case outcome for a defense facing Malik Willis, and they still only gave up 16 points and recorded positive fantasy production. 

Green Bay Packers (11.2% Rostered) @ Tennessee Titans

We can turn things right around and stream the other side of this game, as the Titans’ offense has struggled to start the season. They rank in the bottom 10 in each of yards, points, yards per play, and EPA per play. Will Levis is tied for fifth in the league with seven sacks taken and seems to commit at least one mind-boggling turnover per game.  

This play is risky, as the Packers’ defense is simply not very good. But even if they allow some points, they should rack up a few sacks and turnovers, which is more important for fantasy scoring. They’re worth considering as a deeper-league streaming option.

Fade: Seattle Seahawks (40.9% Rostered) vs. Miami Dolphins

This is a very tempting spot to roll out the Seahawks’ defense. Miami’s offense was already struggling to start the season, and now they will be without Tua Tagovailoa. After leading the NFL in points last year, the Dolphins now have the sixth-fewest points scored in the league through two weeks. And things aren’t going to get any better with Skylar Thompson under center. 

However, the Dolphins offense hasn’t been as bad as their points would suggest. They have the eighth-most total yards and are roughly average in terms of yards per play. And if anyone can build an offense around a deficient QB (and has the skill-position talent to do it), it’s Mike McDaniel.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks have allowed the Patriots and Broncos to score 20 points each in their first two matchups. They will be a popular streaming pick this week, but I’d look elsewhere if you have options.