This week’s lot of DSTs features a group of teams that haven’t quite lived up to their expectations through five weeks of the season. Whether it was oddities in the game script, untimely injuries, or just difficult matchups to start the year, each of these teams is primed for a return to form over the coming weeks and should be a priority add and hold in leagues where they’re available.
Denver Broncos
Week 6: @ New York Jets | Week 7: vs. New York Giants | Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys | Week 9: @ Houston Texans
The Denver Broncos were believed to be one of the priority DST units heading into the season, but their results have been a bit more up and down than anticipated, making their hay against weaker opponents while struggling to score points against the stronger teams. The good news for those rostering the Broncos is that they’re heading into a soft spot in the schedule that should allow for more spike weeks. This run starts with back-to-back tilts against the New York teams, heading to MetLife for the Jets and hosting the Giants in Week 7. Both New York teams are in the bottom third of the league in sack rate allowed the Broncos defense is generating a sack on a league-best 11.88% of their pressures. Those sacks are a quick way to rack up points and often lead to turnovers and other mistakes. The Broncos then shift their focus to Texas as they head to Dallas in a Week 8 game that is likely best avoided before hosting a Texans team that is allowing 2.4 sacks per game on average. The Broncos DST is primed to live up to their pre-season hype during the upcoming stretch.
Los Angeles Rams
Week 6: @ Baltimore Ravens | Week 7: @ Jacksonville Jaguars | Week 8: BYE | Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints
Another uber-talented defensive unit, one that didn’t draw as much hype as the Broncos, is next up on our list. The Los Angeles Rams have knocked it out of the park with some of their recent draft selections on the defensive side of the ball, and we’re starting to see these youngsters really hit their stride. They’re among the best in the league at stopping the run, ranking 8th in run DVOA as a defense, and forcing their opponents into a pass-heavy game plan is playing to their benefit. In Week 6, that means the Ravens are relying heavily on the arm of Cooper Rush, who is fresh off a 3-interception day in his Ravens debut. The Rams head to Jacksonville the following week to face a Jaguars team that has been on the right side of variance en route to their 4-1 record, but is not as strong as that record might indicate. Trevor Lawrence currently sits 4th with 5 interceptions and is somewhat lucky to land at that total as he leads the league in “Danger Plays” through Week 5. The fly in the ointment for the Rams is their Week 8 bye, forcing managers to make other plans for a fill-in. If you make it through the bye with the Rams on your roster, you’re rewarded with a juicy matchup in Week 9 when the Saints come marching in to SoFi Stadium. Spencer Rattler has been doing a good job taking care of the ball, with just 1 interception on the season, but his conservative approach leaves him ranked 30th at just 5.6 yards per attempt. The Rams are my #1 ranked DST this week and profile as a great team to hold for the stretch run.
Green Bay Packers
Week 6: vs Cincinatti Bengals | Week 7: @ Arizona Cardinals | Week 8: @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Week 9: vs Carolina Panthers
The Packers were once believed to be one of the strongest DST units in the league, but have come back to earth after a hot start. Be that as it may, their upcoming stretch of matchups paves the way for a nice return to form. They return from their Week 5 bye to host a Bengals offense that just replaced the quarterback with the 2nd most interceptions in the league, Jake Browning, with the guy sitting behind him in 3rd by acquiring Joe Flacco. An offense this turnover-prone is fertile ground for DST scoring, and the Packers sit as my #3 ranked unit in Week 6. The following two weeks find the Packers taking the show on the road but lining up against a pair of sputtering offenses. Arizona, their Week 7 opponent, ranks 23rd in points per game, and heading to Acrisure Stadium in Week 8 to face Pittsburgh works in Green Bay’s favor, as the Steelers average just 17 points per game at home this season. The Packers close out this run returning home to host the Carolina Panthers. Carolina has shown a bit more fight recently, but are still averaging just 20.4 points per game, and their 1.6 giveaways per game is tied for 4th in the league. The bye week might have led to the Packers being dropped in more leagues than you’d think, and it’s worth checking your wire for a DST you can play comfortably for the next month+.
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)