Welcome to Week 5! Last week got us through, with the Bears and Raiders coming up solid for us in their performances, but the Dolphins looked uninspired last night. The backup quarterback entering the game for the Titans led to better ball security and a greater reliance on the rushing attack, generating fewer dropbacks and fewer opportunities for mistakes to capitalize on. So, while last week was not as perfect as Jared Goff’s completion percentage, this week has some hurdles as the dreaded bye weeks begin. Managers will be forced to decide between dropping someone they would rather not or floating a valuable roster spot through the bye. This week, we have spotted a defense trending in the right direction as we look for teams that are rostered in around 50 percent of leagues or fewer.
Please note: there’s a decent chance that better teams above this 50 percent threshold are available in your league, but we can’t assume they’re out there for everyone. We have to draw the proverbial line somewhere, so stay active and monitor the league home page; someone might drop a desirable defense after waivers clear.
Denver Broncos
Opponent: vs. Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN % Rostered: 6%
Yahoo % Rostered: 18%
Don’t look now, but Denver is a top-five fantasy defense. This week, they will host division rival Las Vegas, coming in with the second-worst rushing attack in the NFL. The Broncos are allowing the third-fewest passing yards, which gives us an offense that is struggling to run the ball against a defense that is stout against the pass, headlined by Pat Surtain II. Denver has the lowest yards-per-play allowed, which is helped in part by their league-leading blitz rate of 44%, which has netted them the second most sacks in the league. While we are uncertain what the future holds for him, we are certain that Davante Adams is considered “week-to-week” but has not yet been ruled out of this matchup. The Broncos are coming into this game averaging a turnover per game and have 16 sacks on the year. Las Vegas is surrendering 3.5 sacks per game and has turned the ball over six times through four games.
Seattle Seahawks
Opponent: vs. New York Giants
ESPN % Rostered: 36%
Yahoo % Rostered: 28%
Seattle’s home game statistics have been good defensively so far this season, and they will look to continue that pace by hosting the Giants this week. While the Seahawks are on a bit of a turnover drought since generating three in Week 1, they have tallied up 14 sacks through four weeks. Daniel Jones will have his work cut out for him, as Seattle has the league’s highest QB Pressure Rating at 33%. The Giants have been better about pass protection this season but have been a bit mistake-prone under pressure, giving the ball away six times already this season. Just a reminder that when these two teams met last year, the Seahawks saw over 20% of their entire season sack totals come from this one game alone. The Seahawks have scored over 20 points in every one of their games this season, while New York has only done so once. They will need to attempt to generate some offense against this defense that has the second-fewest air yards allowed and is at the top of the league in the fewest YAC allowed.
New England Patriots
Opponent: vs. Miami Dolphins
ESPN % Rostered: 2%
Yahoo % Rostered: 4%
In this week’s bargain bin, we find the Patriots, who are hosting their division rivals at home this week. This one is all about who they are playing, and the Dolphins are on the wrong end of a streak, giving up double-digit fantasy points to opposing defenses for three straight games now. Miami will see which quarterback will get the start, as Skylar Thompson starts the week questionable and was the team’s emergency quarterback last week. If not him, then Tyler Huntley will get another start to lead this offense that has plummeted since losing their star QB to injured reserve. New England has generated multiple sacks in three of their four games on the season and has gotten to the quarterback against the stout offensive lines of the Jets and 49ers as well. Now they are tasked with getting through a line that has given up 13 sacks through four games. This matchup is not for the faint of heart, as the Patriots are a hesitant pick for sure, but the Dolphins are bleeding fantasy points out, so it is worth considering.
Consider the following:
Miami Dolphins (E:71% Y!:76%) – The other side of the coin bears mentioning too. Patriots have given up 38 fantasy points to their last two opponents. What a game this is shaping up to be.
Chicago Bears (E:37% Y!:61%) – Yahoo roster percentage kept this out of the main article, but see if they are available in your league as they host the Panthers this week.
Minnesota Vikings (E:46% Y!:74%) – The number one defense in fantasy also might be available in your league. Check it out as they “host” the Jets as the home team …in London!
Washington Commanders (E:2% Y!:1%) – If your options are getting thin, the Browns are also bleeding out fantasy points to their opponents.
If you see something I don’t, leave a comment or hit me up with feedback @MikeoftheFF on Twitter or find me on Reddit!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire