Welcome to Week 5! Hopefully you rostered one of the big booms at wide receiver this past weekend, and a moment of silence for those who had the misfortune of going up against them. One positive note to pick yourself up with is the fact that you had just as many third-down conversions this past weekend as a professional starting quarterback in the NFL! Last week saw the Bears dominate the time of possession and completely shut down the passing game while putting up a solid performance. Unfortunately, the Bills sent Drake Maye to the moon, but things bounced back with the Packers putting up a stellar performance to round out the picks.
When things look so bleak, not even The Weather Channel will touch it.
I’m gonna pass
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) October 5, 2026
Now that things are starting to shake out and seasonal outlooks are beginning to take shape, we have a new wrinkle added in the form of bye weeks that start this week. This week, the focus is on weaker opponents, and with the Titans playing a division rival that is still rostered in almost 90% of all leagues, we have to look for other opponents to stream against this week. One of the two teams on bye this week was rostered in 50-60% of leagues, so let’s see what is available for those managers this week as we browse the waiver wire for defenses that are rostered in around 50 percent of leagues or fewer.
Please note that 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 available to 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.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Opponent: vs. Philadelphia Eagles*
ESPN Rostered: 28%
Yahoo Rostered: 54%
This is a “home” away from home game for the Jaguars as they will host the Eagles, who seem to be one of the more banged-up teams in the NFC East. Jacksonville has played twice as many games in London as the team with the second-most trips across the pond (Miami, 7). They’ve played two games per season there in two of the last three years and are slated to do so again this year, as they will play there again next week. The Jaguars are rolling into this game with a four-game interception streak, having pulled in a league-leading six interceptions, while Philadelphia has turned the ball over five times in their last three games. Jacksonville is in the top ten for quarterback pressures; meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is tied for the second-highest number of sacks taken on the season. The Eagles come into this one fresh off their loss last week, where they went 0-12 on third down and were unable to pass for at least 100 yards, with the absence of DeVonta Smith noticeable. Smith is questionable to start this week and viewed as week-to-week, with the NFL Network speculating he is unlikely to suit up in London. Saquon Barkley is also listed as week-to-week, with the team unwilling to predict that he will also be ready to play overseas this week. Second-string running back Tank Bigsby has hit IR with season-ending surgery, leaving their rushing attack potentially in the hands of Will Shipley. Jacksonville currently has the second-best run defense in the league through four weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals
Opponent: @ Miami Dolphins
ESPN Rostered: 17%
Yahoo Rostered: 25%
Cincinnati has been wavering in a few statistics on defense; however, one stat column they remain steady on is getting to the quarterback. They are a top-five defense in quarterback pressure rating and third in the league in total sacks. Malik Willis has been sacked 11 times this season, tied for the third-most in the league. Defenses opposing Miami have been averaging almost 10 fantasy points per game this season. The Bengals have a top-ten run defense with the eighth-fewest total rushing yards allowed in the league. Things will be a little easier with De’Von Achane missing the rest of the season, which will result in the second week of the Dolphins using a two-headed rushing attack to see if Ollie Gordon can sustain the lead in the backfield he established last week or if Jaylen Wright will bounce back. Meanwhile, Miami has the third-lowest passing attack in the league if you were concerned about the other side of the coin.
Dallas Cowboys
Opponent: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ESPN Rostered: 6%
Yahoo Rostered: 16%
Oddsmakers have this game’s over/under just below 50, which is a bit high for a defensive outlook. However, Dallas is favored by double-digit points, which implies they believe there is a decent chance they go up early and proceed to run out the clock while Tampa Bay throws from behind. If that is how it plays out, the Buccaneers will be putting the ball in Jalon Daniels’ hands. The undrafted rookie was the first rookie quarterback of 2026, including every drafted rookie quarterback this Spring, to start an NFL game. He put up 148 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions, adding three sacks taken to his stat line for his first start. The Cowboys will hope to get some contribution from newly acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as they look to force mistakes out of a team with the second-highest turnover count of the season. The Buccaneers have allowed 16 sacks, and Baker Mayfield is still tied for the most sacks taken despite missing a game last week. The bottom line for this game: the worst defense in fantasy is hosting the best offense to start a fantasy defense against. If that’s too risky for your taste, I completely understand and invite you to check out some alternatives I’ve listed below.
After the Cut
New York Jets/Cleveland Browns (E:11/41% Y!:3/15%) – This game opened the week with the lowest over/under. Both defenses are highly ranked at getting after the quarterback, while both offenses are prone to mistakes.
Washington Commanders (E:4% Y!:5%) – Nine 18 was promoted to backup quarterback this week, which means another week of 30 for 30 behind the center as the Giants allowed four sacks and turned the ball over three times last week.
Atlanta Falcons (E:1% Y!:3%) – IF Lamar Jackson misses this game, then this could be a play. NFL Network is reporting Jackson is questionable and could miss multiple games. Sunday night game, however.
If you see something I don’t, leave a comment here or hit me up with feedback on Reddit!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by David Rosenblum/ Icon Sportswire