Fantasy Football Rankings: Five Must-Start Defenses For Week 6 In NFL

It’s been a weird season for fantasy defenses.

Some units have gotten off to extremely disappointing starts, while others have played much better than most anticipated. But the success of a given defense, perhaps more than any other position in fantasy football, often boils down to matchups.

With that in mind, here are our top fantasy defense plays for Week 6 in the NFL:

Denver Broncos (vs. New York Giants)
The Giants are a mess, and the Broncos’ defense is ready to pounce. With wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall out for the season, the Giants are reeling on offense. Furthermore, “Big Blue” ranks 30th in the NFL in overall rushing production. The Broncos, perhaps the best all-around defense in the league, should reap the benefits.

Baltimore Ravens (vs. Chicago Bears)
The Ravens’ defense has been a bit up and down this season, but a matchup with Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky should make this unit one of the top plays in Week 6. The UNC product made some nice throws in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings on “Monday Night Football,” but he clearly is prone to rookie mistakes, as evident by an interception he threw late in the fourth quarter. The potential for turnovers makes Baltimore a must-start.

Atlanta Falcons (vs. Miami Dolphins)
The Falcons have put up strong sack numbers this season, but they haven’t generated the amount of turnovers that fantasy owners hoped for. That should change Sunday, as Jay Cutler and the Dolphins will be in Atlanta. There’s a chance the Dolphins rack up some yards in garbage time, but the Falcons should do more than enough to warrant a spot in your lineup.

Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Los Angeles Rams)
Believe it or not, the Jaguars are the top scoring defense in fantasy football. Through five games, this unit has racked up 20 sacks, 10 interceptions, five fumble recoveries and four touchdowns. Those truly are absurd numbers. Jacksonville’s a little further down our list this week as the Rams have been strong on offense, led by running back Todd Gurley and second-year QB Jared Goff. But still, the Jags have been too good to justify being benched.

New England Patriots (vs. New York Jets)
The Patriots are the first team in NFL history to allow five straight 300-yard passers in a single season, so we understand if you want to keep them on your bench. But this unit still has plenty of talent, and while we’re not ready to say New England’s defense turned a corner after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, the Pats at least have turned on the blinker. Ultimately, a matchup with the Jets is too tempting to pass up, regardless of how well New York has played to start the season.