We are two weeks into the 2023 NFL season, and we have already seen a ridiculous amount of interceptions, pick-sixes, defensive stands, and huge punt returns. Remember, defense wins championships, right? So, as we recover from yet another insane week in fantasy football, it is never too early to look ahead to next week, especially at what D/ST you are looking to stream.
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Top Defense Streamers for Week 3
After two weeks of watching these defenses play, we are starting to build a clearer picture of each team and their abilities. The critical piece to streaming a defense is to play the matchup.
Most of the highly ranked defenses this week are all way over 50% rostered already, so here are the best of the rest. Check out our top fantasy defense streamers for Week 3, who are all rostered in less than 50% in Yahoo leagues.
Seattle Seahawks (vs. CAR) – 8% rostered
Seattle D/ST looked quite competent this week against the high-flying Detroit Lions offense, managing to pick off Jared Goff and finishing with 13 fantasy points.
They get the Carolina Panthers and rookie QB Bryce Young in Week 3, and whenever possible this season, you should target the defenses playing rookie QBs. In Young’s Week 1 debut, he only completed 53% of his passes for 146 yards. He threw two interceptions and was sacked twice.
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. HOU) – 15% rostered
See above; play defenses who are playing a rookie QB. This time it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. Stroud had a better game this week and threw for 384 yards, but he was still sacked six times.
MORE: Early Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
The Indianapolis Colts finished with a respectable nine fantasy points against the Texans in Week 2, and it is important to remember that even if a team does have a successful offensive outing, you can still score on the D/ST side with sacks and pressure. Jacksonville should come back angry after losing to Kansas City, so factor that in as well.
Cincinnati Bengals (vs. LAR) – 45% rostered
The Cincinnati Bengals don’t look like the Bengals yet, and their defense is trying desperately to keep it close as the offense finds its way. They scored a special teams TD this week, and they will be on the national stage Monday night in Week 3, battling for their first win.
The Los Angeles Rams are still without Cooper Kupp, and although they look competent, their current WR1 is still a rookie, and a seasoned defense can take advantage.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. PHI) – 39% rostered
Sure, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sitting at the very bottom of our rankings, and the Philadelphia Eagles are good at football. But Tampa Bay looked strong against the Chicago Bears in Week 2, putting up 17 fantasy points with six sacks and two interceptions. The Eagles and Jalen Hurts don’t look 100% right, and the Minnesota Vikings managed four sacks on Thursday night.
D/ST Rankings for Week 3
Check out our PFN Consensus Ranking for D/ST below to dig a little deeper into the landscape of Week 3.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (at TB)
2. Dallas Cowboys (at ARI)
3. San Francisco 49ers (vs. NYG)
4. Baltimore Ravens (vs. IND)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. LAR)
6. Buffalo Bills (at WAS)
7. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. CHI)
8. New York Jets (vs. NE)
9. Miami Dolphins (vs. DEN)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. HOU)
11. Seattle Seahawks (vs. CAR)
12. Houston Texans (at JAX)
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (at LV)
14. New England Patriots (at NYJ)
15. Cleveland Browns (vs. TEN)
16. Green Bay Packers (vs. NO)
17. Minnesota Vikings (vs. LAC)
18. New Orleans Saints (at GB)
19. Washington Commanders (vs. BUF)
20. Atlanta Falcons (at DET)
21. Los Angeles Chargers (at MIN)
22. Carolina Panthers (at SEA)
23. Los Angeles Rams (at CIN)
24. Las Vegas Raiders (vs. PIT)
25. Tennessee Titans (at CLE)
26. Denver Broncos (at MIA)
27. Indianapolis Colts (at BAL)
28. New York Giants (at SF)
29. Detroit Lions (vs. ATL)
30. Chicago Bears (at KC)
31. Arizona Cardinals (vs. DAL)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. PHI)
