Fantasy Football: 3 Defenses to Stream for NFL Week 5

Every point matters when it comes to winning in season-long fantasy football, meaning you can't afford to leave points on the table. While we don't spend top-notch draft capital on D/STs in our fantasy football drafts, ignoring them during the season can cost you dearly.

Streaming defenses throughout the year is a great way to ensure you get the most out of your D/ST slot. Even the best defenses draw tough weekly matchups, and even the worst defenses are capable of strong fantasy outings in the right situations.

This article is here to help you parse through all of those situations and to present you with three streamers that are available in most leagues.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Fantasy Football D/ST to Stream for Week 5

Arizona Cardinals

Matchup: vs. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are an offense we can pick on until proven otherwise.

Tennessee entered Week 4 ranked dead last in both overall schedule-adjusted offense as well as passing offense. Things didn't get any better for them as they were blanked by the Houston Texans.

The Arizona Cardinals are next up. Arizona isn't as good defensively as Houston is, but the Cards have enough in the tank to take advantage of the matchup as they check in 14th in schedule-adjusted D.

Cameron Ward has two fumbles and two picks through four games and has thrown just two total touchdowns. The Cardinals are 9.5-point favorites. They're an excellent defensive streamer.

Cleveland Browns

Matchup: vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Cleveland Browns have a pretty strong defense, and they get to take on Carson Wentz and the Minnesota Vikings overseas on Sunday morning.

Wentz was pretty good in his 2025 debut, but he wasn't nearly as sharp in Week 4. While his 350-yard passing total looks really good, a lot of that came in garbage time as the Vikings mustered only six points through three quarters. Wentz tossed two picks in the game, and through two starts, he's been sacked nine times.

Cleveland has the ability to make life miserable for Wentz this week. In Week 3, the Browns quieted the high-powered offense of the Green Bay Packers, and they rank eighth in schedule-adjusted defense.

My only concern is that I'm not sure Cleveland's offense can do much against Minnesota's D, which could limit how many times Wentz drops back and therefore cap the Browns' chances for sacks and picks.

New Orleans Saints

Matchup: vs. Giants

Jaxson Dart's NFL debut went fairly well -- all things considered. But despite the New York Giants knocking off the Los Angeles Chargers, Dart is still someone we can target with D/STs.

The majority of Dart's success came as a runner. He threw for only 111 yards on a measly 20 attempts but ran 10 times for 54 yards and a touchdown. Now he'll be without top wideout Malik Nabers (ACL), and he'll be making his first road start of the season in Week 5.

The Saints are just 25th in overall defense, but they're 9th against the run. They may be able to force Dart to the air more than the Giants would prefer.

New Orleans is a tier or two below the other two streamers I wrote up, but they still check a few boxes and need to be on the streaming radar.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.