Top 12 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings for Week 6

Defensive scoring in fantasy football has been huge in the 2019 season, and already, there have been seven instances of a defense eclipsing 20 fantasy points. Additionally, defenses now own two of the top-10 single-game standard scoring fantasy totals of the season, after the Philadelphia Eagles notched 35 points in Week 5.

Defensive production can be volatile though, and the top unit for a given week can depend heavily on the matchups each defense draws. With that in mind, here are our top 12 fantasy football defenses for Week 6 of the 2019 NFL season.

12. Atlanta Falcons (at Arizona Cardinals)

Yes, the same Atlanta Falcons that rank 31st (ahead of only the Miami Dolphins) in fantasy points this season. The Falcons' defense is not a good one, but a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals can go a long way to hide that for fantasy purposes. Kyler Murray has been sacked 21 times in five games, putting him on a 16-game pace for 67, which would be the fourth highest mark for any QB since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Just about any defense in the NFL will be a viable streaming option against the Cards until they show they can do a better job protecting Murray.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs New Orleans Saints)

10. Tennessee Titans (at Denver Broncos)

The Tennessee Titans are 2.5-point underdogs on FanDuel Sportsbook, and while it's not often underdog defenses crack the top 12 for the week, this game's 39-point over/under goes a long way to make up for that point spread. The Titans' D also ranks third on the season with 50 fantasy points, despite the team opening the year with a 2-3 record. The Denver Broncos are giving up the league's 11th highest sack rate (7.7 percent), and the Tennessee pass rush is one of the best in the NFL, ranking sixth with an 8.6 percent sack rate of their own.

9. Minnesota Vikings (vs Philadelphia Eagles)

8. Kansas City Chiefs (vs Houston Texans)

7. Washington Redskins (at Miami Dolphins)

The Washington Redskins defense is also not a very good unit. They're one of only 10 teams allowing opponents to average over six yards per play, and they've allowed 30-plus points in four of their five games. The Miami Dolphins' offense has been an entirely different kind of terrible though. Miami has averaged only 4.0 yards per play (second worst in the NFL) and 6.5 points per game (dead last in the NFL). They've turned the ball over on 20.9 percent of their drives while only scoring on 14.0 percent, which is also the worst differential in the NFL. Any defense is in play in this matchup.

6. Los Angeles Rams (vs San Francisco 49ers)

5. Green Bay Packers (vs Detroit Lions)

One of the big surprises this season is how much the Green Bay Packers have leaned on their defense to carry them to a 4-1 record. They've held opponents to the NFL's seventh fewest points per game while also ranking seventh in fantasy scoring.

4. Los Angeles Chargers (vs Pittsburgh Steelers)

3. Dallas Cowboys (at New York Jets)

2. Baltimore Ravens (vs Cincinnati Bengals)

1. New England Patriots (vs New York Giants)

The New England Patriots' defense is posting absurd fantasy numbers this season, with 98 points through five games. No other team has more than 56, and the gap between the Patriots and the second-best mark is as big as the gap between second and 28th in the NFL. Their pace will almost certainly slow down eventually, but getting the league's best unit in a plus matchup against the New York Giants makes the Pats No. 1 again for Week 6.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.