Who are the top D/ST streamers in fantasy football for Week 2? Here’s a look at four D/ST streamers with higher rankings to look at in Week 2.
Top defense streamer for Week 2 | AFC
The Bengals were aggressive on defense against the Vikings in Week 1. They have another intriguing matchup in Week 2.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ pass rush performed very well against the Vikings in Week 1. Cincinnati’s defense accumulated the third-most blitzes (20), quarterback hurries (9), and second-most hits (6) among defenses last week. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was under pressure on 34% of his dropbacks.
Cincinnati’s defensive performance propels them onto the streaming radar against the Bears and former quarterback Andy Dalton. He completed 27-of-38 passes for 206 yards, no touchdowns, and 1 interception against the Rams in Week 1. Dalton also took 3 sacks. Don’t overlook the Bengals if you are in desperate need of a streamer.
Week 2 D/ST streamers and rankings | NFC
Who are at the top of D/ST rankings for Week 2 in terms of streaming options?
Green Bay Packers
The Packers’ defense left a very bad taste in the mouth of fantasy managers in Week 1 against the Saints. Green Bay’s defense gave up 322 yards and 38 points due to the poor showing of its offense. The good news is that the Packers will now face the Lions in their home opener.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff has historically not performed well under pressure. According to Pro Football Reference, the 49ers pressured Goff 10 times in Week 1. Nevertheless, he completed 38-of-57 passes for 338 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Most of Goff’s statistical production was in garbage time.
The Packers will have additional motivation to bounce back after last week’s poor showing. Green Bay’s defense should be able to consistently pressure Goff and force him into some questionable decisions. The Lions don’t have nearly a dynamic offense as the Saints.
Seattle Seahawks
The Titans’ offense looked incompetent last week. Perhaps it was growing pain dealing with a new offensive coordinator. As a reminder, Arthur Smith left the Titans to become the head coach of the Falcons.
Considering their top two receivers are A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, it was surprising not to see Tennessee use more play-action passes or attack downfield. According to Pro Football Reference, Ryan Tannehill was under pressure on 30.2% of his dropbacks.
The fantasy value of the Seahawks’ defense against the Titans in Week 2 boils down to generating pressure and stockpiling sacks. Seattle is favored, and the opening point total is 49. The Titans will be forced to throw in order to keep pace with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Seattle is a viable option in deeper formats.
New York Giants
The Giants’ defense was a disappointment last week against the Broncos. New York allowed 27 points and only had 2 sacks and a fumble recovery.
However, the G-Men face a Washington team led by inexperienced quarterback Taylor Heinicke on Thursday night. The Football Team only scored 16 points against the Chargers in Week 1. Yet, the Giants are 3.5-point underdogs, and the game has a 41.5-point over/under.