Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles made it to Super Bowl LVII, thanks in part to a formidable defense that recorded a whopping 70 sacks. It’s an NFL record for four different Eagles players with double-digit sacks. The Eagles are 2nd in total defense, 1st against the pass. 3rd place in fantasy points.
Five games into the 2023 season, the Eagles are one of only two undefeated teams left in the league. But the defense has taken a step back, at least statistically. Philadelphia enters Week 6 ranked 10th in the NFL in total defense, 13th in scoring defense and 11th in fantasy points. The Eagles have 15 sacks, and the team is on pace to have 51 sacks in 2023.
Mind you, these are all impressive numbers. They are nothing like what a fantasy manager would expect from a team.
But things could change this week.
First, the Eagles’ pass rush is starting to heat up. After being largely unspectacular in the first three games of the season, edge rusher Haason Reddick has three sacks in the last two games. The Eagles’ secondary has struggled at times, but they still feature a pair of big names at corner in James Bradberry and Darius Slay. Philadelphia also needs inside linebacker Nakobe Dean back from injured reserve.
But the bigger reason may be the matchup. Yes, the New York Jets scored 31 points against the Denver Broncos last week. But the Broncos have been a disaster defensively, and even after that outburst, the Jets are still 27th in the league in both scoring offense and total offense.New York is 12th in fantasy points earned He was ranked No. 8 a year ago and will be on defense in 2023.
With the Eagles pursuing Zach Wilson, look for Philadelphia to have one of the best fantasy battles of the season defensively.
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Buffalo Bills (vs. New York Giants)
The Bills return home in Week 6 after a disappointing trip to London, which is probably very bad news for the visiting Giants. This isn’t just an issue for a Bills team that ranks eighth this year in pass-to-pass rankings, fifth in scoring defense, leads the NFL in sacks with 21, and leads all AFC defenses in fantasy points. Also, an upset Giants team that ranks last in total offense, 31st in scoring offense, has allowed an astonishing 30 sacks in five games, and (surprisingly) leads the NFL in fantasy points allowed to defense. It’s also a matter of competing against.
San Francisco 49ers (vs. Cleveland Browns)
There was no question that the 49ers had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Last Sunday night, that defense sent a message that the 49ers absolutely had the upper hand in the face of a supposedly strong Dallas offense. The Cowboys had 10 points on less than 200 yards of offense, turned the ball over four times and allowed Dak Prescott to be sacked three times. It was an overwhelming effort and a reminder in every aspect of the game.
While the 49ers haven’t had as big plays as fantasy managers would like, there’s no question the team is starting every week.
Baltimore Ravens (at Tennessee Titans)
The Ravens lost to Pittsburgh last week, but it’s a loss that can’t be laid at the feet of the defense. Baltimore was seventh in the league in total defense and third in the NFL, second only in allowing just 15 points per game.The Buffalo Bills were ninth in the league in sacks and ninth in fantasy points. The Titans have shown improvement offensively in recent weeks, but this year they have struggled to move the ball, especially on the ground. This isn’t necessarily a huge hit for the Ravens, but it should be a solid fantasy start.
New Orleans Saints (at Houston Texans)
To be fair, the Houston Texans don’t have as strong of a fantasy start defensively as they did just a year ago. Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud has yet to throw an interception, meaning the Texans have given up the fourth-fewest fantasy points against the position. However, the Saints have a top-10 defense in nearly every category, ranking fourth in total defense, passing defense, and scoring defense in fantasy points allowed so far this season, and eighth among defensemen against the run. It is in 3rd place. It happened with little fanfare, but New Orleans quietly assembled one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)
Granted, they don’t get the recognition that other cities do because they play in Patrick Mahomes’ shadow. But the Kansas Chiefs have been quietly a solid defensive football team, led by defensive tackle Chris Jones, linebacker Nick Bolton and cornerback Rajarius Snead. On Thursday night, a quietly solid defense will take on a Denver Broncos team that isn’t particularly solid – after being humiliated at home by a bad Jets team, the Broncos are one loss away. In history, he is close to tying the franchise’s worst six-game start.
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Detroit Lions (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Yes, welcome to the end. The Detroit Lions are now able to start defensively in favorable or even neutral games. To say this is a big change from him a year ago is an understatement. In 2022, the Lions had the worst defense in the NFL. Detroit currently ranks 6th in the league in total defense with a respectable 14 sacks, ranking in the top 12 in team defense for the season. The Buccaneers haven’t been particularly kind to opposing defenses this season, but the jury is still a little out on Baker Mayfield, who started just four games with his new team.
Miami Dolphins (vs. Carolina Panthers)
The Dolphins offense is going to be very active this season, and for good reason. But the defense also had its moments from time to time. From a fantasy perspective, the Dolphins basically had two types of defensive efforts. The Dolphins scored double-digit fantasy points three times. In the other two games, Miami posted donuts. Feast or famine? Of course, matchups play a part in these types of fluctuations, and the Dolphins played well this week. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young and a Panthers team allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to a defense.
Atlanta Falcons (vs. Washington Commanders)
The Falcons have been surprisingly solid defensively in at least some respects this season. The Falcons are seventh in the league in total defense and 10th in points allowed, allowing just 19.2 points per game. However, the Falcons were unable to rack up many big plays, and as a result, the team was unable to post big scores for fantasy managers. However, there is a good chance that things will change in Week 6. Daniel Jones is the only quarterback in the NFL to have been dropped more than Sam Howell, and Washington allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to a team defense in 2023.
Minnesota Vikings (at Chicago Bears)
Let’s be clear: The Minnesota Vikings are not a great defensive football team. It may be better than last year’s unit, but the team’s inability to make stops affected the team’s 1-4 start. However, as is often the case with streaming his play, this is more of an opponent issue than the defense itself. Yes, the Bears just dropped 40 burgers to the Washington Commanders, but they are still the team that has allowed the third-most sacks (20) in the league this season and allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to their defense.
Las Vegas Raiders (vs. New England Patriots)
This doesn’t mean we’re looking for a timid fantasy director. Despite a solid defensive performance, including three interceptions from Jordan Love, the Raiders are still only 28th in fantasy points among defensemen. However, this has less to do with the Raiders and more to do with the New England Patriots’ offense, which has scored three points in the past two games. The Patriots rank 26th in total defense, last in the NFL in points scored, and lead the AFC in fantasy points allowed to defense. Right now, the Pats are playing all kinds of defense well.
Beware of Empters, everyone.
Dallas Cowboys (against Los Angeles Chargers)
The Dallas Cowboys continue to be the highest scoring team on defense in fantasy football. The main reason for that is because the team has three defensive touchdowns and a special teams score through five games. But Dallas’ defense just suffered an humiliation in San Francisco. They had well over 400 yards of offense and allowed 42 points in the blowout loss. The Chargers aren’t as good offensively as the Niners, but they’re not far off. The Bolts average just under 390 yards of offense and he scores 27.5 points per game, both of which rank in the top seven in the league. Micah Parsons and his friends will have their hands full once again.
Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on Twitter. @IDPSharks.