Fantasy Football: Week 5 Defense Rankings originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
A quarter of the 2020 season is in the books and games are still being played. By all accounts, that's a success for the NFL and great news for fantasy owners who, you know, want to keep playing fantasy football.
Now, for that ever-important decision of what defense to start this week, here's a look at the top 20 fantasy defenses for Week 5.
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2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL D/ST RANKINGS: WEEK 5 (STANDARD SCORING)
1. San Francisco 49ers (vs. Dolphins)
Ryan Fitzpatrick's starting job could be on the line Sunday. That could be either really good for the 49ers or really bad. Based on what we know about the gunslinging QB, it's probably safer to assume the San Francisco defense is going to have a good day against him.
2. Baltimore Ravens (vs. Bengals)
The Ravens get their first crack at Joe Burrow and will surely want to send him a message. Given their strength in the secondary, there's a good chance they can give the rookie quarterback some problems in Week 5. Burrow has been relatively unflappable so far, so we'll have to wait and see.
3. Los Angeles Rams (vs. Washington)
Dwayne Haskins had his best game against the Ravens last week, but he still wasn't all that impressive. If the Rams can catch the second-year passer on a bad day, they could put up some big numbers in the turnover department.
4. New England Patriots (vs. Broncos)
Bill Belichick simply knows how to coach defense, no matter who he has to work with. They played an excellent game against the Chiefs on Monday night, but their offense let them down with costly turnovers and poor execution without Cam Newton. With Newton presumably back, they should really be able to lock down the Broncos for a full four quarters.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Eagles)
Carson Wentz had a bounce-back performance, despite the efforts of his coach, in a win over the 49ers last week. However, he still has a vastly injured receiving core and now has to go up against one of the best defenses in the league. Week 5 could be a difficult one for the Eagles offense.
6. Arizona Cardinals (vs. Jets)
The Cardinals aren't anything special on the defensive side of the ball, but they're going up against the worst team in football this week. Any team who plays the Jets is a must-start until further notice.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Bears)
The Bucs have quietly become one of the better fantasy defenses of 2020. How? They force turnovers. If you can still get your hands on this group, you have to take a chance on getting your hands on a defense with a knack for forcing takeaways.
8. Indianapolis Colts (vs. Browns)
The Colts continue to be a solid start at defense and they go up against a Browns team who may be coming off a great game against the Cowboys, but aren't as imposing an offense as you might think.
9. Buffalo Bills (vs. Titans)
There's a bit of concern about this matchup considering the Titans had an extra week to prepare, but the Bills seem like one of those teams that simply has "it" this year. They also have the ability to stop the run, which could neutralize the Tennessee offense altogether.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Raiders)
The Chiefs' defense is legit, which is a scary thought considering the firepower their offense provides. The Raiders could be in for a long day this week.
11. Seattle Seahawks (vs. Vikings)
12. New Orleans Saints (vs. Chargers)
13. Cleveland Browns (vs. Colts)
14. Chicago Bears (vs. Buccaneers)
15. Dallas Cowboys (vs. Giants)
16. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Steelers)
17. Denver Broncos (vs. Patriots)
18. Tennesee Titans (vs. Bills)
19. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Saints)
20. Washington Football Team (vs. Rams)
