Fantasy Football Week 2 Streaming Defenses: Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and More

Last week, I named the Arizona Cardinals as my favorite streaming defense early in the season. They were going undrafted in most leagues, meaning they were widely available to be picked up and started against the Saints, an offensive group expected to be among the worst in the league.

Well, apparently my cries (and common sense) won out, because Arizona was started in around 75% of leagues in Week 1. They had just an OK outing; the Cardinals scored five fantasy points, finishing right in the middle among all 32 teams, picking up just one sack and no turnovers. They held the Saints down well, giving up only 13 points and just over 300 total yards, but it didn't translate into a big fantasy day.

Fantasy scoring is tougher with defense than with offense. Even if the unit has a good day, they might not come away with any takeaways, bringing it down to luck as often as skill. Arizona is my pick again this week for a top defense because they face the Carolina Panthers (who were just held down by the Jaguars), and I see them with a chance to have a better fantasy day.

The Cards don't show up on our streaming list, though, because they are now owned in too many leagues. Let's look at three other D/ST units that are owned in fewer than 50% of leagues and have good matchups in Week 2. They might not be the most exciting defenses, but they are set up to succeed this week.

Check out the FantasySP opponent rankings each week to see which players and teams have the best matchups.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants

The Dallas defense has been a highly sought-after fantasy group in recent years. They got after the quarterback and caused turnovers, the two biggest things a team can do to be a consistent fantasy performer. Things fell apart a bit last year, when they were right in the middle as a fantasy D/ST, and they then traded Micah Parsons, their best defensive player, right before the season started.

It's reasonable to expect the Cowboys to harbor a below-average fantasy defense. As expected, they didn't do much against the defending world champion Eagles in Week 1, finishing with one fantasy point, as they gave up 24 points with just one sack and no takeaways. Though they did a commendable job against a tough team, no fantasy defense should be expected to do anything against Philadelphia.

The outlook is much better this time around. The Giants were pummeled by the Commanders. It might not look that way with a 21-6 score and just two sacks and no takeaways, but New York gained only 242 total yards. They made it past the 50-yard line once in the first half and twice in the second half.

New York couldn't do anything offensively, likely a sign of things to come. They have a weak offensive line and only one above-average skill player in Malik Nabers. Russell Wilson might be cooked. The Giants are a team to target early and often with opposing defenses.

The Cowboys weren't drafted in most fantasy leagues and are probably available to be picked up and inserted into your lineup with a nice matchup against another division rival in Week 2.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

New England had a fine performance against the Raiders in Week 1. They sacked Geno Smith four times and hauled in an interception while allowing just 20 points, something that put them just outside the top 10 in defensive fantasy scoring. Free agent signee Harold Landry had 2.5 sacks by himself.

The Patriots still lost 20-13, and the passing defense was vulnerable (362 yards allowed), but presumed star running back Ashton Jeanty gained just 38 yards on 19 carries, giving New England something to build off.

The matchup against the Dolphins is suddenly looking like it could be one of the best of the week. In their first game, Miami gained just over 200 yards, gave up three sacks, and turned the ball over three times (all from Tua Tagovailoa, with two interceptions and a fumble). While we've seen Miami look explosive in the past, that seems to drift further away every day.

Along with Landry, the Pats added Milton Williams, Robert Spillane, and Carlton Davis III, among others, and imported defensive head coach Mike Vrabel. There was reason to think this group could improve.

It's worth being skeptical, as Week 1 was only one game, but this looks like a nice matchup for the New England D/ST, and they are worthy of consideration if you're struggling to find a streamer.

San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints

San Fran is surprisingly owned in fewer than 40% of leagues. They lost numerous players and were expected to maybe take a step backward, but Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and other high-level contributors are still in town, making the 49ers a group that can do some damage.

In their first game against the Seahawks, San Francisco gave up just 13 points and recovered two of the three fumbles they forced. They were only able to pick up one sack, but Seattle also was held to 234 total yards. It was a good performance from the 49ers, who finished as a top-10 fantasy defense for the week.

They now get the team I talked about in the open as my favorite for worst in football, the Saints. With second-year player (and fifth-round pick) Spencer Rattler leading the way, New Orleans has as low of a floor and ceiling offensively as any team. They showed as much when they struggled to move the ball against Arizona and scored only 13 points.

San Francisco is set up nicely for a successful Week 2. They are my favorite streamer of the three listed here and have better than a 50% chance of being free in your league.