It’s the way fantasy football goes from week to week. Sometimes a big game comes as a surprise, like Kyren Williams in Week 4. But the thrill doesn’t last long because Thursday comes early. And here are the defense and special teams rankings for Week 5 of the 2026 season.
So far this season, the Vikings, Raiders, and Steelers have been among the most effective defense and special teams units. The Bengals and Jaguars are heavy in the mix as well.
That leaves stalwarts like the Broncos, Texans, Rams, and Eagles not living up to preseason expectations. Will any of this change for Week 5?
Fantasy Football standouts
The Houston Texans should be able to finally get a standout defensive performance. And perhaps the team will get a win. The Texans will be on the road, but it will be against the struggling offense of the Titans.
For the season, the Titans have the league’s worst offense with only 261.3 yards per game. The Texans should have a good chance to create a splash play. They have only caused three turnovers in four games. Meanwhile, the Titans have turned it over five times.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said the team can’t worry about how much better it played in 2025, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“For us, it's easy to talk about last year,” Ryans said. “We're here in 2026. We can't do anything about 2025 here in 2026. For us to improve our team, improve our status of where we are right now, we all have to play better.”
Perhaps the Titans will be just what the Texans needed. Quarterback Cam Ward simply hasn’t been able to consistently move his team up and down the field.
Another good look on defense this week is the Broncos. Like the Texans, they don’t resemble their dominant defensive ways of 2025. They had a big game against the Rams in Week 3, but the other weeks have been very tame.
And the Broncos get the Chargers, who have struggled in just about every phase of football over the course of four straight losses. The Chargers have been outscored 106-67.
Head coach Sean Payton said his defense may be coming around, according to denverbroncos.com.
“I thought the guys played with great energy, effort,” Payton said of the defensive performance. “There were a lot of positives to draw from. You're learning week by week a little bit about this year's team.”
Other standouts
The Dallas Cowboys haven’t shown much from a fantasy perspective in 2026. They have just four sacks, no interceptions, and have recovered just two fumbles. But the opponent matters.
Playing at home against the woeful Buccaneers, the Cowboys will be able to take chances defensively against a young quarterback. Look for them to blitz and make the big play happen. There is a high probability of a defensive touchdown for the Cowboys this week. And that makes them worthy of strong consideration to have their best fantasy output of the season.
Article Continues BelowYes, head coach Brian Scottenheimer might have been over the top in his postgame comments about a defense that gave up 30 points. But he’s trying to build confidence, according to The Athletic.
“I try to be honest,” he said. “I try to point out the facts. Third-down defense, outstanding run defense, excellent. A bunch of three or four and outs. You point those things out, but we also talked (Monday) morning about the plan to win. We gave up too many explosives. But look, when you lose, it’s painful. And it hurts. When you win, you celebrate.”
Another good bet this week is Cincinnati. The Dolphins haven’t scored more than 13 points in any of their first four games. They’re atrocious on offense. Quarterback Malik Willis has proven to be sack-prone, and the Dolphins have five turnovers. The Bengals were a top-five fantasy unit in the first two weeks. They should get back there again this week.
Fantasy Football sleepers
Picking fantasy defenses means believing in the matchup as much as the unit. That comes into play this week as the Jets are at home against the Browns.
The Jets have been lukewarm on defense this year, so it may not be easy to plug them into your lineup. But this is a good matchup. The Browns aren’t as bad this year as many thought they would be. Deshaun Watson appears to have found some of his old promise. And that’s one reason to be a little cautious with the Jets.
But in some leagues, you have to take what is available. And the Jets fit the mold as a sleeper.
Another sleeper option is the Raiders. But you may need nerves of steel. After three straight fantasy performances, the Raiders didn’t get much done on defense against the Chiefs.
This week, they get the Patriots. Of course, the Patriots have been up and down in 2026. But quarterback Drake Maye seemed to regain some of his swagger in the tough win over the Bills last week.
If that’s the case, the Raiders might have trouble keeping the Patriots’ offense in check. But the balance of the season so far suggests the Raiders are a decent sleep option.
Fantasy Football Week 5 Defense Rankings
1. Houston Texans (HOU) at TEN
2. Denver Broncos (DEN) at LAC
3. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) at NO
4. Cincinnati Bengals (CIN) at MIA
5. Cleveland Browns (CLE) vs. NYJ
6. Chicago Bears (CHI) at GB
7. Dallas Cowboys (DAL) vs. TB
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) vs. IND
9. New York Jets (NYJ) vs. CLE
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (JAC) vs. PHI
11. Las Vegas Raiders (LV) at NE
12. New England Patriots (NE) vs. LV
13. New Orleans Saints (NO) vs. MIN
14. Washington Commanders (WAS) vs. NYG
15. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) vs. SF