It’s difficult not to get caught up in key fantasy football injury issues. And there are plenty of other items to catch your attention. But there are some sneaky helpers for NFL Week 6, and here are last-minute streaming options for defense and special teams units.

The obvious choices for this week likely won’t be on your free agent list. Don’t expect to see the Steelers, Chiefs, or Ravens. Let’s see what other choices could be available.

Indianapolis Colts vs Titans

Yuck, you might say. This unit has been in the bottom half, and lower, in every game but one. But they also had a DST finish of No. 6. So let’s dig deeper.

The Colts came up OK in Week 4 against a struggling Commanders offense at the time. And now they get another struggling offense. The Titans simply haven’t been able to threaten defenses this season. They rank dead last with 246 yards per game.

There’s no doubt that the Colts’ defense needs to make more plays. And that’s a focus this week, according to wrtv.com.

“Takeaways and take care of the football is the number one thing,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously you preach it, but you got to practice it like crazy. It’s got to be all day, every day in practice. You can’t talk about it. You got to go do it.”

Yes, the Colts are tied for last in the NFL in both takeaways and turnover margin. But sometimes emphasis provides an avenue to results.

“I think it’s a new year, new week,” Steichen said. “It doesn’t matter about the past. It’s all about this game, the preparation, the work that we put in this week to get ready for Sunday.”

Give the Colts consideration, especially if you’re in a deep fantasy football league. There could be better options, but this is a streaming value.

Carolina Panthers at Eagles

Coming off a bye week, the Panthers have a defensive advantage. But that’s not why you should stream them. The reason is a totally decimated Eagles offense.

First, the Eagles weren’t very good on offense before they lost nearly everybody. But without Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, Saquon Barkley, and now Jalen Hurts, the Eagles look like a practice squad disaster. The Panthers might be able to feast like they did in Week 2 against the Falcons.

Of course, there will be an adjustment period. The Eagles will start Tanner McKee behind center. And a new quarterback takes some time to figure out, according to Panthers.com.

“Obviously you're going into the week, you got to play that offense, you know it's a two-phase offense, right, with the run game and the pass game?” Brown said. “So until you get to Sunday, you can't, you can't decide that, right? Like you don't know what the backup quarterback's got.

“So I've got to go back and watch tape on him, but I'm not real familiar with him, so I mean I'm going to go back and watch tape and see what he does.”

Jaelan Phillips said McKee throws the ball well and has a good pocket presence. Therefore, the Panthers must respect him.

“He’s definitely a good quarterback, no slouch at all,” Phillips said. “I mean, we prepare the same way. It doesn't really matter who they have. We've got to execute the way we need to, obviously. You know it changes what they might do, which then changes a little bit what we might do, but it's not like it's a different mentality. Prepare for everything the same way.

“He has good composure. He doesn't feel like a backup quarterback per se. (And) he goes in the game, and he commands the game, so like I said, I can't take him lightly at all.”

Still, this is a great fantasy opportunity. You have to love games where a pick-six is at least on the board of decent possibilities. Or maybe a strip sack and recovery when McKee holds the ball too long because of indecision.

Article Continues Below

This is a reasonable fantasy unit to pick.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Panthers

Yes, there’s risk involved here. What if McKee puts the Eagles’ defense in bad spots? That could cause their points allowed total to soar.

Plus, the Eagles haven’t gotten to the quarterback this season. They have the following sack totals: 1, 2, 0, 1, 2. That’s not defense-winning football.

However, Bryce Young hasn’t been as good on the road. And this is a tough matchup. The Eagles' defense has been good as a real unit. They’ve allowed 22, 20, 27, 24, and 19 points. Those are good totals for the NFL.

So, with Hurts out, the Eagles’ defense knows it not only has to be good, but it also has to make plays. The Eagles have to come up with turnovers. Perhaps they will blitz a little more often. But look for the Eagles to produce season-high totals in sacks and turnovers.

And that makes for a good fantasy football streaming defense.