Things are getting interesting for fantasy football. And streaming defenses is still all the rage. So which teams are the best bets for Week 5 in 2026? Here is the NFL fantasy football start ‘em, sit ‘em for defenses and special teams.

Matchups are king this week. It makes a huge difference for which teams you can take a chance on, and which defenses you need to avoid. And the biggest evidence of that is our first recommendation.

Start ‘em: Cowboys vs. Buccaneers

Yes, Jaon Daniels managed to keep his team close during a 17-14 loss to the Packers in his NFL debut. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Also, he carried eight times for 55 yards.

But consider two things: He turned the ball over twice, and now the Cowboys have a whole game of film on him. It’s going to get ugly in a big ol’ Texas hurry for Daniels on Thursday Night Football.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles tried to boost Daniels’ confidence to face the Cowboys, according to buccaneers.com.

“Yeah, he’ll be the quarterback Thursday night,” Bowles said. “He had some ups, and he had some downs. But for his first time out there, he didn’t panic. He didn’t do anything. He escaped, used his legs well at times. It’s his first game — he’s going to have some ups and downs.”

However, the Cowboys are going to bring the downs. Look for them to utilize the blitz. And that panic that Daniels didn’t show against the Packers? It’s coming.

First, the Cowboys are very likely to build an early lead. That’s especially true if All-Pro guard Tyler Smith hits the field for the first time in 2026. And he’s hoping to be there, according to dallascowboys.com.

“I think it's possible,” Smith said. “We're not ruling anything out. Obviously, there's limited reps this week with just with a quick turnaround on Thursday.”

The Cowboys could reach 40 points in this game. That’s with a defensive touchdown mixed into the fray. They also should easily set a season high for sacks. Roll with the Cowboys.

Start ‘em: Denver Broncos at Chargers

The Broncos’ defense hasn’t had a break-loose game yet in 2026. And they’re coming off a sack-less performance against the 49ers. But that should change against the hapless Chargers’ offense.

Justin Herbert has four TD passes in four games with six interceptions. He’s completing less than 60% of his passes. That would be a career low by leaps and bounds. The best way to describe it is that the Chargers are an offensive mess.

This has all the earmarks of a get-right game for the Broncos’ defense. It has been disappointing so far. But that doesn’t mean the unit will stay there.

And it’s as much about the Chargers as it is the Broncos. The Chargers’ new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, said he knows where the problem lies, according to ESPN.

“I'm fully responsible,” McDaniel said recently. “I spend zero time trying to avoid blame. It's quite the opposite.”

There’s no time for pity in the NFL. The Broncos are coming, and the Chargers are in trouble.

Sit ‘em: Rams vs. Bills

You can say what you want about the Rams’ defense. But clearly it isn’t as good — and won’t be — without edge rusher Myles Garrett. And Garrett isn’t playing this week. The Rams have had one good fantasy week this season on defense. And that was only mildly good against a Giants team that lost its starting quarterback.

Now they get Josh Allen and the Bills. And while Allen hasn’t been his usual dominant self over the past two weeks, he’s still not the quarterback you want your fantasy defense trying to solve. The Rams will be focused on simply winning this game, not trying to shut down Allen.

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Take the wise path here and wait for what is coming with the Rams. After this week, they get the Cardinals, Raiders, Chargers, Commanders, and Cardinals (again) in succession. We can have a different conversation for those matchups. Be patient.

Sit ‘em: Eagles at Jaguars

The Eagles defense has been tasked with keeping the team afloat until the offense gets rolling. But here are their four performances: DST22, DST24, DST28, and DST15. None of those equal a week where you should have started the Eagles.

And now they get Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. It’s an offense that looks real, and will be tough to slow down. Playing on the road, the Eagles’ defense doesn’t appear to be a good option.

Yes, the Eagles have been banged up on defense. But head coach Nick Sirianni isn’t using it as an excuse, according to NBC Sports.

“I’m never going to use anything as an excuse,” Sirianni said. “We have to look at ourselves in the mirror. We have to pick ourselves back up. Life hands you a lot of different scenarios. Football hands you a lot of different scenarios. You’ve got to be accountable to who you are and to what you do, each and every one of us.

“You’ll never hear me say a word about an injury. I have a lot of faith in everybody on this football team. There’s a reason they’re Philadelphia Eagles. I’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to play better. We’ve got to coach better. All of us have things to get better from. I don’t care who’s on the field.”

However, fantasy managers should care who is on their fantasy field. And it should not include the Eagles’ defense.