In three years of writing D/ST streaming articles I have never seen the highest-rostered defense sitting at just 81.8% ownership. It speaks to the kind of year we’re having where the “elite” defenses drafted early in many home leagues have largely been busts, and where even the best-performing fantasy defenses (Vikings, Broncos, Steelers) have been anything but matchup-proof. But it also speaks to the value of streaming D/STs in general. If you’ve been playing the matchups, you’ve probably been crushing your opponents from the D/ST position, and four of the five top defenses were afterthoughts before the season began. Every league out there has a diamond sitting on the waiver wire right now. Let’s find them.

Los Angeles Chargers (Available in 38.5% of Leagues/$3800 on DraftKings)

My prediction that the Chargers would be the D/ST1 overall by the end of Week 10 is looking tenuous, but it’s got an outside shot if they take advantage of the best matchup of the week. The Titans are the OPRK1, and although it’s arguable whether Will Levis or Mason Rudolph give the Titans a better chance to win, it’s hard to argue that Levis doesn’t give opposing D/STs the best chance to win. Levis should return this week and with him the highest turnover rate in football. The Chargers continue their dominant defensive play, allowing the fewest points, fewest passing yards, and lowest passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. They’re rightfully expensive in daily fantasy, but run don’t walk to bid on them on your waiver wire, unless you’ve been reading these articles any time over the past month and can sit back and watch the points roll in.

Philadelphia Eagles (Available in 46.4% of Leagues/$3500 on DraftKings)

The Cowboys are a mess, and their 3-5 start only tells part of the story. They’ve been uncharacteristically bad at blocking for Dak Prescott this year, and this week they’ll likely be uncharacteristically bad blocking for Cooper Rush. Here’s how Dallas has performed with and without Dak since 2020:

Only Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson have had worse passer ratings than Rush this year, and only Richardson has a lower adjusted completion percentage (min 30 dropbacks). Jonathan Mingo probably isn’t the answer to the Cowboys’ woes, and in addition to Dak they could be missing both Zack Martin and CeeDee Lamb. Dallas backups against the Eagles pass rush could be a hard-to-watch massacre. Even at their price point, there’s upside in daily fantasy as well.