By Bart Lopez

1. San Francisco 49ers: The Niners defense has been instrumental in the team’s success this year. They are the best in the league at defending the run, giving up just 73.2 yards on the ground per game. Their next opponents are the Cardinals. Arizona’s offense has struggled all year, so expect a one sided game. Projected fantasy points: 21.6.

2. Cleveland Browns: The Browns are sitting at 3-6 despite having the best passing defense in football. They give up just 163.3 yards per game in the air. This week Cleveland hosts Jacksonville. The Jaguars have one of the worst offenses in football, which means things look good for the Browns this weekend. Projected fantasy points: 21.1

3. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys defense stepped up last weekend, holding the Bills to just seven points and forcing four turnovers in the win. This Sunday they face the struggling Redskins. Washington doesn’t have a lot of punch on offense, so expect the Dallas defense to have another good fantasy game. Projected fantasy points: 20.2.

4. Green Bay Packers: The Packers defense has struggled all year, but played very well against the Vikings. Green Bay held Minnesota to 14 points and picked off one pass. This weekend it plays Tampa Bay, and should keep its opponents to less than 20 points on the game. Projected fantasy points: 15.8.

5. Buffalo Bills: The Bills got rocked last week by the Cowboys. Their defense hasn’t played that well all year, and has given up a lot of points in the past two games. Luckily their opponents on Sunday are the Dolphins. Miami’s offense is one of the worst in football, so expect a good game from the Buffalo D. Projected fantasy points: 15.7.

Not top 5, but could be: This week the Jacksonville Jaguars are the defense that missed the cut but are in position to outperform the top 5. The Jaguars defense is the reason it has three wins and isn’t in the hunt for Andrew Luck. This week they face the poor Browns offense. I’m expecting a very low scoring game. Projected fantasy points: 15.1.