By Bart Lopez

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT): The top defense/special teams for week 3 is Pittsburgh. Last week the Steelers shut down the Seahawks, and racked up five sacks. This week they will be facing the depleted Colts offense. Expect Pittsburgh to hold Indianapolis to around 12 points and to force its first turnovers of the season. Projected fantasy points: 23.5.

2. San Diego Chargers (SD): At the second spot in the top five is the San Diego Chargers defense. The Chargers did a good job of containing the Vikings last Sunday, but are not one of the premier defenses or special teams in the league. Luckily for San Diego owners, they play the Chiefs this week, a team that has put up 10 points in two games and is without leading rusher Jamaal Charles. Projected fantasy points: 19.8.

3. San Francisco 49ers (SF): The Niners, despite not being a great team, have a couple of important advantages heading into their week 3 game with the Bengals. First, Cincinnati relies on its leading rusher Cedric Benson, and San Francisco just happens to have the best rush defense in the league, holding opponents to just 54.5 yards per game. Second, the 49ers are the best kick and punt returners in the league. Expect the Niners to contain the Bengals and possibly bring a kick or punt back for six. Projected fantasy points: 19.1.

4. Green Bay Packers (GB): Green Bay has not done a great job defensively so far this season. The Packers gave up 42 and 30 points to the Saints and Panthers respectively. However, Green Bay is facing a Chicago offense that struggled against the Saints last week, especially when it came to protecting quarterback Jay Cutler. The Packers are a talented enough defensive team to shut down the Bears and pile up fantasy points. In addition, Green Bay is fifth in kick returns in the league and already has one special teams touchdown under its belt. Projected fantasy points: 17.9.

5. Carolina Panthers (CAR): The Panthers are similar to the Packers in that they have not performed well defensively the first two weeks. Luckily for Carolina, its week 3 opponent is Jacksonville, a team that is 30th in passing yards, although 6th in rushing yards. The Jags have scored only 17 points in two games, so expect the Panthers to give up around 16 points and force a couple of turnovers. Projected fantasy points: 16.7.