Recommended Option
Miami Dolphins – vs. St. Louis
Yahoo – 10%, ESPN – 4.2%
Everything about this matchup seems to be heading into Miami’s favor:

1. With Danny Amendola out the Rams passing attack is lackluster, at best
2. The Rams best offensive weapon, Steven Jackson, may be starting to show his age (just 54.2 yards per game) and is banged up

Now, throw in the fact that Miami’s defense is actually pretty good. They have 7 interceptions (Sam Bradford has thrown 5), 15 sacks (tied for fourth in the league) and have forced 8 fumbles. They also have emerged as one of the best rushing defenses in the league (61.4 yards per game).

You couple the injuries the Rams have with the ability of Miami’s defense and it is easy to imagine Miami’s defense thriving this week.

Next Best Choice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City
Yahoo – 7%, ESPN – 4.3%
They take on Jamaal Charles and the Kansas City Chiefs, a low scoring team (18.8 point per game) that is clearly built around running the football. With an average of 180.8 rushing yards per game, they are second in the league (behind the San Francisco 49ers).

Being a good rushing team is one thing, but you obviously need to find the end zone. With just 4 rushing TD, they can make plays but obviously are having trouble finishing drives. This almost plays right into the Buccaneers hands, as they are allowing the fourth fewest rushing yards per game (73.8). Considering the Chiefs are managing just 221.6 passing yards per game, if Tampa Bay can take away the run they could be in for a long afternoon.

Throw in Tampa Bay’s 6 INT, 8 sacks and the chance that Mat Cassell is forced to miss the game due to injury and it is all shaping up in Tampa Bay’s favor. If you are streaming a defense, this is a very good play.

One More Option
Detroit Lions at Philadelphia
Yahoo – 31%, ESPN – 57.6%
There are two things at play here. One, I don’t think most people would’ve expected the Lions to fall into this category prior to the season. Second, I don’t think anyone would’ve expected the Eagles to struggle this much offensively.

It’s the latter that keeps Detroit away from the favorable option, because we all know Michael Vick and company always have the potential of breaking out (especially at home). With their group of weapons it is hard to imagine only scoring 16 points per game, so I would be a little hesitant picking against them here.

That said, if you are desperate for a defense there are much worse plays for this week.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 6 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 25 Tight Ends