Welcome to Week 6 of DL Streaming 101!
Let’s start by taking a look back at Week 5 of DL Streaming by using a format inspired by the thing I’m currently obsessed with almost as much as IDP fantasy football:
NEW ACHIEVEMENT: “Maybe you do know what you are doing.” Your DL streaming picks for Week 5 not only set a new weekly high average of 8.78 but also included two of the top 12 DL overall for the week. You know who else was able to pick two of the top 12 DL last week: those fancy pre-season consensus rankings that don’t have to go dumpster-diving for players available in 75% or more of IDP leagues. What’s more, your top 14 players averaged 12.4 points per game, while your bottom 14 averaged 5.1. Maybe you’re lucky, maybe you’re good, maybe you’re pulling a Biff and are using a Grays Sports Almanac for a really niche purpose. YOUR REWARD: You get to write another DL streaming article with four teams on bye…good luck with that!
Thanks for indulging me! Here is our traditional look at season-long streaming metrics after five weeks:
The combination of bye weeks and the market wising up on players like Elijah Ponder and Deone Walker has reduced the talent pool somewhat for Week 6, but there are so many options in the Solid and Solid-Deeper tiers that I don’t have to dip into Educated Dart Throws! I typically do a deep dive into one player from each tier, but given only two tiers are represented this week, I’ll hop into one of my favorite plays of the week, a middle-of-the-road play, and the longest shot of the week (that still has a lot of upside), sticking to edges this week.
Featured DL Streamers
ED JT Tuimoloau, IND (🎓🎓🎓)
With teammate Arden Key placed on IR, the opportunity is knocking for the Colts’ 2025 second-round pick. In his first game in his new starting role last week, Tuimoloau had some ups and downs. Despite registering only one assist, his PFF tackling grade was a solid 70.5 (compared to abysmal grades of 28.8 and 29.4 in Weeks 1 and 2). He also posted two QB pressures despite a pass rush grade under 60. The Colts played the Steelers last week, which has been a highly erratic matchup for opposing edges, allowing 57.05 fantasy edge points to the Browns in Week 4 but only 10 points to Bengals edges in Week 3 (Tuimoloau, Latu, and company mustered 12.75 in total).
I’m optimistic about Tuimoloau in Week 6 because of his usage and matchup. His usage was ideal at 82% with the Colts not rotating heavily to muddy opportunity. That rate was higher than injured teammate Key, who was averaging 72% through three weeks. The matchup against the Titans is incredibly exploitable with the ultra-talented Texans edge group putting up nearly 70 fantasy points last week. Tackle Dan Moore was a particular liability, allowing seven pressures (one sack) last week. Tuimoloau is no Danielle Hunter, but he draws the matchup against Moore this week, and if he could even halve Hunter’s Week 5 production, he would be a welcome streamer.
ED Dre’Mont Jones, NEP (🎓🎓)
Jones is nursing a shoulder injury that caused him to exit Week 5 early, but assuming he plays, he is a solid option for those of you who need to stream in deeper leagues. In limited action (missed much of Week 2, all of Week 3, and part of Week 5), Jones has amassed 14 quarterback pressures but only one sack. With a pass rush grade of 73.5 (19th among edges with at least 100 snaps), positive regression is expected soon.
That could come as early as Week 6, when the Patriots take on the Jets, who have been the third-best matchup for opposing edge rushers since Week 2, allowing an average of 40.64 fantasy points to the position per game. While two teams (the Browns and Chargers) have allowed more fantasy points to edges, the Jets are the only team in the NFL to have allowed at least 30 fantasy points to each of their last four opponents. Jones has a demonstrated snap ceiling (this season) of 84% and is among the highest-graded defenders in the NFL (31st overall across all defensive positions), making him a solid play in deeper leagues (despite the injury risk).
ED Mike Green, BAL (🎓🎓)
Rounding out this week’s featured players is another sophomore with second-round draft capital: Ravens’ defensive end Mike Green. It was off-field concerns, not talent, that led to Green falling to the second round of the draft. It was a very crowded edge room in 2025, which led to the rookie earning only two starts (Weeks 5 and 18). Green took over a full-time role in Trey Hendrickson’s absence, and the talent is beginning to shine through. In his two games as a starter, Green has produced eight pressures, one sack, two tackles, two assists, and two TFLs (a fantasy average of 11.8 points per game).
As of this writing, there is a chance Henrickson is back this week. If he is not, move Green up a bit but not much (he did not eclipse 65% of snaps in either start). If he does return, I would still consider using Green as a solid streamer in deeper leagues in case they ease Hendrickson back in and allow Green to play nearly 50% of snaps (as was the case in Week 2). Part of my excitement for Green, regardless of Hendrickson’s status, is a phenomenal matchup.
Green and company have a rivalry game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. Cleveland has allowed more fantasy points to opposing edges than any other team for the season and over a two-, three-, four-, or five-game window in 2026. I would be shocked if this comes to an end this week, given the combination of ceiling and floor the matchup has provided this season. Per PFF, quarterback Deshaun Watson leads the NFL in own pressures allowed, with 17 (10 of which have been converted into sacks). While this speaks to the ceiling, the floor is also there, as the Browns allow the third-most tackles to opposing defensive ends, per some of our great data here at The IDP Show.
Full Week 6 DL Streamer List
Good luck, and if you have any questions about deep DL plays, my office is always open by replying to this article or reaching out on Twitter (@ProfessorIDP).
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