If you read my article on playing the waiver wire game, you know that it is an essential part of winning your fantasy football league. If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for? I just told you it’s an essential part of winning your fantasy football league! Why do you hate winning?
One of the best ways to maximize your weekly scoring is to stream defenses. This strategy is simple – we aren’t as concerned about good defenses, so much as finding defenses that are playing terrible offenses. Bad offenses are likelier to keep playing badly because if they knew how to be good, they would already be good. Because of this flawless logic, I will be pointing out the best streaming options every week.
Detroit Lions Defense (53% owned) @ Las Vegas Raiders
Last week, the Detroit Lions got clowned. The only other loss for the Lions this year was against the Seahawks in week two. The following week, they ended up the DST2 for the week with 6 points allowed, 1 turnover, and 7 sacks. And that was against an Atlanta Falcons team that isn’t the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have given up the most turnovers and scored the 3rd fewest points per game. If it wasn’t bad enough to be the Las Vegas Raiders, it is going to be twice as difficult to play football without kneecaps.
Houston Texans Defense (6% owned) @ Carolina Panthers
If the Detroit Lions aren’t available, the Houston Texans are the next best streaming option on the waiver wire. While Houston isn’t majorly rostered, they allow the 8th fewest points per game and have scored 8 points or more in 4 of 6 games. The Carolina Panthers, on the other hand, have given up the 10th fewest points per game, the 10th most sacks, and have given up the 8th most fantasy points to opposing fantasy defenses. If you start a defense this week, you might as well start the defense playing the only winless team in football.
Los Angeles Chargers Defense (10% owned) @ Chicago Bears
I have seen that the Los Angeles Chargers are ranked highly for streaming purposes this week. There are plenty of good reasons for this. The Chicago Bears have the 3rd most sacks, the 7th most turnovers, and have given up the 4th most fantasy points to opposing defenses. The Chargers, on the other hand, have the 7th most sacks and 10th most turnovers. There is a reason they seem enticing as a streaming match-up. However, it is worth noting that they also are giving up the 2nd highest yards per play, have given up the first downs to opposing offenses, and have the 6th most drives ending with the opposing team scoring. I worry that the Chargers are fool’s gold this week.
***I’M JUST SAYING***
Chicago Bears Defense (2% owned) @ Los Angeles Chargers
Last week, I mentioned that you should be worried about the Raiders against the Bears and the Bears ended up as the DST1. Not only that, in the last three weeks the Chicago Bears’ defenses have had 37 fantasy points, making them the NUMBER ONE FANTASY DEFENSE over that span, the Bears are averaging 15 points allowed to their opponents, have 8 sacks, 6 turnovers, and a defensive touchdown. 49ers? Chumps! Cowboys? More like Cow Babies! THE CHICAGO BEARS ARE BACK! On the other hand, the Chargers feel like they are falling apart. When asked if he still had faith in Brandon Staley, Austin Ekeler said the Chargers have no other choice than to have faith in him. That does not sound like a team focused on football. I am in no way saying the Bears are a smart start, but they are a fun one! (Just start the Lions or the Texans. They are better options)
