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 a necessary 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 with good defenses as we are with finding defenses playing terrible offenses. Bad offenses are more likely to keep playing badly because if they knew how to be good, they would already be good. Based on this flawless logic, I will highlight the best streaming options each week.
THIS WEEK THERE WILL BE WEEK 15 DEFENSES AND FULL PLAYOFF DEFENSES! YOU’RE WELCOME!
WEEK 15 DEFENSES
This week, there are four matchups that I feel very strongly about for streaming purposes. Every matchup this week is a plus in my model. Most importantly, each one is under 50% rostered.
Jacksonville Jaguars DEF (29% owned) @ New York Jets
Number one on my list is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last week, I bet against them, and I was very wrong. The Jaguars rank fourth in DST4 fantasy points per game, averaging 8.3 points per week. They also have the second-highest turnover rate. On the other side of this matchup, you have a Jets team that is giving up the 8th most fantasy points to opposing defenses. The Jets are scoring the eighth-fewest points per game and have allowed the third-most sacks. There is also a chance that neither Justin Fields nor Tyrod Taylor is available. Even if they are available to start at quarterback, it really hasn’t made a difference from a fantasy perspective. The Jacksonville Jaguars are a top-five fantasy defense for the week.
Chicago Bears DEF (19% owned) @ Cleveland Browns
For some reason, people are acting like Shedeur Sanders is a good quarterback, and I feel like I am taking crazy pills. Cool, you put up counting stats against one of the worst teams in football and couldn’t even win the game. The Cleveland Browns are giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. This week, the Shedeur truthers will realize that Sanders isn’t good when he has to play against good football teams. The Bears are a strong football team. The Bears have the most turnovers in football, whereas Shedeur Sanders has the third-most turnover-worthy passes in football, with a minimum of 50 pass attempts. In the category of turnover-worthy passes, Shedeur is right behind Jameis “crab legs” Winston and Mason Rudolph. To put this into context, Shedeur has a higher turnover-worthy pass rate this season than Jake Browning, Tua Tagovailoa, and J.J. McCarthy. Start the Bears.
San Francisco 49ers DEF (29% owned) @ Tennessee Titans
I am less excited about the 49ers against the Titans, but that is only because my first two matchups are like fantasy football Viagra. The Titans are giving up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. They score the second-fewest points and allow the second-most sacks. Perhaps most importantly, I do not think the Tennessee Titans are capable of winning two consecutive football games.
Carolina Panthers DEF (5% owned) @ New Orleans Saints
The last defensive streaming option for week fifteen is the Carolina Panthers. The Saints hit the trifecta in what we want in a defense when facing an opponent. The Saints are scoring the third-fewest points per game, allowing the 10th-most sacks, and recording the third-most turnovers. Carolina has a solid defense, and the Saints have multiple paths for being bad on offense.
FANTASY PLAYOFF DEFENSES
With the fantasy football playoffs underway, it is essential to look ahead to the best options for all three weeks. The goal is to win a championship. Below, I list defenses that, while they may not have the best matchups in week fifteen, have very favorable schedules for the entirety of the fantasy football playoffs, including weeks fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen.
New Orleans Saints DEF (8% owned)
You might be wondering why the Saints are my top defensive option for the fantasy playoffs when I already have the Carolina Panthers as a strong option for week fifteen. The Saints vs. Panthers game has the second-lowest projected total of the week. Nobody expects this to be a high-scoring game. Below is a breakdown of why the Saints’ opponents are bad at football, making them a great defensive streaming option for the playoffs.
Week 15 @ Carolina Panthers
- Give up the 9th most fantasy points to opposing defenses
- Score the 5th fewest points per game
Week 16 @ New York Jets
- Give up the 8th most fantasy points to opposing defenses
- Score the 8th fewest points per game
- Allow the 3rd most sacks to opposing defenses
Week 17 @ Tennessee Titans
- Give up the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing defenses
- Score the 2nd fewest points per game
- Allow the 2nd most sacks to opposing defenses
New York Giants DEF (6% owned)
If you can’t get the Saints for the fantasy playoffs, the New York Giants are a decent consolation prize if you want to avoid streaming week to week. The Giants don’t have the best overall match-up for week fifteen, but their week sixteen and seventeen match-ups are arguably stronger than the Saints. Below is a breakdown of why the Giants’ opponents are bad at football, making them a great defensive streaming option for the playoffs.
Week 15 @ Washington Commanders
- Give up the 13th most fantasy points to opposing defenses
- Score the 10th fewest points per game,
- Allow the 6th most turnovers to opposing defenses
Week 16 @ Minnesota Vikings
- Give up the most fantasy points to opposing defenses
- Score the 8th fewest points per game
- Allow the 3rd most sacks to opposing defenses
- Allow the most turnovers to opposing defenses
Week 17 @ Las Vegas Raiders
- Give up the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing defenses
- Score the fewest points per game
- Allow the most sacks to opposing defenses
