Streaming Defenses: Week 13 Fantasy Options for Team Defenses

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Published on November 25, 2024

Most fantasy leagues have either two or three matchups remaining before the start of playoffs, which means it's the time of year when many of the better fantasy teams have the luxury of worrying about Weeks 15-17 more so than the current week. We'll still have all the usual streaming advice and rankings below, but first let's take a look at my projected Top 15 in the D/ST rankings for Weeks 15-17.

A lot will change between now and then, of course, with QB injuries playing an especially big role in shifting matchups. Even teams like the Chiefs and Bills may be just one injury away from becoming top-10 matchups rather than bottom-five ones. Teams in bold below are in the top 10 twice for those final three weeks; note that no team ranks that high for all three weeks, although the Eagles are pretty close (mostly because they've been playing excellent defense, rather than as a product of great matchups). The Falcons, Cardinals and Bengals all are available in a lot of fantasy leagues and have excellent matchups in both Weeks 15 and 16, so they pair nicely with an elite W17 play like Philadelphia, Tampa, Miami or the Chargers.

Playoff Grid

	Week 15		Week 16		Week 17
1	Kansas City Chiefs	@CLE	Buffalo Bills	NE	Philadelphia Eagles	DAL
2	Baltimore Ravens	@NYG	Atlanta Falcons	NYG	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	CAR
3	Arizona Cardinals	NE	Detroit Lions	@CHI	Miami Dolphins	@CLE
4	Minnesota Vikings	CHI	Arizona Cardinals

Playoff Grid

	Week 15		Week 16		Week 17
1	Kansas City Chiefs	@CLE	Buffalo Bills	NE	Philadelphia Eagles	DAL
2	Baltimore Ravens	@NYG	Atlanta Falcons	NYG	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	CAR
3	Arizona Cardinals	NE	Detroit Lions	@CHI	Miami Dolphins	@CLE
4	Minnesota Vikings	CHI	Arizona Cardinals	@CAR	Los Angeles Chargers	@NE
5	Denver Broncos	IND	Cincinnati Bengals	CLE	New Orleans Saints	LV
6	Atlanta Falcons	@LV	Indianapolis Colts	TEN	Jacksonville Jaguars	TEN
7	Cincinnati Bengals	@TEN	Green Bay Packers	NO	Tennessee Titans	@JAC
8	Dallas Cowboys	@CAR	Jacksonville Jaguars	@LV	Indianapolis Colts	@NYG
9	New York Jets	@JAC	Philadelphia Eagles	@WAS	Seattle Seahawks	@CHI
10	Washington Commanders	@NO	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	@DAL	Buffalo Bills	NYJ
11	Philadelphia Eagles	PIT	Minnesota Vikings	@SEA	Green Bay Packers	@MIN
12	San Francisco 49ers	LA	Seattle Seahawks	MIN	Chicago Bears	SEA
13	Chicago Bears	@MIN	Las Vegas Raiders	JAC	Minnesota Vikings	GB
14	Green Bay Packers	@SEA	Kansas City Chiefs	HOU	Kansas City Chiefs	@PIT
15	Carolina Panthers	DAL	Tennessee Titans	@IND	Washington Commanders	ATL

Note: These recommendations are limited to team defenses that are rostered on less than 60 percent of teams on Yahoo or 45 percent on ESPN. Any references to fantasy points are based on Yahoo standard scoring, which doesn't include yards allowed.

Top Streaming Options for Week 13

1. Dallas Cowboys (vs. NYG)

29% Yahoo, % ESPN
Team implied total: 20.75 Opponent implied total: 16.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 14: 21st (vs. CIN), Week 15: 8th (at CAR)

The Cowboys' playoff hopes couldn't survive a brutal run of matchups throughout October and November, but their defense showed signs of life last week with four sacks and three turnovers at Washington, restoring some faith ahead of a Thanksgiving home game against the Giants. Dallas is favored by four points in a matchup with an over/under (37.5) that's four points below any other for Week 13, with New York's implied total of 16.75 being second worst of the week. Tommy DeVito's first start of the season was a disaster, yielding four sacks and a turnover while scoring just seven points on a Tampa Bay defense that has struggled all season.

2. Washington Commanders (vs. TEN)

63% Yahoo, 41% ESPN
Team implied total: 25.0 Opponent implied total: 19.5
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 14: BYE, Week 15: 10th (at NO)

A home game against Tennessee should end Washington's three-game losing streak, and even if it doesn't play out that way there's a good chance the Commanders defense will put up points. No team has allowed more fantasy points to D/STs, with seven of Tennessee's 11 opponents reaching double digits, including a 19-spot this past Sunday from the Texans in a game they lost. QB Will Levis has been sacked on a league-high 13.6 percent of dropbacks, and he also has the worst interception rate (4.4 percent of pass attempts) among qualified passers.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at CAR)

54% Yahoo, 36% ESPN
Team implied total: 26.25 Opponent implied total: 20.25
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 14: 3rd (vs. LV), Week 15: 28th (at LAC)

The Bucs are still available in a decent portion of leagues after being one of the most popular adds last week, but they probably won't qualify at this time next week. They turned in their best defensive performance of an otherwise brutal season coming out of a Week 11 bye, albeit with some serious help from Giants QB Tommy Devito. It also helped that the Tampa Bay defense was much healthier after the bye, although safety Jordan Whitehead then suffered a torn pectoral tear that likely will end his season. Still, there's plenty of Week 13 streaming appeal for a matchup with the Panthers, even if we give Bryce Young and Co. some credit for the recent improvement. Young may yet prove himself competent, but there's still disaster/crash potential on any given Sunday when dealing with a QB who has shown so much more bad than good in his young career.

4. Indianapolis Colts (at NE)

11% Yahoo, 8% ESPN
Team implied total: 22.75 Opponent implied total: 19.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 14: BYE, Week 15: 21st (at DEN)

The Colts haven't come up with a takeaway since Week 10 but have six straight games with multiple sacks, generally grading out as a slightly-below-average defense. That's probably enough to put up a decent Week 13 fantasy score, facing a Patriots offense that's allowed the seventh most fantasy points to D/STs. Drake Maye has the 13th-highest sack rate (7.6 percent) among QBs with at least 100 dropbacks, plus the seventh-highest interception rate (3.1 percent) among qualified passers. The rookie also has five fumbles, quickly gaining a reputation as a gunslinger who would rather turn the ball over than miss out on big plays. As promising as Maye looks long term, he's a great matchup for D/STs right now, willing to make mistakes while playing with a horrible supporting cast.

5. Buffalo Bills (vs. SF)

63% Yahoo, 40% ESPN
Team implied total: 26.25 Opponent implied total: 19.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 14: 13th (at LAR), Week 15: 26th (at DET)

The Bills were dropped in a lot of leagues during their bye week, in part because their schedule over the next three weeks looks brutal. The catch is that the upcoming game goes from a tough matchup to an elite one if Brock Purdy (shoulder) can't play, as Brandon Allen is one of the worst No. 2 QBs in the league. While reports on Purdy have been positive early in the week, oddsmakers seemingly expect him to either miss another game or not be his usual self (the 49ers as a 6.5-point underdog isn't something we normally see, even on the road against a top team). Also note that the Bills face the Patriots in Week 16, which might be worth stashing them for if you're already sitting pretty for the playoffs.