Streaming Defenses: Week 16 Fantasy Options for Team Defenses

It's playoff season in nearly every fantasy league at this point, with a vast majority having just two weeks remaining. Streaming Defenses will still run Week 18 for those few leagues that continue into January, but the analysis and rankings will focus on the two remaining weeks that are used in most formats.

Playoff Grid

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 16

1. Green Bay Packers (vs. NO)

• 50% Yahoo, 41% ESPN
• Team implied total: 27.75     Opponent implied total: 14.25
• Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 17: 17th (at MIN)

Fresh off a dominant primetime performance in Seattle, the Packers return home for one of the best possible matchups, favored by 13.5 points over the injury-riddled Saints. An implied total of 14.25 points suggests oddsmakers don't expect QB Derek Carr (hand/head) to play, likely leaving Spencer Rattler under center after Jake Haener was pulled early from his first NFL start this past weekend. Already missing Chris Olave (head), Rashid Shaheed (knee) and Taysom Hill (knee), the Saints may now finish out the season without Alvin Kamara, who suffered a groin/adductor injury in the second half of a 20-19 loss to Washington on Sunday. Feisty as they looked in the closing minutes of that loss, the Saints are simply undermanned right now and probably won't put up as good of a fight on the road against the 10-4 Packers.

2. Atlanta Falcons (vs. NYG)

• 37% Yahoo, 15% ESPN
• Team implied total: 25.75    Opponent implied total: 15.75
• Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 17: 29th (at WAS)

Atlanta's defense may be bad, but New York's offense is almost certainly worse, especially in its current state with LT Andrew Thomas (foot) and LG Jon Runyan (ankle) both out for the season. As if it weren't bad enough to be playing without their top two linemen, the Giants don't know if Drew Lock (heel/elbow), Tommy DeVito (concussion) or Tim Boyle will start at quarterback this week. None of the three is starting-caliber, and Boyle probably shouldn't even be a backup, having thrown five career TD passes against 13 interceptions while producing 5.2 yards per attempt. I might even start Atlanta over Buffalo (vs. NE) if Boyle ends up starting for the Giants.

3. Indianapolis Colts (vs. TEN)

• 21% Yahoo, 12% ESPN
• Team implied total: 23.0     Opponent implied total: 19.0
• Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 17: 2nd (at NYG)

The Indianapolis defense did its part this past Sunday, picking off Bo Nix three times and holding the Broncos to 10 points through three quarters before the Colts offense imploded and flushed the team's season down the drain. The silver lining (at least for fantasy) is that Indianapolis will now face two teams that were flushed long ago and haven't shown many signs of life lately. Tennessee has allowed more fantasy points to D/STs than any other team*, including eight instances of double digits and four of 19-plus. The Giants haven't been quite that bad overall but probably aren't any better in their current state, juggling QBs on what seems to be a quarter-to-quarter basis. I'll take the mediocre, mistake-prone team over the flat-out terrible ones, even after a major letdown like the one Indy suffered Week 15.

*I'm assuming a 50/50 chance of Will Levis starting. Move the Titans slightly up if that happens, or slightly down if Mason Rudolph gets the nod.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. CLE)

• 39% Yahoo, 49% ESPN
• Team implied total: 27.25     Opponent implied total: 19.75
• Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 17: 18th (vs. DEN)

As bad as they've been at preventing points and yards, the Bengals have been surprisingly decent for fantasy D/ST scoring of late, recording at least eight points in three straight games. They put up 19 against the woeful Titans on Sunday, which would've been 25 if not for S Jordan Battle dropping the ball a yard before crossing the goal line. Another big score could be coming this week, with the Bengals heading back home and facing either turnover-prone Jameis Winston or the incompetent Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Either way, simply showing up should be enough for a decent fantasy score.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (at LV)

• 8% Yahoo, 15% ESPN
• Team implied total: 20.25     Opponent implied total: 18.75
• Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 17: 8th (vs. TEN)

There's streaming appeal on both sides of the Jaguars-Raiders matchup, with my preference mostly depending on whether Aidan O'Connell (knee) or Desmond Ridder starts at QB for Las Vegas. For now, I'll follow the odds, which have Jacksonville as a slight favorite, although I'm guessing that flips in the other direction if O'Connell ends up playing. Being meaningfully worse than O'Connell as an NFL QB is difficult, but Ridder manages to do it, struggling to complete anything besides the easiest passes. It's one of the few times this season that Jacksonville's miserable defense should have the edge over its opponent (Week 17 may be another instance, especially if the Titans are still starting Will Levis rather than Mason Rudolph).

Week 16 Rankings

1. Packers (vs. NO)
2. Bills (vs. NE) 
3. Falcons (vs. NYG)  
4. Colts (vs. TEN)  
5. Bengals (vs. CLE) - moved up two spots after Cleveland's QB announcement
6. Vikings (at SEA)
7. Lions (at CHI) 
8. Jaguars (at LV)
9. Raiders (vs. JAX)
10. Eagles (at WAS)
11. Cardinals (at CAR)
12. Ravens (vs. PIT)
13. Titans (at IND)
14. Chargers (vs. DEN)
15. Buccaneers (at DAL)
16. Chiefs (vs. HOU)
17. Dolphins (vs. SF)
18. Texans (at KC)
19. 49ers (at MIA)
20. Rams (at NYJ)

Looking Ahead to Week 17

1. Eagles (vs. DAL)
2. Colts (at NYG)
3. Buccaneers (vs. CAR)
4. Seahawks (at CHI)
5. Dolphins (at CLE)
6. Chargers (at NE)
7. Saints (vs. LV)
8. Jaguars (vs. TEN)
9. Titans (at JAX)
10. Raiders (at NO)
11. Bills (vs. NYJ)
12. Vikings (vs. GB)
13. Commanders (vs. ATL)
14. Chiefs (at PIT)
15. Giants (vs. IND)
16. Steelers (vs. KC)
17. Packers (at MIN)
18. Bears (vs. SEA)
19. Rams (vs. ARZ)
20. Browns (vs. MIA)