This article is part of our Streaming Defenses series.
Week 13 was odd for team defense scoring, with 12 units reaching double digits while 19 had five points or less. The Raiders were the only team to land between six and nine points — the range that classifies as a solid but unspectacular performance. I was happy to see three of my four recommendations from last week reach double digits, while the fourth (New Orleans) at least put up four points, which actually was the median score for team defenses last week.
I expect the scoring spread to be much tighter this week, as the top matchups mostly go to unreliable defenses, while some of the heavyweights in the league will duke things out. This is great for viewing purposes, but it can be tough to identify strong D/ST options when most of the week's matchups either pit two likely playoff teams against each other or feature a pair of non-contenders. The good news is that this is just as much of a problem for people that don't stream defenses, as the Jags-Seahawks, Rams-Eagles and Steelers-Ravens matchups serve to limit the appeal of some of the league's top units.
I'm generally projecting fewer points than usual at the top of my weekly rankings, where there isn't much differentiation between the top seven or eight teams. Fortunately, that group includes three defenses — the Packers, Bengals and Bills — that are widely available in Yahoo! leagues.
Note: These recommendations are limited to D/ST units with under 60 percent ownership on
Week 13 was odd for team defense scoring, with 12 units reaching double digits while 19 had five points or less. The Raiders were the only team to land between six and nine points — the range that classifies as a solid but unspectacular performance. I was happy to see three of my four recommendations from last week reach double digits, while the fourth (New Orleans) at least put up four points, which actually was the median score for team defenses last week.
I expect the scoring spread to be much tighter this week, as the top matchups mostly go to unreliable defenses, while some of the heavyweights in the league will duke things out. This is great for viewing purposes, but it can be tough to identify strong D/ST options when most of the week's matchups either pit two likely playoff teams against each other or feature a pair of non-contenders. The good news is that this is just as much of a problem for people that don't stream defenses, as the Jags-Seahawks, Rams-Eagles and Steelers-Ravens matchups serve to limit the appeal of some of the league's top units.
I'm generally projecting fewer points than usual at the top of my weekly rankings, where there isn't much differentiation between the top seven or eight teams. Fortunately, that group includes three defenses — the Packers, Bengals and Bills — that are widely available in Yahoo! leagues.
Note: These recommendations are limited to D/ST units with under 60 percent ownership on Yahoo! as of Tuesday morning. All references to fantasy points are based on Yahoo! standard scoring.
Top Streaming Options for Week 14
Buffalo Bills (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
16% Yahoo ownership
In light of the Bills' recent struggles, it should be pretty clear this selection is a commentary on the disastrous state of the Indianapolis offense, a bunch that's allowed the third most fantasy points to team defenses, with five of the past six opponents (including Houston and Tennessee) reaching double digits. The Colts have surrendered at least three sacks each week during that stretch to bring their season total to 51, which is nine more than any other team in the league. Despite serving as a backup the first week of the year, Jacoby Brissett is on track to become the ninth QB in NFL history to take 60 sacks in a season.
The Bills are actually tied for 30th in the NFL with only 20 sacks, but their defense at least seems to be bouncing back from an ugly mid-season slump, holding the Chiefs and Patriots to 39 combined points the past two weeks. It's still not a unit that inspires any real confidence, but a sub-par defense with a home matchup against the Colts is generally going to be a top-10 play this season. The Bills may also be usable in Week 15 when they play host to a Miami team that's mostly looked incompetent in the second half of the campaign.
Green Bay Packers (at Cleveland Browns)
24% Yahoo ownership
The Browns' opponent is always one of our recommendations unless they face a defense that's already more than 60-percent owned, in which case that team is a lock to fall in the top three of the weekly rankings below. To be fair, Cleveland has actually looked a bit better as the season has gone along, at least finding a way to keep most games competitive until the fourth quarter. Of course, the Browns have still given up the second most fantasy points to opposing defenses, with three of the last four opponents (and five of the past seven) venturing into double digits.
The Packers defense just so happens to be coming off its best performance of the season — at least for fantasy purposes — thanks to seven sacks and a defensive touchdown against Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers. While still liable to bleed yards and touchdowns through the air, the Packers have recorded 16 of their 29 sacks in the past four games, notching at least five fantasy points in every contest during that stretch. This is still a defense that should only be used in top matchups, offering minimal appeal for the rest of the season after Week 14.
Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Chicago Bears)
35% Yahoo ownership
Despite their run-heavy approach on offense, the Bears have given up the sixth most fantasy points to opposing defenses, surrendering at least five points every week until the 49ers were held to just three this past Sunday. Of course, the San Francisco defense only had six possessions to work with, as Jimmy Garoppolo dominated possession and Chicago's Tarik Cohen returned a punt for a TD. Listed as six-point underdogs with the lowest implied total of the week (15.5), the Bears likely will be forced out of their run-heavy comfort zone at some point before the end of Sunday's game.
The Cincinnati defense isn't dominant by any means, but it's at least been pretty reliable with five or more fantasy points in every favorable matchup this year. I also think it's a bit of a fluke that the Bengals' success getting after QBs (34 sacks, t-5th) hasn't led to more takeaways (11, t-27th). At the very least, the Bengals should be able to pile up sacks if they build a lead, as Trubisky sports the third-highest sack rate (9.8 percent) among qualified passers, trailing only Brissett (11.6) and Brett Hundley (10.0). The Cincinnati defense won't be usable in Week 15 (at MIN), and it probably won't be in play for Week 16 (vs. DET) unless LB Vontaze Burfict (neck/head) and CB Adam Jones (groin) are back in the lineup.
Arizona Cardinals (vs. Tennessee Titans)
41% Yahoo ownership
The Tennessee offense has somewhat quietly been one of the most disappointing units in the league, a reality that's obscured by small improvements on defense and special teams, not to mention some good fortune in obtaining an 8-4 record. Sitting on a minus-16 point differential with Marcus Mariota still playing poorly, the Titans are the least impressive 8-4 team in recent memory. They've only given up the 16th most fantasy point to opposing defenses, but consider that they allowed zero through the first three weeks of the season. Tennessee had an eight-game streak allowing at least five points to the opponent's defense, but it ended this past Sunday when an injury-marred Houston unit could only muster four.
The Cardinals should get back on the right side of that equation, though they could have serious trouble with Derrick Henry if DT Corey Peters (ankle) is out for a second straight game. If we're being honest, there's a pretty big drop off after the first three defenses, so you might want to file this recommendation under the "filler" category. The good news is that my other three recommendations are all under 40-percent owned, meaning at least one should be available in nearly any format. The Cardinals make for a decent fallback option for the truly desperate.
Honorable Mentions: New York Jets (at Denver Broncos), Tennessee Titans (at Arizona Cardinals), San Francisco 49ers (at Houston Texans)
Week 14 D/ST Rankings
1. New England Patriots (at MIA)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. SEA)
3. Buffalo Bills (vs. IND)
4. Green Bay Packers (at CLE)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. CHI)
6. Denver Broncos (vs. NYJ)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (at WAS)
8. Minnesota Vikings (at CAR)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BAL)
10. Baltimore Ravens (at PIT)
11. Los Angeles Rams (vs. PHI)
12. Arizona Cardinals (vs. TEN)
13. Tennessee Titans (at ARI)
14. San Francisco 49ers (at HOU)
15. Philadelphia Eagles (at LAR)
16. New York Jets (at DEN)
17. Detroit Lions (at TB)
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. DET)
19. Dallas Cowboys (at NYG)
20. Cleveland Browns (vs. GB)
21. Houston Texans (vs. SF)
22. Chicago Bears (at CIN)
23. Seattle Seahawks (at JAC)
24. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. OAK)
25. New Orleans Saints (at ATL)
26. Oakland Raiders (at KC)
27. Carolina Panthers (vs. MIN)
28. Indianapolis Colts (at BUF)
29. New York Giants (vs. DAL)
30. Washington Redskins (at LAC)
31. Atlanta Falcons (vs. NO)
32. Miami Dolphins (vs. NE)
Looking Ahead to Week 15
The Colts host the Broncos on Thursday Night Football for a gross primetime matchup.
The Lions welcome the Bears to town on Saturday.
The Redskins host Blaine Gabbert (probably) and the Cardinals.
The Saints welcome the Jets to the Superdome.
The Bills host the Dolphins in a potential bad-weather game.
