Week 15 was a strange one for fantasy football defense production. Popular units like the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos went off, but the Atlanta Falcons (No. 27 in scoring on the season), Cincinnati Bengals (No. 25) and even Las Vegas Raiders (No. 29) all finished top-10 as well.
With the semifinals here, fantasy football managers can't afford to get attached to brand-name value in their starting lineup — especially at defense where production can be so variable. It doesn't matter what defense got you here. You must start whichever one is in the best spot for this one week.
With that in mind, here are the top fantasy football streaming defenses, which are available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues, for Week 16.
Fantasy Football Streaming Defenses Week 16
1. Green Bay Packers (vs. NO) — 59.8% Available
Week 16 is a total gift for managers who stream defenses because some of the week's best overall options are out there for the taking on the waiver wire. That includes the Green Bay Packers, who come in as massive 13.5-point favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook in a game with a 42.5-point over/under against the New Orleans Saints.
With either Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler under center, the Saints have an implied total of just 14.5 points, which is about as bad as it gets.
The Packers are a competent real-world defense (No. 13 in overall defense grade from PFF), and they have performances of 13 and 16 fantasy points over the last four weeks.
The Saints have not been playing conservatively to wind out the season, and Darren Rizzi's aggression while he tries to earn a head coaching job for 2025 should keep this offense taking chances with their bad quarterbacks. That's a recipe for major fantasy scoring.
2. Buffalo Bills (vs. NE) — 51.9% Available
With negative 12 fantasy points over the last two weeks, I forgive you if your gut reaction is to scroll down to the next option already. But ignoring the Bills because of a two-week stretch that included a matchup with the Detroit Lions would be a big mistake. The New England offense, it might surprise you to hear, is not quite as good as Detroit's.
The Pats have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses on the season, and Rookie Drake Maye has nine interceptions in nine starts, averaging 1.4 turnovers per game. The Patriots' 16-point implied total barely beats out the Saints, and being so likely to be on the wrong end of a blowout, the Pats will be forced to take a very pass-heavy approach.
That, of course, means ample opportunities for the Bills pass-rush to pin their ears back while the defensive backfield gets a ton of interception opportunities. It's the ideal situation for a defense in fantasy, and one that easily overcomes any real-world deficiencies for a unit.
3. Atlanta Falcons (vs. NYG) — 84.9% Available
Speaking of overcoming real-world deficiencies, are there any defenses in fantasy football you wouldn't start against the New York Giants at this point?
There's quarterback uncertainty in New York, but Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock and Tim Boyle are all names you dream of having your defense line up against in the fantasy playoffs.
The Falcons, playing with a ton of motivation as they chase a playoff spot in the NFC, are 9.5-point favorites in a projected low-scoring game (42.5-point over/under). This highlights how much the betting markets believe in their defense (for this week, at least).
As I mentioned in the intro, a great matchup was enough for Atlanta last week, and they finished tied for the second most fantasy points at the position in Week 15. A similarly dreamy spot here continues its Cinderella fantasy football playoff run.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Streaming Defense/DST to Target in Week 16.
