DFS Army’s Gthom goes over the defenses to stream this week. The defenses to stream listed below are normally found in at least 50-percent of ESPN leagues (prior to waivers).
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Oct 9, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) is hit while throwing the ball by Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) during the first quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Commanders vs Tennessee Titans – 48%
The Commanders D/ST had moments of domination against the Cowboys, but ultimately fell. While they blocked a kick, recovered a fumble, and logged one sack, they only scored four fantasy points. They will turn their sights onto the Tennessee Titans, who are playing much better as an offense of late, but Tennessee is still allowing opposing D/STs to score fantasy points.
Over their last three weeks, the Titans have allowed the second-most fantasy points to D/STs, with a clip of 12.7 fantasy points per contest. When adjusting for opponents, they allow 3.2 fantasy points above expectation to D/STs, and that is fourth-most in the NFL during the aforementioned time frame.
Additionally, the Titans are last in sack rate and interception percentage (both metrics boost the floor of fantasy defenses), 28th in points per game, 26th in touchdowns per game, and 25th in yards per game.
The Commanders D/ST may be averaging a low four fantasy points over their last five weeks, but the Titans are a team to pick on, no matter the strength of the opposing defense.
Buccaneers D/ST @ Carolina Panthers – 36%
Over their last few games, it seems the Panthers are moving in the right direction offensively. However, that does not make them a team to avoid, even against a divisional foe.
The Bucs D/ST has scored an average of 6.7 fantasy points over their last three games, tied for the 18th-highest mark in the NFL. Tampa Bay stuffs the stat sheet too, recording multiple sacks and at least one turnover in nine of their 11 games. This helps boost their fantasy floor as a defensive unit. While it works both ways, it’s beneficial that the Bucs are very familiar with the Panthers, as facing them multiple times each season may help Tampa Bay play better defense.
As mentioned, the Panthers are coming into this game with confidence. For the season, they rank 30th in interception percentage, 29th in points per game, 26th in touchdowns per game, and 24th in giveaways per game with 1.5. This echoes the risk of playing the Bucs D/ST may be worth the reward.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Atlanta Falcons – 42%
Over their last five games, the Chargers are the fifth-best D/ST in fantasy points scored. When lowering that threshold to their last three, they drop to the 23rd-best D/ST. While they have not performed well lately, their matchup against the Falcons is a perfect “get-right” spot.
Across their last three games, Atlanta is allowing 8.3 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses and 1.2 fantasy points above expectation when adjusting for the opponent. Respectively, these metrics rank 20th and 19th in the NFL during that time. The Falcons also carry the 20th-best interception rate. They struggle to score touchdowns in the red zone, as evidenced by their 53.13% red zone scoring percentage, 22nd-best in the league. The Falcons even struggle to convert field goals, hitting 73.08% for the season, which ranks 29th in the NFL.
The Chargers defense has a bend-don’t-break attitude, making turnovers and sacks crucial for fantasy production. Despite giving up around league average in yards, they rank first in opponent points per game, third in opponent touchdowns per game, and fourth in red zone scoring percentage. They sack the quarterback at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL and average 1.2 takeaways per contest, ranking 14th in the league.
D/ST Sleepers:
- Cowboys D/ST vs New York Giants
- Seahawks D/ST @ New York Jets