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).
Follow Gthom on the cesspool they call X @GarettThomas.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) brings down Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) on an early second quarter pass play. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida Sunday Night, December 17, 2023. The Jaguars trailed 10 to 0 at the half. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
Ravens D/ST @ New York Giants – 48%
No other offense in the NFL struggles like the Giants. They average a league-worst 14.9 points per game. This is no surprise, as they are the worst team in the league at scoring touchdowns overall and converting touchdowns once in the red zone, with a rate of 41.7 percent. Adding to their struggles, the Giants rank 12th in giveaways per game with 1.4 and allow the ninth-highest sack rate, with 8.32 percent of dropbacks ending in a sack.
Over the last five weeks, New York has allowed opposing D/STs to 11.5 fantasy points per game, making them the second-worst team during that span. Additionally, during this time, the Giants have allowed 6.1 fantasy points above expectation to defenses, the worst mark in the NFL.
While you can score points against the Ravens, the Giants’ offense is a fraction of what most NFL offenses can do. Baltimore sacks the quarterback at the 11th-highest rate in the NFL, but they struggle to secure takeaways, with their opponents only throwing interceptions 1.43 percent of the time, which ranks 25th in the league.
The opportunity the Ravens D/ST has in Week 15 is too good to ignore, despite their struggles at stopping offenses this season. Coming off of their bye week, they are the top defense to stream during the first week of the fantasy playoffs.
Commanders D/ST @ New Orleans Saints – 30%
The big draw here is that the Saints have lost their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, which significantly downgrades their offense. Earlier in the season, when Derek Carr missed time for New Orleans, the Saints’ offense averaged 15.0 points per game. That average would barely surpass the league’s worst-scoring team for the season, which sits at 14.9. In those three games, the rotation of backup quarterbacks committed four turnovers, all from Spencer Rattler. On top of the turnovers, the Saints gave up a staggering 16 sacks, or 5.3 sacks per game, which is worse than the NFL’s season-worst mark of 4.3 sacks per game.
While the Commanders have played well at times this season, they have not been a consistently solid unit. On a per-game basis, they rank 12th in opponent yards, 17th in opponent points, 22nd in opponent third-down conversion rate, 23rd in opponent touchdowns, and 29th in red zone defense. The biggest positive for the Commanders is their ninth-best sack rate of 8.02 percent.
This play hinges more on the Saints’ offensive struggles than the Commanders’ defensive prowess. While the Commanders are a beatable unit, it will be a steep uphill battle for the Saints.
Jets D/ST @ Jacksonville Jaguars – 42%
Since Week 10, the Jaguars have been the sixth-worst team at slowing opposing D/STs, allowing 8.8 fantasy points per game to the position. Adjusting for their schedule in this timeframe, the Jaguars have allowed 0.8 fantasy points above expectation, the 13th-highest rate. Both metrics are worse than their season averages of 6.8 fantasy points allowed and -0.2 points below expectation.
On a per-game basis, Jacksonville’s offense ranks 23rd in giveaways, 25th in touchdowns, 26th in points scored and interception rate, 28th in total yards, and 31st in third-down conversion rate. While the Jets’ defense has been inconsistent, they rank the fourth in sack rate and opponent passing yards, and fifth in yards per rush.
Lastly, Mac Jones will be the starting quarterback for Jacksonville. In his four starts this season, he has committed at least one turnover in three games, including two multi-turnover performances and one game with three turnovers. For his career, Jones has a 48:49 touchdown-to-turnover ratio.
Sleeper D/STs:
- Chargers D/ST @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Bengals D/ST @ Tennessee Titans