One of the biggest strategies in fantasy football is streaming defenses. Each week owners will look at matchups and make waiver wire acquisitions almost every week to find their starting defense. Here are fantasy football defenses to stream in week 11. (Note: All defense mentioned are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues)
1. Washington Redskins
Washington ranks near the bottom of the league in fantasy defenses at 26th. Their ranking is mostly brought down by the first two weeks of the season, when they had -3 points in each of those games. Since then, they have been much better. They had a 12 point performance against the Dolphins and have a few other decent performances as well.
This week, the Jets come to town to play the Redskins. The Jets do the least amount of damage against opposing offenses in fantasy and with Washington playing better, they can be picked up and played this week. They are available in over 90 percent of ESPN leagues.
2. New York Jets
The Jets are surprisingly the 12th ranked fantasy defense this season. They are very erratic though, as they have big games against tough matchups and not so godo games against low-quality opponents. The Jets scored 17 points against the Bills, 15 against the Patriots and 18 against the Giants. They also only scored six points against the Dolphins with some other disappointing performances.
Even though it seems like there is no rhyme or reason to when the Jets’ defense played well, they do have a favorable matchup this week against the Redskins. Dwayne Haskins will be back at quarterback for Washington and he is still learning the ropes. Washington’s offense does the fourth-least amount of damage against defenses this season. They are owned in 21.3 percent of ESPN leagues.
3. Oakland Raiders
Oakland ranks as the 27th best fantasy defense this season, but they are capable of good performances. On Thursday night, they scored 17 points against the Chargers. They also have 10-point performances against the Colts and the Bears. There are some bad performances by the defense, but that is why they are available on most waiver wires.
They will host the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who will be giving rookie quarterback Ryan Finley his second start of his career. The Bengals had one of the worst offenses in the NFL before starting Finley, now the Raiders have an opportunity to pounce. The Raiders are available in almost every ESPN league.
4. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have had a rough start to the season and their fantasy defense ranks 25th. Earlier this season they strung a few good performances in a row, with 12, eight and nine points scored in three straight weeks. The schedule gets a whole lot easier for the Browns in the back half of the season, so their defense could be on this list a few times.
On Thursday night, the Browns play the Steelers. While the Pittsburgh defense is helping them win games, the offense is still not great. The Browns should be able to have a decent game against the Steelers. They are available in over 60 percent of ESPN leagues.
5. Miami Dolphins
Miami is playing competitive football and has won two games. Their defense hasn’t been great, as they rank 30th as a fantasy defense. They had some really bad games to start the season, but have been better recently. The defense scored eight points against the Jets and 10 points against the Colts.
Now, the Dolphins play a divisional foe in the Bills. The Bills have had a good season, but aren’t the most high-powered offense. Miami will at least be at home and if they can keep their hot streak going, they are worth a pickup for desperate fantasy owners.
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