One of the biggest strategies in fantasy football is streaming defenses. Each week owners will look at matchups and make waiver wire acquisitions to find their starting defense. Here are fantasy football defenses to stream in week 16. (Note: All defenses mentioned are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. Stats from before Monday Night Football)
The Titans have a below-average fantasy defense, ranking 21st and averaging 4.5 points per game. They have three double-digit games: against the Colts, Texans and Broncos. Their three negative scoring performances came in games versus the Jaguars, Eagles and Bills.
This week Tennessee plays Houston. The Texans score 16.8 points per game, ranking 30th in the league. They have been playing better the last two weeks, but still don’t have a ton of offensive fire-power, especially with running back Dameon Pierce being injured. The Titans can have a good week against Houston. The defense is rostered in 27.1 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Rams haven’t been great as a fantasy defense, ranking 23rd at 4.7 points per game. They have two double-digit scoring games, which were against the Falcons and Panthers. The Rams have no negative-scoring games on the year.
In week 16, the Rams play the Broncos. Denver scores a league-worst 15.6 points per game. To make things worse for the Broncos, starting quarterback Russell Wilson has been out with a concussion and hasn’t played. He may return to the lineup this week, but that may not help the situation. The Rams are rostered in 23 percent of ESPN leagues.
Cincinnati has scored 5.1 points per game, which ranks 17th for fantasy defenses. They scored 15 fantasy points against the Jets, which was their only game in the double digits. The Bengals have no negative-scoring games on the season.
New England is the opponent for Cincinnati in week 16. The Patriots have an average scoring offense at 21.4 points per game. Cincinnati is a safe defense to play though, as they have produced decent performances despite plenty of injuries. They are rostered in 33.9 percent of ESPN leagues.
Las Vegas has had a bad fantasy defense on the season, scoring 4.0 points per game and ranking 27th. They have two double-digit scoring games this season, which were against the Broncos and the Patriots. The Raiders scored negative points three times; against the Jaguars, Saints and Chargers.
This week the Raiders play the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers rank 27th in scoring at 17.9 points per game. They started Mitch Trubisky at quarterback in week 15 with Kenny Pickett being out with a concussion. Whoever starts at quarterback, the Raiders can play decently, like they have been the last few weeks. Las Vegas is rostered in 35.1 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Jaguars have a just-below-par fantasy defense this season, ranking 20th and scoring 4.8 points per game. They have double-digit scoring performances against Indianapolis, Tennessee and Dallas. Jacksonville has registered three negative-scoring games, against the Lions, the Giants and the Colts.
In week 16, the Jaguars play the New York Jets. The Jets score 23.1 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the league. New York has had quarterback injuries and switches throughout the season, which has made it hard to find consistency. Jacksonville is on a hot streak with two straight good games. They are rostered in 7.6 percent of ESPN leagues.
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