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 7.
(Note: All defenses mentioned are owned in less than 55 percent of ESPN leagues. Stats are from before Monday Night Football)
The Panthers have a subpar fantasy defense, scoring 4.8 points per game and ranking 24th in the league. They have one double-digit scoring game, which was in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. They have two negative-scoring games, which were against the Bears and Lions.
In Week 7, the Panthers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have been without Baker Mayfield with a dislocated thumb. While Jalon Daniels played well to start, things started to fade in Week 6. Mayfield may return, so it is worth checking injury reports before starting the Panthers. Even if he does return, playing after dislocating his thumb could limit his effectiveness. The Panthers are rostered in 20.7 percent of ESPN leagues.
Cleveland has a solid fantasy defense this season, ranking 12th in the league at 6.2 points per game. The Browns have two double-digit scoring games, which have come in the last two weeks against the Jets and Ravens. Their lone negative-scoring performance was in Week 1 against the Jaguars.
This week, the Browns play the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are tied for the league-low at 14 points per game. Cleveland has played well defensively and can take advantage of the matchup by limiting the scoring. They can also force Cam Ward into mistakes. The Browns are rostered in 34.1 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Jets have a top-10 fantasy defense, as they rank ninth in the league at 6.7 points per game. They have scored double-digit points twice this season, which were in games against the Titans and Browns. They have no negative-scoring games this season, but did score no points against the Bears in Week 4 and the Lions in Week 3.
New York will play the Miami Dolphins in Week 7. The Dolphins are tied for the league-low in points scored at 14.0 per game. While they are coming off a bye, they haven’t had many consistent drives this season, especially with star running back De’Von Achane out for the season. The Jets have performed well against bad offenses, so this week they should play well. They are rostered in just 23.1 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tennessee has an average fantasy defense this year, ranking 14th in the league at 6.0 points per game. They have one double-digit scoring game, which was a 19-point performance against the Colts in Week 6. Their worst game of the season was a -1-point game against the Jets in Week 1.
This week, the Titans play the Cleveland Browns. The Browns score just 17.7 points per game, tying them for 28th in the league. They had some momentum earlier in the season, but have scored just 12.5 points per game over the last two games. The Titans can have a decent performance against the Browns, extending their good play from last week. They are rostered in 1.5 percent of ESPN leagues.
Dallas has the worst fantasy defense in the league, as they score 0.7 points per game. They have two negative-scoring games, which were against the Ravens and the Buccaneers (with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback). The Cowboys have not scored in the double digits this season, with their best game coming against the Packers in Week 6 when they scored five points.
In Week 7, the Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts has been placed on IR with a blood clot and Tanner McKee started in his place. With McKee in, the Eagles scored just 14 points against the Panthers. While the Cowboys have struggled against backup quarterbacks before, they are coming off their best game of the season and could have a decent performance. They are rostered in 11.6 percent of ESPN leagues.
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