Welcome back to the latest edition of Defensive Streamers! If you are reading this, congratulations for making it this far into the fantasy season. Most managers have given up on the grind after a long and arduous season, but not you! Last week was a good week for our streaming selections, with two out of three streamers hitting. The defense I was the most pessimistic with was the New Orleans Saints. They only could muster two sacks. It was a much different story for my other two options.
The Colts delivered a worthy performance on Sunday, finishing with four sacks and one interception. It was a quality start, but the cream of the crop was the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle finished with two sacks, two turnovers, with one of those being returned for a touchdown, and a blocked kick. Considering these streamers all were available, I’d consider Week 13 a success. Week 14 marks the return of the bye-nado. Six teams are on bye, and fantasy managers need to be sharper than ever in the last week of the fantasy football regular season.
With the massive amount of byes, it’s harder than ever to find a quality defense available to stream. I’ve got some options available, but if you can grab a defense such as the New Orleans Saints, they are in a smash spot against the Giants. Let’s get started with the teams that are available in 60% or more of Yahoo leagues!
Chicago Bears (available in 60%) vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Bears just slightly meet the 60-percent cutoff here, but it’s very close. I never thought I would nominate a defense that just fired its head coach and is about to face off against the 49ers, but here we are! Fortunately, the issues with the 49ers lie within their offense and not the defense. We are already aware of the team missing Christian McCaffrey, but there’s also Brock Purdy managing an arm injury, and the status of Trent Williams has yet to be determined.
This suggestion is completely based on vibes. The 49ers appear to be on the brink of disaster. Meanwhile, the Bears just rid themselves of their head coach, with players sounding excited about the change. If Trent Williams plays, I would consider another defense, but if he were out, I would play the Bears defense over any defense listed here.
Arizona Cardinals (available in 74%) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Over their past four games, the Cardinals have strung together quality starts from their defense. They have averaged nearly five sacks per game over the last four weeks, and up next is a rematch against Seattle and their leaky offensive line. Geno Smith has been sacked an average of four times over the last five games, and he was sacked five times against the Cardinals two weeks ago. Arizona lost a close game last time these two faced off, but Seattle could only muster up one touchdown on offense. Divisional games can get unpredictable at times, but Seattle has only a 21-point team total, and the continuity of their offense makes me feel even more confident in the Cardinals defense. A bonus to rostering the Cardinals is that they face off against the Patriots next week!
Tennessee Titans (available in 71%) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars face off against the Tennessee Titans in a game that should be banned from any broadcast. Nobody should be subjected to the horrors on display during this game, only the true sickos like us will watch. I don’t feel great about suggesting the Titans after they gave up 28 points in 20 minutes against Washington, but Mac Jones (five turnovers in his last two games) isn’t the talent that Jayden Daniels is.
The Titans have three turnovers and six sacks combined over the last two games, but the big reason why I’m touting them this week is because of Vegas. The Jags have the second lowest team total at 17, making the Titans a prime selection. I do have some concerns with the Titans special teams, but when selecting a defense this weekend, remember the Titans!
Week 15 options to stash:
Arizona Cardinals (vs. New England Patriots)
I mentioned it above, but the Cardinals defense is ascending. The Patriots offense is good for at least one turnover and two sacks per game, plus they rarely score more than 24 points in a game.
Los Angeles Rams (vs. San Francisco 49ers)
The Rams defensive line duo of Braden Fiske and Jared Verse continues to develop. Meanwhile, if the 49ers lose another starter on offense, they could be a sitting duck in Week 15.
