One of the most difficult positions to draft in fantasy football is your defense, or a team’s defense & special teams. The chances of finding a defense you can set and forget in your lineup are minimal, so many fantasy managers resort to “streaming” defenses. Streaming refers to consistently adding and dropping players at a given position to attempt to field weekly high-upside starters. Successful streaming relies on the manager’s ability to identify short-term potential, as most streaming targets are utilized briefly before being replaced in favor of better matchups.
This article will examine defenses best positioned to bring your team success early in the season. Yahoo Fantasy has three defenses above 95% ownership: the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets. I will exclude these defenses because the managers who own them are likely not looking to stream the position. Let’s dive in!
Multi-week Starters
Miami Dolphins: Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, BYE, Indianapolis Colts
The Miami Dolphins defense has been off to a slow start to the 2024 season, averaging a slim 4.3 fantasy points per game. The loss of QB Tua Tagovailoa has seriously hindered the offense’s ability to sustain drives and has put immense pressure on the defense. The next two weeks offer juicy matchups for the defense, especially Week 4’s matchup with Tennessee. Entering Week 3, the Titans allowed opposing defenses to average a massive 17.5 points per game. Somehow, they performed even worse last week and now allow a mindblowing 18.7 points to defenses! That’s like getting RB1 production from your defense every week. Titans QB Will Levis has 5 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns) & 3 fumbles to go along with being sacked a whopping 15 times through the first three weeks. Miami still has playmakers who can take advantage of this high turnover rate.
The following week Miami plays both a divisional opponent and one of the worst offenses in the NFL, the New England Patriots. Many predict this will be the week 3rd-overall draft pick Drake Maye will make his first NFL start. Whether it’s Maye or Jacoby Brissett behind center, the Patriot’s offensive line has proven to be among the worst in the league, giving the Dolphins a chance to apply pressure and create turnovers. Back-to-back matchups against league-bottom offenses provide Miami a great opportunity to show out for your fantasy teams.
Indianapolis Colts: Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins
After three weeks of spending an average of 40 minutes on the field, it’s no surprise the Colts’ defense has been middle of the pack for fantasy managers so far. Now may be the time to roster them, with three of the next four matchups coming against teams ranked bottom six in fantasy points allowed to opposing defenses. With an o/u of just 39.5 points, the matchup against the Steelers is predicted to be low-scoring and run-heavy. This will be beneficial for the defense & fantasy managers who roster them a week before the terrific run of matchups.
After the Steelers, The Jags present the “toughest” matchup for the Colts DST, allowing an average of 9.7 fantasy points to opposing defenses. The Titans are the best matchup for fantasy managers to see, and the Dolphins without Tua have allowed the 2nd-most points to opposing DST in the NFL. The next four weeks of matchups facing the Indianapolis Colts are exactly what fantasy managers should be looking for when targeting a streaming defense.
Las Vegas Raiders: Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, LA Rams
When I said the Dolphin’s defense was off to a slow start, that was maybe unfair to say. The Raiders DST is averaging ONE POINT PER GAME through three weeks of the NFL season. Only the Commanders have a worse scoring DST so far in 2024. Well if there was ever a time to get back on track, it’s now. Much like the Colts above, the Raiders have three upcoming matchups against the bottom 9 teams in points allowed and a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns may have the worst offense in the NFL so far, currently 31st in total yards per game. The Broncos and rookie Bo Nix showed out in Week 3, but hadn’t looked the part in the first two weeks of the season. Ending the stretch against the Rams and their depleted offense will offer fantasy managers another strong opportunity if they need to stream a defense.
Some Good, Some Bad
Baltimore Ravens: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Bucs
The Ravens certainly haven’t performed the way fantasy managers expected while drafting them as the consensus 2nd DST off draft boards according to FantasyPros. Currently, the Ravens are ranked a disappointing 20th in DST scoring through the first three weeks of the NFL season. Don’t expect that to change in Week 4, with a matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills looking to be a high-scoring matchup between some of the most enjoyable offenses to watch. The divisional matchup against the Bengals certainly looks winnable, with Cincinnati losing all three of its opening games, including matchups against 2023 league-worst teams in the Patriots and Commanders. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels has dismantled opposing defenses with his legs, but his similar style to Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has me wondering if the Ravens won’t be more prepared for that matchup than most teams.
Closing the four weeks against the Bucs, who just received a thrashing at the hands of the winless Denver Broncos, will offer another great matchup for fantasy managers to rely on the Ravens’ defense.
Buffalo Bills: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans
When the Bills lost five defensive starters in the 2024 offseason, many fantasy managers and fans expected a steep decline in performance. What has occurred has been quite the contrary, with Buffalo currently the #3 ranked DST in fantasy football with an average of 12 points per game. Much like the Ravens above, the Week 4 matchup appears to be a tough one for the Bills. They will need to be tough against the run and remain disciplined to provide a quality fantasy finish. The Houston Texans have surprisingly provided opposing defenses with a strong matchup through the first three weeks, allowing an average of 8 points to opposing defenses.
Following a matchup with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, Bill’s DST owners will be blessed with a matchup against the Titans. While the overall schedule may look dangerous, the Bills defense have proven themselves more than capable of handling the challenge.
Los Angeles Rams: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, BYE, Las Vegas Raiders
Another DST with terrible performance to start the year is looking to bounce back with a promising upcoming schedule. Through the first three games, the Rams are averaging an abysmal 2 points per game. A Week 4 matchup against 1st overall pick Caleb Williams and the Bears offers fantasy managers some hope. The Bears are allowing 11.3 points to opposing DST, and have yet to have a game where they look like they are on the same page.
Packers fans and fantasy managers are both hoping that QB Jordan Love will be returning from an MCL sprain soon, which could dramatically affect the fantasy ability of the Rams DST for their Week 5 matchup. After their bye, the Raiders offense provides fantasy managers an outlet for deeper leagues where you need a streamer.
Philidelphia Eagles: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, BYE, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants
Through the first two weeks, the Eagles’ defense was a major question mark for the team. They turned that around in week three against the high-flying Saints, holding them to 5.7 yards per attempt, 3.1 yards per carry, and only 12 points to a team that dropped 91 points collectively in the previous two games. Hopefully, that was a signal of a change moving forward. The Eagles get an opportunity against Mike Evans and the Buccaneers the week after they got dismantled by the Broncos’ defense. If the Eagles can learn from what Denver did, they could have another solid week for fantasy managers.
Matchups against the Browns and Giants bring two of the most turnover-prone offenses in the NFL and with them amazing opportunities for fantasy managers to stream the Eagles’ DST.
Cincinnati Bengals: Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Clevland Browns
The Cincinnati defense’s weekly performance has been the opposite of what we expected. Scoring a combined ZERO points against the Patriots & Commanders, yet they scored a respectable 9 points against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Now they face a seemingly reborn Carolina team led by Andy Dalton who replaced former #1 pick Bryce Young. Dalton and the Panthers looked fantastic in week three and will look to carry that momentum forward against Cincinnati.
Later matchups against the Giants and Browns both offer opportunities for the Bengals to create turnovers & sacks, both of which can help lead to success for your fantasy teams.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots
After the primetime beatdown at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, nobody will be rushing to start the Jaguars DST. Jacksonville is facing challenges on both sides of the ball, with new rumors circulating that QB Trevor Lawrence is potentially being benched. The defense will look to rebound over multiple positive matchups over the coming weeks. The Texans & Patriots are currently tied for the 10th-most fantasy points allowed to opposing defenses. The Colts have by far the lowest time of possession in the League and QB Anthony Richardson has struggled with accuracy and turnovers so far this year.
The premier matchup comes against the Bears and their revamped offense. Chicago’s offense is struggling so far in 2023 and will offer the Jaguars one of many opportunities to perform well for fantasy managers.
Houston Texans: Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers
Despite a middling fantasy performance so far, the Texans’ defense has been one of the most effective in 2024. They’re top-7 in rushing & passing yards allowed, as well as 4th in sacks per game. The Texans are bringing pressure at one of the highest rates, perfect for fantasy managers looking to cash in on turnovers and sacks. Considering this strong performance while looking at Houston’s upcoming schedule should bring confidence to the minds of fantasy managers. The Jaguars and Patriots are struggling mightily on offense which should result in weekly top-10 rankings for the Texans.
Week 4 Only
Dallas Cowboys: New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, BYE
After being one of the top 3 DSTs off fantasy manager’s draft boards, the Cowboys looked primed to have another dominant season after week one’s 17-point performance. Much to the fantasy manager’s dismay, in the following two weeks, the Boys DST scored a total of zero points. You heard that right, zero. They have proven vulnerable against the run and were dominated by both the Saints and Ravens. Week 4 brings a matchup against the Giants and QB Daniel Jones. While the Giants played well against the Browns, look for Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence to wreck the game from the defensive line in an attempt to force Jones to commit turnovers.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)