Best DST Streaming Options For Week 17 Fantasy Football: Rams, Bears, Jaguars
Ted breaks down the best defenses to stream for your fantasy football championship in Week 17.
Here we are, heading into the final week of the fantasy football playoffs! Like most weeks when you're streaming defenses, my picks last week were a bit of a mixed bag. The Seahawks had a good outing and the Broncos were at least okay, but the Commanders (perhaps not surprisingly) let us down, allowing 30 points to Trevor Siemian and the Jets.
Hopefully, we will finish out the year strong this week with some championship-worthy streaming picks. Thank you to everyone who read these articles throughout the season, now let's go win some trophies!!
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Week 17 Fantasy Football Defense Streaming Options
Los Angeles Rams @ New York Giants
I feel like (and probably am) a hater for saying this, but I was a bit happy to see Tommy DeVito exposed on Christmas against the Eagles. I have nothing against DeVito himself and think he made for a great story ... but I was sick of all the hype for arguably the worst quarterback to start multiple games this season. We haven't yet heard whether DeVito or Tyrod Taylor (who took over for DeVito in the second half and even almost led a comeback) will start in Week 17 ... but I don't think it matters that much.
Don't get me wrong, I would certainly prefer the Rams get to face DeVito and his absurd 37.1% pressure-to-sack rate. But I think the matchup with Taylor would just downgrade them from a top-six defense to more of a top-12 option. At the end of the day, it hasn't really mattered who is under center for the Giants. They rank second-to-last in both points (14.3) and yards (263.7) per game, as well as by far the worst in sacks allowed per game at a whopping 5.13. With the Rams' whole team seemingly turning it on as we head toward the playoffs, I like the chances that Aaron Donald and Co. have a big outing. Our Week 17 Projections agree, ranking the Rams as the DST6. They are available in 68.5% of leagues, and I would prioritize them over most other streaming options, especially if DeVito gets another chance.
Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons
There is an argument to be made that the Bears' defense is much better now than it was at one point this season. In Weeks 1-8, they allowed an average of 27.25 points per game. Since then (after trading for Montez Sweat), they have allowed just over 20 points per game. It's worth noting that they have had lighter matchups during that stretch, and some of the change has just been more turnovers, which are often as much a result of luck as anything else. But it's hard to argue with the results:
?s=46&t=Ip42AyCa7MFiRlEwnIdjeAWith that in mind, they make for a solid streaming option against the Falcons this week, as they are available in 63% of leagues. Despite everyone's burning hatred of Arthur Smith, the Falcons' offense hasn't been that bad. But they do have the ninth-fewest points and 12th-most turnovers in the league. They're not a great matchup, but they are an above-average one. Our Projections have the Bears as the 11th-best option this week, and I would also have them ranked around there as a solid streaming option.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young and the Panthers had by far their best game of the season in Week 16, almost completing an epic comeback against the Packers and finishing with 30 points. However, that was their first time scoring above 20 points since Week 6. I think it's more likely that big game was an outlier than the start of something new. For the season, Carolina ranks bottom-four in both points and yards, as well as tied for fourth in sacks.
The main thing holding this play back is that the Jagaurs' defense is not exactly an elite unit, to say the least. There is a reason they are available in 56% of leagues. They rank eighth-worst in yards allowed as well as below-average in points allowed. They do rank tied for second in takeaways, but also rank sixth-worst in sacks. Of those two stats, sacks are much more predictable, so that's the wrong way for their production to have been distributed. Still, this Panthers offense just simply isn't scary. Our Projections have the Jaguars as the DST8, largely driven by the fact that they are projected to allow just 17 points, the second-fewest of any team. Vegas thinks they may perform even better, as the Panthers' team total is set at 14.5. That makes Jacksonville a high-floor play, and seeing as every defense is capable of having a huge outing any given week, that's about as good as we can ask for.
Rapid-Fire Bonus Picks:
- Seattle Seahawks (22% Rostered) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Our projections have the Seahawks with the highest ranking of any streaming option as the DST5 and honestly, they are just as good of an option as the picks above. Mason Rudolph's surprisingly solid game against the Bengals is the only reason they didn't make the main list ... and I think that was more of a Christmas miracle than anything real. The Steelers' offense is still fifth-worst in PPG and seventh-worst in YPG.
- Houston Texans (41% Rostered) vs. Tennessee Titans: The Texans absolutely shut down the Titans in Week 15, allowing just 16 points and 204 yards. Now they get to play them again at home? Unless we get a vintage Derrick Henry performance for his likely final game as a Titan, this should easily be a good week for Houston.
