Fantasy Football Week 7 Defense Streamers: Chiefs, Jets, and More

The difference between 10th place in fantasy scoring and 20th place among defenses is just 10 points; that's fewer than two points per week. That's how close it usually is, one of the main reasons everyone preaches waiting on drafting your defense until the end.

Matchups, injuries, and plain old luck mean just as much as the team you are starting most weeks. The same way that drafting is kind of a crapshoot, picking your streaming defense often follows the same pattern. Pick a team with a good matchup, sit back, and hope for the best; it's all we can do sometimes.

Let's look at four D/ST units with good matchups in Week 7 who are widely available in fantasy leagues and can be picked up and inserted into your lineup. Most stats are from NFL.com.

Check out FantasySP's waiver wire tool to see which players are being added to fantasy teams most each week.

Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers

Let's start with a matchup of two teams with questionable offenses. While the Jets are still winless, Carolina has found their way to three victories, taking down lesser teams in Miami and Dallas but also picking up an impressive 30-0 win over the Falcons (who just beat the Bills on Monday night).

I'm not enthused about relying on either team's defense; this is strictly about the matchups. The Jets have allowed the fifth-most points per game and the Panthers the 11th-most. They both rank outside the top 20 in fantasy scoring among defenses. That could be enough to stay away.

When we are playing matchups, though, the offenses in this game set up nicely. New York has gained the fifth-fewest yards per game and scored the eighth-fewest points per game. Carolina ranks right near the middle but slightly below average in both categories.

The Panthers have had a few decent offensive games the past two weeks driven by Rico Dowdle. Those performances came against the Dolphins and Cowboys, two low-end defensive teams. Dowdle could still have positive performances, but he's not going to keep topping 200 total yards. Carolina is still likely to falter against better defensive teams.

Last week, the Jets threw for 45 yards and lost 55 yards on sacks, a net of negative-10 yards on dropbacks not counting scrambles. That was against the tough Broncos and not a vulnerable Panthers D, but it shows the low floor that Justin Fields possesses, which we have seen several times this year.

Both teams here are lower-level streamers, but they at least have good matchups if you can't find a better option. I prefer grabbing Carolina's D/ST first when choosing between these two.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Geno Smith keeps throwing interceptions. He leads the league with 10 picks and has thrown at least one in every game except for one. Smith has also been sacked 18 times, tied for third most, presenting a high ceiling for opposing defenses.

The Raiders are tied for the third-fewest points per game scored. On top of presenting opportunities for fantasy points for opposing teams, they also don't put points on the board, giving those teams a nice floor. This is one of the best matchups for fantasy defenses right now.

The Chiefs are owned in around 25% of leagues, more than the other teams listed here but still with enough availability to go check if you can pick them up. They are coming off a game against Detroit, who owners don't go after with fantasy defenses, so they have a little extra representation on the free agent market.

Kansas City hasn't been the top-line defense there were the past few seasons, but they are doing well enough most weeks, including holding down the Lions on Sunday night. They rate out better than average against the pass and a little worse than average against the run and have allowed the 11th-fewest points per game.

This is a case of a decent defense against one of the best offenses to face in fantasy football right now. The Chiefs should be in a lineup in every league, and there is a chance to grab them that might not always be there.

Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns

Is there a better team to target than the Browns? They have scored the fewest points of any team despite playing six games while six other teams have only played five games. Cleveland is starting rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and they have gained the fewest yards per pass attempt this season and the seventh-fewest yards per rush attempt.

The scary part is counting on Miami's defense. The Dolphins may have been the worst defense in the league to this point, allowing the third-most yards per rush attempt, fourth-most yards per pass attempt, and fourth-most points per game. Like with the Jets and Panthers, you're playing with fire when picking up the Dolphins D/ST group.

We could keep going; Miami has intercepted just one pass, and their 12 sacks are just a little below average. They are a group to go after with fantasy players at every position, including kickers. When they are facing such a moribund offense, though, the Dolphins at least have a little streaming value.

Miami is a low-level streamer and shouldn't be counted on for anything big. Things could go south fast. With the matchup heavily in their favor, though, they could be a deep-league fill-in or last-minute option if you are stuck in desperation.