Fantasy Football Week 11 Defense Streamers: Cowboys, Chiefs, and More

Five teams have scored two defensive touchdowns (fumble or interception returns): the Seahawks, Texans, Buccaneers, Titans, and Vikings. Three of them are in the top 10 in fantasy scoring among defenses; that's not an accident.

Finding the teams that get after the quarterback most, creating sacks and interceptions, is a good way to find more consistent defensive fantasy performance, but much of it is random, including defensive touchdowns, which score the most points.

It's hard to know who will cause the most turnovers each week, but we can keep attacking weak offenses to improve our chances.

Let's look at three D/ST units with good matchups in Week 11 who are widely available in fantasy leagues and can be picked up and inserted into your lineup. Most stats are from NFL.com.

Use FantasySP's weekly projections to find the players expected to perform best and help make your toughest lineup decisions!

Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

The Falcons had really strong numbers against the pass at the beginning of the season, but that has fallen to the middle now, making them look a little less formidable. They have struggled against the run, allowing the sixth-most yards per rush attempt, meaning Atlanta is vulnerable on defense.

The matchup has them with a positive outlook here, as the Panthers have scored the fifth-fewest points per game and gained the second-fewest yards per pass attempt. They are better running the ball, rating out just a bit above average, but Carolina regularly struggles to both move the ball and score points.

Bryce Young continues to play like a below-average quarterback; there doesn't seem to be a feasible path to him keeping a starting job next season. It's fair to say that the talent surrounding Young hasn't been good, but he just hasn't shown even average quarterback play very often, leaving him as a player to target with defenses.

Young has thrown seven interceptions, tied for seventh in the league, though he doesn't take many sacks. Carolina ranks 25th in pass block win rate (according to ESPN's measure), not helping the young QB; that will cause problems against Atlanta's sixth-ranked pass rush win rate.

There might not be a huge ceiling here, but there is a nice floor. Carolina isn't going to score big points often, leaving opposing defenses to hunt for turnovers for big fantasy points.

Dallas Cowboys @ Las Vegas Raiders

I really don't like relying on bad defenses in fantasy. I feel the same way about bad quarterbacks: even if the matchup is right, you're tying yourself to a pretty big anchor by counting on a bad QB (like Carolina's Young, for instance). Dallas has a bad defense.

The Cowboys have given up 30.8 points per game, the second-most behind Cincinnati. They have given up the second-most yards per pass attempt and the eighth-most yards per rush attempt, failing in every aspect.

If you don't like risk in your fantasy diet, then skip the Cowboys. There's no way to frame them as a good defensive team. Their place here is all about the matchup, as the Raiders have been as giving to opposing fantasy teams as anyone else.

Geno Smith has thrown 12 interceptions, second in the league and four more than anyone else other than Tua Tagovailoa. He has also been sacked 27 times, the fourth most of any player, regularly producing fantasy points for the other team.

The Raiders are also dreadful on offense, averaging just 15.4 points per game, the second fewest in the league. The offensive line is below average in both run blocking and pass blocking; they traded their top receiver at the deadline.

As bad as the Cowboys are on defense, Vegas offers a great matchup and makes Dallas a viable streamer. You might be able to find a better defensive team, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a better matchup than this one.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Most people probably wouldn't view the Broncos as a team to go after because of their 8-2 record, but they rank right in the middle in points per game and have been at 18 or below in three of their past five games (with big performances against the Giants and Cowboys mixed in).

Bo Nix's eight interceptions are tied for the third most. They have gained the fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt, though they are in the top 10 in per-rush numbers. Their defense is phenomenal, among the best in the league, but the offense threatens to hold them back if they keep performing like this.

Kansas City has a very average defense. They are right in the middle in terms of sacks and interceptions, and KC also sits in that middling range in terms of yards per pass attempt and rush attempt allowed. They have given up the fourth-fewest points per game, but the Chiefs might not be quite that good; they're a fine defense.

With the matchup in their favor, that's good enough to make Kansas City a positive fantasy option in Week 10. They can be added in around 80% of leagues as of Tuesday, but that number could drop fast.