Fantasy Football Week 15 Streaming Defenses: Cowboys, 49ers, and More

Everything gets picked apart and scrutinized closer when the subject at hand gets more important. Students study harder closer to final exams (or something like that), bosses tighten up near yearly reviews, and football players and coaches in the hunt for the playoffs are looking for every little edge the way they may not have in Week 7, for instance.

It is also true in fantasy football, where the postseason has started for most leagues and will soon commence for those who are just finishing the regular season. Those positions you haven't put a lot of thought into, like defense and kicker, are suddenly much bigger decisions if you're still in the hunt for the championship.

Let's look at three D/ST units with good matchups in Week 15 that are widely available in fantasy leagues and able to be picked up and inserted into your lineup. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings

Before beating Washington 31-0 last week, the Vikings had lost four straight games, averaging just 10.5 points in that stretch. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, who started one game) looks average at his very best, often falling well below that level and putting serious doubt into his future after less than 10 starts.

Minnesota has averaged 19 points in McCarthy's seven games, a number that would rank fifth worst. They are at 19.6 over the full season, seventh worst, seeing a little better play under Carson Wentz but zero points when Brosmer started. This is an offense that often has to work hard for everything.

Dallas doesn't have a very good defense; we're counting on a low-level unit, meaning they are a low-level streamer that is here only because of the matchup. The Cowboys have allowed the second-most points per game, the fourth-most yards per pass attempt, and the seventh-most yards per rush attempt, faltering in every area.

They are also tied for the second-fewest interceptions, though they sit right in the middle in sacks. You are taking a major risk putting the Dallas defense in your lineup, but there is also a decent upside given Minnesota's struggles.

New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders

Did you see Washington on Sunday? I noted above that they were shut out by the Vikings, but it was more than just getting decimated by a bad team. They threw for 108 yards on just 4.5 per attempt with two interceptions and gained just 206 total yards when subtracting sack yardage.

The Giants are another defense that has struggled, allowing the third-most points per game. They have been average against the pass, but New York has allowed 5.8 yards per rush attempt, more than any other team. They are also tied for the second-fewest interceptions while sitting in the middle in sacks, so there's not a lot of upside here.

Like with Dallas, if you are putting the Giants into your lineup, you're doing it specifically because of the matchup. Streaming is hard at defense because we are looking for whoever is playing the worst offensive teams; that sometimes leaves us with bad defenses that will keep your blood pressure high all game. This is another team to consider if you start getting into desperation mode.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans

This might be the play of the week, as the Titans have scored the second-fewest points, just 15.5 per game. Their quarterback, Cameron Ward, is also tied for the most sacks taken and has thrown seven interceptions to just nine touchdowns. Tennessee could very well be the worst team in the league.

Unlike with the previous two defenses, we finally have a team you can feel better about trusting here. The 49ers have allowed the eighth-fewest points per game while sitting right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt and yards per rush attempt allowed.

There's one major issue with San Fran: injuries have ravaged both sides of the ball. On defense, the team is most notably without superstar pass rusher Nick Bosa and fellow All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.

The 49ers have played seven games without both Bosa and Warner, and they allowed 20.1 points per game, just a bit better than their overall number (20.7). That doesn't mean the team is better without their best defenders, but they have been able to stay afloat and sometimes play even better.

With a fantastic matchup, San Francisco has a chance to be one of the top defenses in fantasy this week. They also have what is suddenly a great outlook next week against the Colts, as Indianapolis was in a downfall even before losing their quarterback and now might have to turn to Philip Rivers; the 49ers are a multi-week option in the fantasy playoffs.