Fantasy Football: 3 Defensive Streamer Options for Week 11

6mo

Every point matters when it comes to winning in season-long fantasy football, meaning you can't afford to leave points on the table. We don't spend top-notch draft capital on D/STs in our fantasy football drafts, but ignoring them during the season can cost you dearly.

Streaming defenses throughout the year is a great way to ensure you get the most out of your D/ST slot. Even the best defenses draw tough weekly matchups, and even the worst defenses are capable of strong fantasy outings in the right situations.

This article is here to help you parse through all of those situations and to present you with three streamers available in most leagues.

Fantasy Football Defenses to Stream for Week 11

All projections via numberFire.

Washington Commanders

Matchup: vs. New York Giants

numberFire Projection: 10.08 (D/ST1)

It feels very strange to recommend streaming a defense that just traded away two of its top young pass rushers at the trade deadline, yet here we are. The Washington Commanders are simply in too good of a spot to ignore, even without Chase Young and Montez Sweat.

This week, the Commies will take on the New York Giants, who are essentially entering "tank" mode with both Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor on the injured reserve. They've been playing undrafted free agent Tommy DeVito at quarterback and have scored just 33 total points over their last three games. The Giants rank dead last in the NFL in points scored (just 118 total), making them one of the safest teams to stream defenses against in fantasy. Add in their propensity for turnovers and you have a dream matchup for D/ST units.

The Commanders' D/ST posted 9 fantasy points a few weeks ago in this same matchup, losing despite allowing just 14 points to the Tyrod Taylor-led Giants. They should be able to snag a win over DeVito in this one and have a 73.5% win probability, according to numberFire.

DeVito hasn't played enough yet to qualify for most season-long categories and rankings, but his 5.6% interception rate and 19.4% sack rate would each be the worst in the league if he did qualify, making him likely the best quarterback to target with streaming defenses for the foreseeable future. As a result, Washington's D/ST unit is projected for the most fantasy points among D/STs for Week 11.

Detroit Lions

Matchup: vs Chicago Bears

numberFire Projection: 9.86 (D/ST2)

The Detroit Lions may not have the ferocious defense we thought they'd be fielding after they shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener, but the defense they do have will be more than enough to take care of the Chicago Bears, even if Justin Fields returns to the field. We'll certainly miss streaming defenses against Tyson Bagent, though Fields' starts with the Bears earlier this year were quite friendly to D/ST streamers.

As special as Fields can be, he still creates the kinds of plays defenses love to see. His 3.7% interception rate ranks fifth-worst, his 12.9% sack rate trails only Daniel Jones, and he has committed 4 fumbles in just six games. If it weren't for back-to-back games with four touchdowns against two of the weakest defenses, Fields would legitimately look like one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks.

The Lions should be able to capitalize on this soft matchup even after allowing 38 points in two of their last three starts. Fields currently isn't the caliber of quarterback -- like Justin Herbert or Lamar Jackson -- who can punish the Lions' defense, and he could be even more volatile than usual in his first start back after dislocating his thumb a month ago.

The Lions' defense is projected for the second-most fantasy points on the slate.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Matchup: vs. Tennessee Titans

numberFire Projection: 8.14 (D/ST9)

Just erase the Jacksonville Jaguars' Week 10 game from your memory. The team was thoroughly outclassed by the San Francisco 49ers during the 34-3 loss but should bounce back this week against the Will Levis-led Tennessee Titans.

Even after last week's utter collapse, numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics still rank the Jags' defense as the eighth-best unit in the league, so there are better days ahead for them.

The Jags stack up fairly well against Tennessee. The Titans have historically loved running their offense through Derrick Henry on the ground, but injuries along their offensive line and poor game scripts have limited the star to a career-low 4.2 yards per carry and 69.4 rushing yards per game (his lowest mark since 2018). The Jaguars have bottled up opposing rushers, keeping them to just 3.8 yards per carry on average. The Titans will have a tough time keeping their offense on schedule if they try to attack the Jags' rushing defense.

That could put the ball in Levis' hands. The rookie has come back down to earth since his fiery debut, throwing two interceptions and absorbing eight sacks over the past two games. Levis could still develop into a solid NFL passer, but with the Titans' current setup, he has led their offense to just 22 total points in his last two starts.

A defense as good as Jacksonville's should be able to score some fantasy points off the rookie quarterback. numberFire projects them for 8.14 fantasy points, the ninth-most among Week 11 D/STs.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.