3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 15

Picking a defense can be an overlooked part of playing daily fantasy football on FanDuel. It makes sense, too, as D/STs rarely produce huge outputs.

However, we still need to give a lot of thought to which defense we roster, and there's definitely an edge to be had if you hit on a D/ST.

With that in mind, here are three defenses to have on your radar for this week's main slate.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Kansas City D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

The Kansas City Chiefs' defense could be the layup of the week. They will face the New England Patriots, who are tied for the second-worst record in the NFL at 3-10. Of course, most of New England's struggles have been due to their comically bad offense. The unit is numberFire's third-worst adjusted offense and fourth-worst schedule-adjusted passing offense.

Facing the Pats' offense has been a luxury for nearly any defense as they are averaging only 13.0 points per game (last) and 4.7 yards per play (fifth-worst). New England also averages the 10th-most turnovers per game (1.6).

Kansas City's defense has been on a slide over the last month, dropping to numberFire's 11th-best D. The unit has also finished 20th or worse in fantasy points in three consecutive weeks. However, facing one of the NFL's worst offenses could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Stopping the run will likely be atop the Chiefs' concerns as Ezekiel Elliott finished with 140 scrimmage yards and a touchdown last week. Plus, Kansas City has the fifth-worst adjusted run defense.

Still, the Pats will probably struggle to score against the league's third-best scoring defense. New England's Bailey Zappe has thrown an interception in three of his previous four games.

Chicago D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,100

One of the NFL's turnaround defenses has been the Chicago Bears. Since acquiring Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders, the Bears are giving up only 18.2 points per game (PPG) over the last five games.

Sweat has recorded 3.5 sacks during the span. Jaylon Johnson has continued to play at a Pro Bowl-caliber level; he gave up no catches while snagging an interception in Week 14.

This defense has transformed since adding Sweat, and it's amounted to fantasy success, too, with three consecutive top-seven finishes. The Bears face the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.

Following Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury, Joe Flacco has started in back-to-back games. Just when it seemed Flacco's career was near its end, the veteran came out of nowhere to snag another starting role. Over his two starts, Flacco is carrying -0.25 expected points added per dropback (EPA/DB).

Flacco has also thrown a pick in back-to-back games, and Chicago is averaging 3.7 takeaways per game over the previous three contests.

The Browns are dealing with plenty of injuries on the offensive line as right tackle Dawand Jones and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. sustained season-ending injuries. The Bears' pass rush -- which is averaging 2.8 sacks over the last four games -- could find success.

Most importantly, Chicago has numberFire's second-best adjusted run defense. Cleveland averages the most rushing attempts per game in the NFL.

The Bears are a solid play with their ability to generate turnovers and sacks over the last month.

New York Giants D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,500

Now let's get to my risky play of the week.

The New York Giants are all of the rage with three consecutive wins led by Tommy DeVito, who has taken over the internet. The defense is giving up only 16.0 PPG during the winning streak and has been among the top 14 units in fantasy points for three straight games.

New York will take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Saints are averaging 21.9 PPG (15th-most) and lean on their air attack with 36.5 passing attempts per game (7th-most).

Derek Carr has thrown an interception in three consecutive games, though. This sets up well for the Giants' ball-hawking secondary, which has totaled nine picks over the previous four games. The opportunity for takeaways makes New York's D/ST an intriguing play, especially at $3,500.

Additionally, the Giants' strength has been stopping the pass as they own the 11th-best schedule-adjusted passing offense. This could force New Orleans to lean on the run, and they total only 3.7 yards per carry (fifth-worst).

This seems like a solid matchup for New York's defense, and with Carr's recent turnover struggles, the Giants' D/ST could stack fantasy points at a low salary.

Looking to build some NFL DFS lineups? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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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.