3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 16

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.

New York Jets D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

After the mess that the Washington Commanders' offense was in Week 15, the New York Jets' defense is a hard one to pass up as the top defensive unit this weekend.

Now, a defense coming off a game where they allowed 30 points to the Miami Dolphins doesn't necessarily inspire excitement. However, the last pair of times they did that, they came back the following weeks to allow just 13 and 6 points. Add in the fact that the Commanders are coming off a game where they couldn't get anything going until Jacoby Brissett replaced Sam Howell against the Los Angeles Rams, and there's no doubt that the Jets should piece things together to be a top scorer once again.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera stated that Howell remains their starting quarterback following the game, giving the Jets all the ammunition to have a great week in DFS. Washington has the 11th-worst adjusted offense overall, per numberFire's model, while the Jets have the 4th-best adjusted defense overall.

The Jets' defense average 1.4 turnovers and 2.8 sacks per game, so there is upside for points. Washington has the fifth-most turnovers on the season with 24, and 15 of them are interceptions by Howell. He's also been sacked the most in the league, going down 59 times. The Jets should thrive in every way this weekend.

numberFire has the Jets defense projected for the most FanDuel points of any defense on Sunday, coming in at 9.4.

Tampa Bay D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

There's a big question mark surrounding the status of Trevor Lawrence this week, giving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers some value in DFS lineups.

The Bucs' defense is allowing 20.7 points per game this season. However, it gets all the better when they're at home, which they will be on Sunday. Tampa Bay is limiting opposing offenses to 17.0 points per game at Raymond James Stadium.

Jacksonville is averaging 21.7 points over their last 3 games but were only able to score 7 against the Baltimore Ravens last weekend. Their quarterback is now experiencing a concussion, leaving his availability in doubt. Oh, and he's of course dealing with the high-ankle sprain that didn't force him to miss any time yet remains a burden. If Lawrence can't play, the Buccaneers could tee off on C.J. Beathard.

numberFire's model ranks Jaguars as the 19th adjusted offense overall, so even with Lawrence in, this still isn't a matchup to be afraid of by any stretch.

Tampa Bay averages 1.4 takeaways and 2.9 sacks week to week, so this isn't a defense that resides at the bottom of the league and would be vulnerable to a bad day against a backup quarterback.

Being projected for 8.5 FanDuel points, numberFire has the Buccaneers set for the third-most total points of all defenses on the main slate.

Seattle D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,500

After what might have been their best performance of the season, the Seattle Seahawks' defense looks to be a good value this weekend.

Seattle earned themselves a major win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football after Julian Love had two interceptions, including the game-clincher against Jalen Hurts. If there's anything to take from that game and win, it's momentum that should carry over to the matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans may very well have to turn back to Ryan Tannehill this weekend due to the ankle injury suffered by Will Levis over the weekend. No matter who ultimately starts for Tennessee, it should be in favor of the Seahawks defense either way. According to numberFire's model, the Titans have the 12th-worst adjusted offense overall.

While the Seahawks have allowed 23.9 points per game this season, they are in line with both the Jets and Buccaneers in terms of forcing turnovers and getting sacks, averaging 1.4 takeaways and 2.8 sacks.

If Tannehill returns under center for the Titans in this game, his 2:6 TD:INT ratio isn't anything to fear -- but rather welcome. He doesn't move the ball or take many downfield shots, giving the Seahawks all the need to focus on stopping the run the best they can.

Looking for value, that's what the Seahawks bring to DFS lineups this weekend. They're projected for 8.0 FanDuel points, per numberFire; that's the fourth-best among all defenses.

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.