Fantasy Football: 3 Defensive Streamer Options for Week 17

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 17

All projections via numberFire.

Chicago Bears

Matchup: vs. Atlanta Falcons
numberFire Projection: 7.67 (D/ST11)

It's pretty clear to anyone who has watched an Atlanta Falcons game this year that Taylor Heinicke is a direct upgrade over Desmond Ridder, who had started for most of the season so far until this past weekend. Ridder has been one of the premiere quarterbacks to target with streaming defenses throughout the 2023 season, which makes the switch a bit of a bummer for our purposes. However, Heinicke himself is no stranger to helping D/STs find their way into top fantasy finishes, so the Chicago Bears are still definitely a defense to keep in mind for Week 17.

Heinicke has a career 6.7% sack rate and a 2.7% interception rate. His ability to extend plays has historically gotten him into trouble. In the two seasons where we've seen the journeyman get extended run as a potential starter, he has tallied a concerning 6.1% turnover-worthy play rate, according to Pro Football Focus. Ridder -- who looked like one of the more turnover-prone quarterbacks in the league this year -- will finish the year with around a 5.3% turnover-worthy play rate. So while Heinicke is an upgrade over Ridder, he's still a quarterback we can line up streaming defenses against in fantasy.

We have to point out that the Bears' defense has been playing some top-notch ball lately, too. They've given up an average of just 17.2 points per game over their last six contests, during which time the team has surged to a 4-2 record. Their D/ST has averaged an impressive 10.7 fantasy points per game during that stretch, as well. They're playing well enough right now that fantasy managers could even consider starting them against stronger offenses -- like when they put up 14 fantasy points against the Detroit Lions back in Week 14.

Houston Texans

Matchup: at Tennessee Titans
numberFire Projection: 7.88 (D/ST9)

The Houston Texans have been so much better than anyone expected them to be this season, but the lack of depth that caused concern in many fans preseason has led to some inconsistencies on the field. While their defense -- led by star in the making Will Anderson Jr. -- has had some special moments, they've struggled to keep it together for a full game. Statistically they look like an average to below-average defense on paper -- which is still a huge win considering how rough they looked entering the year.

However, even below-average defenses can have strong fantasy outings in the right spots, and a matchup with the Tennessee Titans is absolutely the right spot. Starter-turned-backup Ryan Tannehill is likely to make another start with rookie Will Levis just a week removed from suffering a serious ankle injury, meaning the Texans' defense has a chance to lead the league in sacks in Week 17.

Tannehill is taking sacks at an insane 12% rate. Even in a year where we've seen disastrous offensive line play and some sack-happy backup quarterbacks get extended run, that rate would still rank second-highest in the NFL. He stands in the pocket to a fault and hasn't displayed the mobility he once had that helped him evade some pressure, making him a magnet for incoming pressure.

The Texans' defense hasn't been consistent this year, but one thing they have done consistently is get pressure onto opposing quarterbacks; their 24.1% pressure rate ranks fifth-best. Their 39 total sacks this year put them in the middle of the pack in that regard, but the disparity between their pressure rate and total sacks could indicate a potential windfall of sacks over the last few weeks of the season.

They have a good chance of getting that ball rolling against Tannehill and the Titans this weekend.

Las Vegas Raiders

Matchup: at Indianapolis Colts
numberFire Projection: 6.33 (D/ST23)

The Las Vegas Raiders' might not look especially exciting on paper if you're considering their season-long numbers, but what they've done in the post-Josh-McDaniels era is worth celebrating -- especially in the weeks since their late Week 13 bye. They've given up an average of just 17.8 points in that time, keeping the Miami Dolphins to just 20 points and most recently bottling up the Kansas City Chiefs' offense in a 20-14 Week 17 victory.

They've looked pretty elite since that bye, too, and it's coincided with the emergence of pass-rusher Malcolm Koonce opposite star edge rusher Maxx Crosby -- Koonce has seen a massive bump in playing time over the Raiders' last three games, and it's yielded impressive results. He was everywhere against the Chiefs, finishing that game with three sacks of Patrick Mahomes and four tackles for a loss. He now has five sacks over his last two games with he and Crosby looking like one of the best duos in the NFL during that period.

That pass-rushing tandem could continue to keep piling on the pressure against Gardner Minshew and the Indianapolis Colts this week. According to Pro Football Focus, Minshew ranks 40th in the league in quarterback grade when under pressure. Given that there are only 32 starting quarterback jobs at any one moment, that's not a great place to be. The Raiders' fantasy D/ST could rack up some serious points once they start getting to Minshew, making them a great start for Week 17.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? 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.