3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 17

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.

NFL DFS Defenses to Target for Week 17

San Francisco 49ers D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

The San Francisco 49ers' D/ST has the highest salary of any unit on FanDuel's main slate for Week 17 -- and for good reason. Their elite defense gets to take on the spiraling Washington Commanders, who finally pulled the plug on the Sam Howell experiment. Sadly, that means the 49ers' D/ST won't get to face off against the sack factory himself, but they should still be able to tee off against the Commanders' Jacoby Brissett-led offense this week.

Brissett doesn't take sacks at quite the same rate Howell did, but the journeyman backup still has an above-average 7.5% sack rate over his career. Behind an offensive line as flimsy as Washington's, the 49ers should be able to log at least a couple sacks this weekend -- numberFire's model projects them for a week-leading 3.42 sacks in Week 17.

We like when our fantasy D/STs get sacks, but we love when they create turnovers -- something the 49ers do better than anyone else. Their 15.4% turnover rate leads the entire league and should help them steal the ball from the Commanders on Sunday. They pressure quarterbacks at a healthy 21.4% rate while blitzing at the third-lowest rate (18.1%), leaving plenty of defenders waiting down the field to snag interceptions or force fumbles.

Denver Broncos D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

According to numberFire's Week 17 projections, the Denver Broncos's D/ST is the best point-per-dollar play at the position for FanDuel's main slate -- they're projected for a strong 9.2 FanDuel points (third-most) while their $3,700 salary ranks ninth-lowest. If you're looking for upside for your lineups without breaking the bank, Denver could be the defense for you.

This week, they'll get to take on Easton Stick and the Los Angeles Chargers, who have mostly fallen apart without Justin Herbert operating the offense. Don't let their surprising Week 16 performance fool you -- this is still the same team that coughed up multiple defensive touchdowns to the Las Vegas Raiders two weeks ago. Stick is averaging -0.09 Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back so far, which ranks 50th among quarterbacks this season.

The Chargers nearly matched the Buffalo Bills on the scoreboard a week ago but only after asking their kicker to make four field goals from 40 or more yards. Stick just isn't moving the ball on offense all that well, so it's not surprising that the Chargers have the third-lowest implied total (16.5 points) of any team on the week.

This is an especially good matchup for the Broncos' blitz-heavy defense, which blitzes at the sixth-highest rate (33.3%). Stick has shown no ability to adapt against the blitz so far and ranks 69th out of 71 passers against the blitz in Pro Football Focus' grading system. The Broncos could overwhelm the young quarterback and score some serious fantasy points in the process.

Kansas City Chiefs D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,800

The Kansas City Chiefs are playing some top-notch defense this year, helping them maintain their grasp on the top seed in the AFC West despite their offensive misfires.

Only the Cleveland Browns' and New York Jets' elite defenses have allowed fewer passing yards this year while only the Miami Dolphins have pressured opposing quarterbacks at a higher rate than the Chiefs' elite 28.0% mark. KC loves to send extra pressure -- their 34.7% blitz rate ranks fifth-most -- and that pressure gets home pretty often.

Getting pressure on Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning should be a winning strategy for the Chiefs this week. Browning's 42.5 PFF grade under pressure ranks 31st among qualifying quarterbacks on the year. Scripted plays and screen passes helped him navigate through some of those situations in earlier weeks of the season, but the wheels fell off without Ja'Marr Chase last week -- Browning threw three interceptions, took three sacks, and committed a fumble while facing down the Pittsburgh Steelers' scary pass rush.

It feels like the Bengals' opponents have figured out Browning's game, and that game crumbles without heroic-type plays from his pass-catchers -- Browning's receivers are creating an average of 6.9 yards after the catch per reception for him this year, tying him with 49ers' quarterback Brock Purdy for the most in the league.

The Chiefs' D/ST does come at a steep salary for FanDuel's Week 17 main slate, but it's one of the few truly elite defensive units that gets to face a backup quarterback on their home turf this weekend. Opposing passers are mustering just 4.75 adjusted yards per pass attempt at Arrowhead Stadium, making it one of the scariest places to have to play a road game in the NFL this year.

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.