Every point matters when it comes to winning in season-long fantasy football, meaning you can't afford to leave points on the table. While we don't spend top-notch draft capital on D/STs in our fantasy football drafts, 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 that are available in most leagues.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Fantasy Football D/ST to Stream for Week 11

Houston Texans

Matchup: at Cowboys
FanDuel Salary: $5,200

Things are pretty rough for the Dallas Cowboys at present.

Cooper Rush was benched after 2.0 yards per attempt (YPA) and a fumble on Sunday in favor of Trey Lance, who took two sacks and threw a pick on 11 drop backs. Philadelphia's opposing D/ST posted 20.0 fantasy points. Either could get the start on Monday night this week, but the result might not matter.

Dallas draws the Houston Texans, who are coming off a stellar effort in primetime that produced five Jared Goff interceptions. The Detroit Lions' prolific offense eventually won out, but this week won't be nearly the same challenge.

Amidst the Cowboys' season-long struggles to establish a running game, H-Town is numberFire's eighth-ranked schedule-adjusted pass defense. It's growing harder to visualize a situation where Houston's D doesn't win most possessions. Dallas' team total is a pitiful 16.5 points at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Texans are available in most leagues as managers scurried away from the Detroit matchup in Week 10. They're worth a priority waiver claim if on the wire.

Miami Dolphins

Matchup: vs. Raiders
FanDuel Salary: $4,300

The Las Vegas Raiders are likely to try something different in Week 11 -- but it might not be better.

Luke Getsy was fired as the team's offensive coordinator before their bye week, and Desmond Ridder could be the starter under center for the Silver and Black to start this new era -- but Ridder is no stranger to helping opposing D/STs. According to NFL's Next Gen Stats, Ridder amassed -0.12 expected points added per drop back in 2023 on the basis of 62 sacks and 15 total turnovers.

Las Vegas has been the best matchup for opposing defenses this season, allowing 11.0 fantasy points on average. Ridder probably doesn't change things considerably.

That's delightful news for a Miami Dolphins defense finding its stride. They didn't allow a touchdown and posted 9.0 fantasy points behind four sacks and two turnovers against the Los Angeles Rams -- a much better offense than the Raiders. Miami is nF's 12th-best schedule-adjusted defense overall.

The Dolphins might be gone in sharper leagues where this level of play -- and upcoming schedule -- were noticed, but their roster rate is still just 31% on Yahoo. If available, they're right with Houston as the top D/ST streaming option of the week.

Green Bay Packers

Matchup: at Bears
FanDuel Salary: $4,600

Tuesday's news kept the Chicago Bears out of the pole position of this article.

Chicago fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as the team hit rock bottom on Sunday. Against a previously struggling New England Patriots defense, Chicago scored three points and allowed nine (!) sacks with no semblance of a running game. The Bears haven't scored a touchdown in their last 21 possessions.

Off a bye, the Green Bay Packers should be available in plenty of leagues with a chance to continue the misery. Green Bay is numberFire's 11th-ranked schedule-adjusted D, and they're second among D/STs in fantasy points per game (7.8). 2.4 sacks and 2.0 takeaways per game will generally put a unit toward the top of the fantasy rankings.

It's also worth noting this game's total is just 41.5 points due to projected wind and suboptimal temperatures.

Houston's opposing situation is most stable with both Las Vegas and Chicago firing their offensive coordinator since we last saw them. The Raiders' quarterback issues are still known, though. I'd rank Green Bay as the bronze medalist among streaming options this week, but you're still delighted to get them off the wire as a solid performer in their own right for the bulk of the season.

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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.