Fantasy Football: 3 Defensive Streamer Options for Week 15

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 15

All projections via numberFire.

Las Vegas Raiders

Matchup: vs Los Angeles Chargers

numberFire Projection: 9.97 (D/ST3)

The Los Angeles Chargers don't usually pop up as an opponent to stream defenses against, but things will be a little different without Justin Herbert there to keep their offense moving. The star quarterback is expected to undergo surgery on a fractured finger in his throwing hand this week, meaning the Chargers will likely need to turn to backup quarterback Easton Stick instead.

Backup quarterbacks are often quite generous to opposing defenses in fantasy football. There's usually a reason they aren't leading a team of their own, and it's not common for them to get many reps with their team's starters at all during the year unless something happens to the QB1.

We haven't seen much of Stick at all since he entered the league in 2019, but we did just see him take two sacks while filling in for Herbert against the Denver Broncos last week.

In fact, we've barely seen Stick at all compared to other NFL backups. Combining his collegiate, preseason, and NFL careers, he has attempted just 644 passes over the last eight years. That's fewer than Herbert attempted in 2022 alone. We'll be rooting for him to succeed but making moves to capitalize on his inexperience (and even potentially his rustiness) by streaming defenses against him in the meantime.

That includes defenses like the Las Vegas Raiders. Their defense hasn't been elite this year, but pass-rusher Maxx Crosby has still been getting to opposing quarterbacks at a high rate despite their struggles. Even their mediocre run defense shouldn't have much difficulty containing a Chargers ground game averaging 3.9 yards per carry.

The Raiders should be much more evenly matched against the Stick-led Chargers this week, making them one of the top defenses to stream in Week 15.

Atlanta Falcons

Matchup: at Carolina Panthers

numberFire Projection: 9.26 (D/ST5)

The Atlanta Falcons' defense has been a perfectly fine streamer throughout the season and should be capable of capitalizing on their prime matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers' offense has been a disaster all year and hasn't reached 20 points in a game since before their Week 7 bye.

Sadly, it looks like their struggles are starting to wear on rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Since the team let go of former head coach Frank Reich and cleaned house of Reich's staff two weeks ago, Young has completed a depressing 41.8% of his passes. He's averaged just 157.5 passing yards in those two games while taking eight sacks and failing to record a touchdown.

The 6-7 Falcons are still tied for the lead in the NFC South, so they still have plenty left to play for this season. They'll have no reason to show their former division rival any mercy and can rack up points for your fantasy teams against an offense that just can't put points on the board.

Cincinnati Bengals

Matchup: vs. Minnesota Vikings

numberFire Projection: 8.37 (D/ST6)

All parties have to end, and it looks like it might be curtains for Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. The journeyman quarterback played some exciting football at his peak this year, but the Vikings finally pulled the plug in Week 14. One of his hospital passes literally landed star receiver Justin Jefferson in the hospital while his offense failed to record a point against the Raiders. That means Nick Mullens could be tapped for his first start as a Viking.

Whether it's Dobbs or Mullens this week, the Cincinnati Bengals are in a prime position to create some turnovers. Dobbs' 4.2% turnover-worthy play rate ranks third-worst among active starters, according to Pro Football Focus, and he's leading the league in fumbles (14) while chucking 5 interceptions over his last three games. Mullens hasn't fared much better in his career, either. He has thrown 21 interceptions across his 17 career starts while taking an average of 2 sacks per start.

The Bengals' defense has been banged up lately but looked like they might be on the mend in Week 14. They allowed just 14 points and surrendered just 272 total yards of offense to the Indianapolis Colts.

With a 7-6 record, they're still technically alive for the playoffs, so they have no reason to phone this one in. Their defense should be able to create some sacks and force some turnovers this week and are projected for a solid 8.37 FanDuel points.

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.