Fantasy Football: 3 Defensive Streamer Options for Week 16

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 16

All projections via numberFire.

Washington Commanders

Matchup: at New York Jets

numberFire Projection: 8.03 (D/ST9)

Who wouldn't want to put the fate of their fantasy football playoffs into the hands of one of the NFL's very worst defenses? Live a little! This week, the Washington Commanders will take on the New York Jets in a true battle between stoppable forces and moveable objects.

Jokes aside, the Jets' offense is bad enough that even the Commanders' defense should be able to rack up some fantasy points in Week 16. Zach Wilson (their "starting" quarterback) is in the league's concussion protocols and will face an uphill battle to play on Sunday. which could push Trevor Siemian into his first start of the season. Siemian has had the fewest chances of any of the Jets' fill-in quarterbacks so far this year, but with a 48.7% completion rate and a 5.2% interception rate, he has been the worst of the bunch to date.

Regardless of which quarterback the Jets go with this week, the Commanders' defense is in a good spot to add some sacks to their stat sheets. The Jets' offensive line woes have contributed to an astounding 11.1% sack rate on the year -- easily the highest in the NFL. The Washington defense looked fresh (relatively speaking) last week, emerging from their comically late Week 14 bye and notching three sacks against the Los Angeles Rams while forcing a pair of fumbles.

As rough as things have been for Washington on D this year, the Jets' offense has been even rougher. Only the New York Giants and New England Patriots have scored on a lower percentage of their drives than the Jets have (24.7%). No offense in the league is averaging fewer points scored per drive (1.05), and only three teams are turning the ball over at a higher rate than the Jets' 15.7% clip.

That makes the Commanders' D/ST a surprisingly safe streamer for Week 16 and gives them high upside for your fantasy football playoffs.

Chicago Bears

Matchup: vs. Arizona Cardinals

numberFire Projection: 7.16 (D/ST15)

The Chicago Bears' defense has come alive lately. Sure, they've been beating up on some lower-tier offenses, but it also feels like the addition of pass-rusher Montez Sweat at the trade deadline has paid some immediate dividends. Sweat has quickly piled up sacks for Chicago's defense, with six over his last four games with the team. With the pressure he's helped generate for their defense, the Bears have forced an impressive 12 interceptions in those games. It seems like they've found a recipe for success.

Their Week 16 opponent isn't likely to break that streak. The Arizona Cardinals have taken a step forward since the return of Kyler Murray from the injured reserve, but the offense still has its warts. The former first overall pick has tossed four interceptions in his five games and -- according to Pro Football Focus -- has turned in a 37.4 passing grade when under pressure -- the 32nd-ranked mark in the league.

Murray has been keeping the offense afloat with his ability to escape the pocket and pick up yards on the ground, but he could struggle to do that against a Bears defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards (170) to opposing quarterbacks this year and the fewest total rushing yards (1,117) of any defense in the league. After all, it makes a little sense that the team that practices against Justin Fields all year might know what to do against a mobile quarterback.

For our more forward-thinking (or optimistic) readers, the Bears' defense could also be worth picking up this week because of their strong Week 17 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. If a team can lose to the Carolina Panthers like the Falcons did in Week 15, odds are they'll be a solid team to stream defenses against moving forward.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matchup: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

numberFire Projection: 8.48 (D/ST7)

This last defensive streamer comes with a bit of an asterisk.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, but we don't know which quarterback the Jags will be starting come Sunday. If starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence clears the concussion protocols during the week, you will want to consider starting another defense. But if Lawrence can't go and C.J. Beathard gets the start, the Bucs will become one of the top streaming defenses for Week 16.

The Jags will already be without starting wideout Christian Kirk (injured reserve) and could be without WR2 Zay Jones, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 15 and was called "week-to-week" by head coach Doug Pederson. It could be a rough one for Jacksonville, but the Bucs' defense could be in for a strong day of beating up on a backup quarterback who is surrounded by a handful of backup pass-catchers.

You could still do worse than Tampa Bay's defense even if Lawrence starts, though. On the year, Lawrence ranks 24th among qualifying quarterbacks against the blitz, according to Pro Football Focus' metrics. The Bucs blitz opposing passers at the third-highest rate in the league (38.5% of the time). Tampa's manufactured pressure could be more disruptive than usual against a team missing two of its three starting wide receivers, guys who might otherwise have been able to get open quickly and offer some relief for a quarterback under duress.

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.