This time of year, every single fantasy point matters more than ever. It’s the fantasy playoffs—every matchup is against a good team. Odds are much better than not that the matchups will be close, hard-fought battle. Fantasy managers need every edge they can get. Who knew that the Atlanta Falcons would be one?
Well, this guy did—sort of, at least. In fairness, in last week’s column I called the Falcons a “Hail Mary” play in their Monday night trip to Las Vegas. It was a prescient comparison—Atlanta’s 15-9 win ended when Falcons safety Jessie Bates intercepted a Desmond Ridder Hail Mary. That was one of three takeaways the Falcons logged to go along with four sacks, a safety and a blocked punt. For the week, the Falcons finished fifth in fantasy points, ahead of bigger names like the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos.
Plays like that are why this writer swears by streaming defenses—and a reminder that a position too often relegated to afterthought status by fantasy managers can be the difference between moving on and having the season end prematurely.
THE NO-DOUBTERS
Minnesota Vikings (at Seattle Seahawks)
After leading the league in fantasy points among defenses for most of the season, a so-so performance against the Chicago Bears knocked the Vikings from the top spot. But this is still a defense that is among the league leaders in both sacks and takeaways ahead of a trip to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to defenses this year. There’s also a real possibility that Seattle quarterback Geno Smith will miss this game after injuring his knee against the Green Bay Packers.
Denver Broncos (at Los Angeles Chargers)
After two sacks, four takeaways and a defensive touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts last week, the Broncos have claimed the No. 1 spot in fantasy points among defenses for the season. For the year, the Chargers haven’t been a great matchup—22nd in points allowed to the position. But as injuries have mounted in recent weeks the Bolts have struggled—over the last three weeks the Chargers have given up the eighth-most points to the position. The Chargers can’t run the ball—and the Broncos are eighth in total defense.
Green Bay Packers (vs. New Orleans Saints)
The Green Bay defense has quietly had a solid season for fantasy managers in 2024—last week’s win over the Seahawks was the third time in the past four games that fantasy’s sixth-ranked defense has hit double-digits in points. The Packers also get an excellent matchup against the Saints this week—New Orleans is on their third quarterback of the season, their best wide receiver and running back are hurt and the team ranks in the top half of the league in fantasy points given up to defenses in 2024.
Buffalo Bills (vs. New England Patriots)
The Bills remain a top-10 defense for the season, although the past two weeks have admittedly been rough—back-to-back games allowing over 40 points to the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. However, it’s a relatively safe bet that will not happen for a third consecutive game Sunday—the New England Patriots currently rank dead last in the AFC in scoring offense at 17 points per game, 30th in the NFL in total offense and have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to defenses for the season.
Philadelphia Eagles (at Washington Commanders)
The Eagles haven’t exactly been a fantasy juggernaut this season—Philly is ninth among defenses in fantasy points for the season. But they haven’t had a true “letdown” week in over two months, and while the Commanders have been a bottom-five fantasy matchup for defenses for the season as a whole the past month has been a much different story—the team has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points per game to defenses since Week 12. In a better matchup than it appears, the Eagles are a solid fantasy play.
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STREAMERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!
Atlanta Falcons (vs. New York Giants)
If you used the Falcons as a streaming play in Week 15 then buckle up—because things might actually be better in Week 16. Again, it’s not a matter of the Atlanta defense being good, although they aren’t terrible. It’s the matchup—after taking on the AFC’s lone two-win team, now Atlanta faces the NFC’s bottom-feeder in the New York Giants. The Giants are fourth in the league in fantasy points given up to defenses, and it’s entirely possible Big Blue will be rolling out Tim “Not Susan” Boyle under center in Week 16.
Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Denver Broncos)
After getting their doors blown off at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many fantasy managers are likely ready to wash their hands of the Chargers, who have now lost three of four. But even as the Bolts offense falters and their once-certain postseason aspirations wobble, the team remains fifth in fantasy points among defenses for the year. The Broncos are an eight-win team, but they aren’t winning with an explosive offense, and even after allowing 40 a week ago the Chargers remain tied for the NFL lead in scoring defense at 17.6 points per game.
Arizona Cardinals (at Carolina Panthers)
In most respects, the Cardinals have been an average defense this season, whether it’s in terms of yards allowed per game or fantasy points scored. They were OK last week in a favorable matchup with the Patriots, allowing 17 points while logging a couple of sacks and an interception. But last week against the Dallas Cowboys, the Carolina Panthers reverted to being the fantasy goldmine they were earlier this year, allowing half a dozen sacks and turning the ball over four times.
Detroit Lions (at Chicago Bears)
The Lions are admittedly falling apart defensively—the team’s top linebacker, edge-rusher, defensive tackle and cornerback have all been lost to season-ending injuries. Those injuries have shown, too—especially over the past couple of weeks. But this week Detroit faces a struggling Bears offense that ranks 31st in the league in yards per game, 25th in the league in points allowed per game, dead last in the league in sacks allowed and eighth in fantasy points given up to defenses.
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Tennessee Titans)
The Colts have been neither truly good nor truly bad for fantasy managers—at least for the season as a whole. The team’s production has picked up a bit over the second half of the season, but this call has much less to do with the Colts than it does the team’s opponent. The Tennessee offense is a hot mess slathered in mayonnaise (Those Will Levis commercials are ultra-cringe), ranking in the bottom-five in both yards and points per game. No team has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing defenses in 2024.
CAVEAT EMPTOR, FOLKS
Pittsburgh Steelers (at Baltimore Ravens)
The Steelers are fantasy-relevant defensively more often than not, and 2024 has been no different—Pittsburgh sits third in fantasy points among defenses and salvaged at least an OK stat line (three sacks and two takeaways) in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. But in addition to the uncertain status of edge-rusher T.J. Watt (ankle), the Steelers’ brutal late-season schedule rolls on this week—Saturday the Steelers meet the rival Ravens, who are 31st in fantasy points allowed to defenses this year.
Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on X at @IDPSharks.