The fantasy playoffs are in full swing, and if you’ve made it this far, you’re clearly in good shape roster-wise. But the biggest mistake you can make at this point in the season is overlooking even a single spot on your roster — especially your defense.
Sure, maybe San Francisco’s defense got you to this point, but they’re not your best option going into a primetime matchup with the Ravens. The same goes for Dallas and Miami, two units rostered in over 90% of leagues that face off in South Florida on Sunday.
Luckily for you, plenty of widely available defenses are in a great spot to help push you through to the championship this week. But first, let’s run through the no-brainer options you should check for first.
SET AND FORGET
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (75% ROSTERED ON YAHOO!)
The Eagles got through the most difficult stretch of their schedule with a 3-2 record, averaging five points per game defensively over that span but allowing almost 30 points per game, which lowered their fantasy ownership considerably.
In Week 16, they’ll benefit from hosting the New York Giants, who still rank near the bottom of virtually every offensive category despite the excitement that Tommy DeVito has provided over the past month.
Philly will still be working toward wrapping up the NFC East title in Week 16, so they’ll have no reason to take their foot off the gas against their division rival and should put up solid numbers defensively.
NEW YORK JETS (73%)
Despite a beat down at the hands of the Dolphins in Week 15, the Jets remain a top-ten defense that’s one of the league’s best in slowing down passing attacks. They averaged over 11 points per game on defense from Weeks 12-14 despite losing two of those three contests, their one win being a 30-6 beatdown of the Texans.
The Jets will face the Washington Commanders in Week 16, who, in a very short amount of time, have gone from a playoff hopeful with the NFL’s leading passer to a basement dweller with a quarterback controversy.
Regardless of who starts for Washington on Sunday, the Commanders have many more problems than just their quarterback. They’re 23rd in scoring, T-24th in rushing offense, and their 24 turnovers are tied for fourth-most in the league. The Jets should have no problem putting up double-digit points on them defensively.
FANTASY WEEK 16 DST STREAMERS
DENVER BRONCOS (47%)
VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | SNF
The Broncos got absolutely destroyed on the road in Detroit in Week 15, surrendering 42 points and finishing with -2 fantasy points on the night. Despite this, they’re 6-2 in their last eight games, averaging just under nine fantasy points per game in that stretch.
The improvement of their defense has been a major part of Denver’s second half turnaround. On the year, they’ve given up 25.1 points per game, which is third-worst in the league, but that’s heavily skewed by a rough start that included a 70-20 loss to Miami. Since that game, they’ve allowed 20.8 points per game, which would have them in the top half of the league.
To a certain extent, it doesn’t matter if Denver’s defense comes to play, as they’ll be going up against a Patriots offense that scored just 13.3 points per game in 2023. Bailey Zappe has taken over the starting job from Mac Jones, but neither has been able to get this offense on track this season as New England is contending for the No. 1 pick instead of a playoff birth.
On the other hand, Denver is still squarely in the mix for an AFC playoff spot and should have their way with New England in primetime on Christmas Eve.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (46%)
AT ATLANTA FALCONS | 1PM
The Colts were the hottest defense in the league heading into the fantasy playoffs and kept that up with 14 points on four sacks and three turnovers against the Steelers on Saturday. They’ve now averaged over 15 points per game over the last six weeks, racking up 13 turnovers and four defensive scores during that span.
The Falcons haven’t scored more than 28 points in a game this season and are ranked 26th in scoring offense and 23rd in passing. Some are even starting to speculate that Arthur Smith could be on the way out after a loss to Carolina, especially if Atlanta misses out on the playoffs in the league’s weakest division.
Speaking of division titles, the Colts find themselves in a three-way tie for the lead in the AFC South at 8-6 thanks to a 5-1 record over their last six. Count on them to keep it up in Week 16 thanks to a strong defensive effort.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (47%)
AT CAROLINA PANTHERS | 1PM
The Packers may not be a popular choice this week after allowing a career day to Baker Mayfield in last week’s loss to Tampa.
Despite this poor showing, I expect a bounce back as Green Bay hits the road to face the lowly Panthers. The Packers are 6-8 but are still very much in play for an NFC playoff spot, and this week is one they’ll absolutely need to have. Luckily, they’ll match up with a Carolina team that has very little going for them despite coming off a win last week.
Carolina has yielded the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses this year, and I see no reason that the Pack won’t dominate them in every facet of the game.
