Welcome all to NFL Week 15, and welcome the chosen few to the fantasy football postseason. In just a few short weeks, leagues will be decided, prize money will be awarded, and losers will go home empty-handed.
If you missed it last week, we put out our annual pre-Week 14 playoff look-ahead, which included streamer options for Week 14 as well as obvious picks, teams to avoid, and streamer options for the entire postseason.
Our Week 14 picks were a bit spotty, but in our defense, most of the top performers of the week (Seahawks, Lions, Texans) weren’t in streamer territory in terms of roster rate. The Commanders put up a measly three points as they got manhandled by the Vikings in Minnesota and the Bucs managed just five points in a shocking home loss to the Saints, but the Dolphins saved the day with six sacks and three turnovers against the Jets to finish with 17 points.
Week 15 brings with it some great matchups as division races tighten and the NFL playoff picture becomes clearer and clearer. The Patriots will host the Bills as they try to clinch a division title, the Rams will try to strengthen their hold on the #1 seed in the NFC as they host Detroit, the Broncos look to do the same with the AFC top spot at home against Green Bay, and the Colts will look to stop a three-game skid in Seattle against the 10-3 Seahawks.
While I spend more time wistfully staring at the rosters that didn’t make the playoffs than preparing the ones that did, let’s take a look at the best fantasy football Week 15 playoff defense streamers (D/ST) that should be available on the waiver wire.
TEAMS TO AVOID IN WEEK 15
Detroit Lions (55% rostered): The Lions pulled out a big win on Thursday night against Dallas to stay relevant in the NFC Playoff Picture, but they still have their work cut out for them. Detroit currently trails Green Bay and Chicago in the division and is the eight seed in the NFC. Closing the season out with the Steelers, Vikings, and Bears isn’t the worst draw as they push for the postseason, but first they have to get through Matthew Stafford and the Rams on the road.
The Rams looked almost human in Week 13 as they fell to the Panthers, but they turned things right around in Week 14, waxing the Cardinals 45-17 and retaining the top spot in the NFC. The Rams have allowed the second-most points to opposing defenses in 2025, trailing only Detroit, so it’s no surprise this game has opened with the highest over/under total of the week at 54. This one has the makings of a shootout and I don’t want to have either unit in my D/ST spot for a postseason game, but I’m especially avoiding Detroit, who have allowed over 25 points per game since their Week 8 bye and have put up a double-digit fantasy point total just once in that span.
New England Patriots (58% rostered): The Patriots were idle in Week 14 and saw Denver reassume the top spot in the AFC, but New England has their sights on their first division title since 2019, which they’d clinch with a home win on Sunday. I was big on the Patriots defense preseason and they’ve come through for me, currently sitting as the DST8 as they’ve mowed through one of the easiest schedules in the league. However, with Buffalo and Baltimore on deck, New England will be getting comfortable on my bench for the next couple of weeks.
Despite some trouble with turnovers and some tough losses on the year, the Bills are still very much for real, and Josh Allen historically is borderline unstoppable once the calendar turns to December. Cincinnati managed just six points in a losing effort in Orchard Park this past week, with Allen throwing for 251 yards and three TDs and rushing for 78 and another score. New England was able to hold James Cook to 49 yards on 15 carries in their first matchup, a 23-20 Patriots win, and I think they have a good chance to repeat that performance given their success in stopping the run all season long. However, Josh Allen is inevitable, and he’ll be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the division race alive for at least one more week.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 15 DEFENSE STREAMERS (D/ST)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (43%)
Winners of four straight, the Jags just knocked off the division-leading Colts to take over the top spot in the AFC South and assume the three seed in the AFC. Jacksonville has the DST5 in fantasy scoring for the year, but their ownership dipped into streamer territory heading into their matchup with Indy. But with Daniel Jones leaving the game with an injury, the Jags put up 11 points via one sack, three turnovers, and 19 points allowed.
Jacksonville may not be a great play for the remainder of the fantasy playoffs with Denver in Week 16 followed by a rematch with the Colts, but they’ll draw the Jets in Week 15 as they look to extend their win streak to five and hold onto first place in the division.
The Jets offense saw some improvements when Tyrod Taylor took over as the starter a few weeks ago, but it wasn’t significant enough to make any real difference. New York has lost three of their last four, including a 34-10 defeat against Miami in Week 14, and for the season have allowed the third-most points to opposing fantasy defenses.
Even worse, Taylor was hurt early in Sunday’s loss, thrusting rookie Brady Cook into the QB1 role. Cook threw for just 163 yards with two interceptions, and with no real aerial threat to worry about, Miami held Breece Hall to 43 yards on just 3.1 YPC.
It’s unclear at this point if Taylor or Justin Fields will be available for Week 15, but judging off the sample size we have of all three quarterbacks to this point, it likely doesn’t matter. Jacksonville should tee off on whoever is ultimately under center for the Jets and be in for a big day.
The Jets are tied for the third-most sacks surrendered this year with 47, and while Jacksonville is toward the bottom of the league in that category, they have 17 over their last six games after recording just eight in their first seven contests. They’re also tied for second league-wide with 15 interceptions, and I anticipate a few of those in this matchup given New York’s QB uncertainty.
With a couple of tough matchups on the horizon and a minimal lead in the division, Jacksonville knows the importance of dominating early and often in this cupcake matchup. I anticipate a dismantling of the Jets and a huge day for the defense as a result.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (34%)
The 49ers are in the midst of perhaps the quietest 9-4 start of all time. Injuries to Brock Purdy and multiple defensive starters could’ve derailed their season before it began, but the Niners have won four of their last five and have yet to drop two straight games all season.
Over their recent three game win streak entering their Week 14 bye, San Francisco has allowed just 13 points per game, generating six turnovers and four sacks. With the Bears and Lions firmly on their heels in the NFC Wild Card race, a win in Week 15 would be huge for their playoff chances, especially with the Colts and Bears looming over the next two weeks.
Luckily for the 49ers, Week 15 brings with it a home matchup against the 2-11 Titans.
Tennessee currently has the third pick in next year’s NFL Draft, but they’re still tied for the worst record in the league with the Giants and Raiders. They’re coming off beating Cleveland for their second win of 2025 in Week 14, as they held off a late rally from the Browns and ended up with a 31-29 victory. Cam Ward wasn’t incredible in the win, throwing for just 117 yards, but he did toss two touchdowns, and Tony Pollard did the rest, rushing for 161 yards and two scores on the afternoon.
The 49ers have been slightly above the league average against the run this year, allowing about 104 yards per game, two spots ahead of the Browns unit that Pollard just torched. San Francisco has struggled against the pass in 2025, but they’re still the eighth-ranked scoring defense in the league. They’re the DST23 for the season as they’re lacking in the two primary fantasy defense benchmarks, with just 14 turnovers (T-18th) and 16 sacks (dead last).
If there’s any opportunity for the 49ers to rack up some sacks, it’s going to be against Tennessee, who’s allowed the second-most sacks (49) this year behind only the Raiders. This could be a huge momentum builder for a team that’s still fighting for a postseason spot, and I like San Francisco a lot in this spot.
DALLAS COWBOYS (6%)
Dallas has the third-lowest scoring fantasy unit in the league this year, an unsurprising result given their last-place pass defense. They’ve averaged just three points per game over their last three contests, but those were tougher matchups against the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions. Things get a bit easier this week as they return home with a few extra days of rest to host the Vikings.
Washington’s defense did the unthinkable in Week 14 — they made JJ McCarthy look like an NFL quarterback. In his return from injury, McCarthy threw for just 163 yards but found the end zone three times in a 31-0 rout. Aaron Jones returned to the field and had 76 yards on 14 carries, but it was Jordan Mason who found the end zone on an eight yard scamper in the second quarter.
It was a surprisingly competent performance from Minnesota’s offense, but I don’t think it’s indicative of a real turnaround. The Vikings have allowed the most points to fantasy defenses this year, and while that number is inflated by Max Brosmer‘s abysmal debut against Seattle two weeks ago, Minnesota has been a poor offensive team all year regardless of who is playing quarterback.
Although he’s in the midst of his least productive season as a pro, I still do worry about Justin Jefferson finally breaking out and having the type of game we got used to seeing from him in years past, especially against a porous Dallas secondary. However, if Dallas’ defensive line can get the type of pressure they’ve generated in some of their better performances this year, Minnesota could go back to looking like the offense that’s allowed the third-most sacks in the league and is ranked 26th in scoring.
Jacksonville and San Francisco are the safer picks for sure, but I like Dallas here to have a good day as they continue to fight for their postseason lives.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Chicago Bears (17%): The Bears almost made the main list heading into a home matchup with the Browns, but a lackluster showing against Green Bay and Shedeur Sanders‘ play in Week 14 pushed them to the Honorable Mention section. They still should be a good play as they look to get back into first place.
Carolina Panthers (4%): The Panthers were idle in Week 14 coming off a huge win over the Rams, and will head on the road this week to face the Saints, who beat Tampa Bay last week.
Washington Commanders (37%): The Commanders put up a dud against Minnesota this week and suffered even more injuries on offense, but they’ll be looking to stay out of the basement of the NFC East as they face the Giants on the road.
