Streaming Defenses: Week 10 Options

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Published on November 9, 2021

No beating around the bush — this is a tricky week for streaming. The top eight in our Week 10 rankings are defenses that are widely owned in fantasy leagues, with teams like the Rams, Steelers and Cardinals blessed with the best matchups.

Meanwhile, streamers like us are mostly left to chase after Titans or Packers, and even the latter is rather dicey given Russell Wilson's potential return from finger surgery for a trip to Lambeau Field. The safe play, Tennessee, figures to be a target for multiple managers in competitive leagues this week.

For injury/ranking updates throughout the week, follow me on Twitter (@JerryDonabedian).

Note: These recommendations are limited to team defenses that are rostered on less than 60 percent of teams on Yahoo or 45 percent on ESPN. Any references to fantasy points are based on Yahoo standard scoring, which doesn't include yards allowed.

Top Streaming Options for Week 10

1. Tennessee Titans (vs. NO)

11% Yahoo, 8% ESPN

Team implied total: 24.0

Opponent implied total: 21.0

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 11: 2nd (vs. HOU), Week 12: 19th (at NE)

Riding a five-game winning streak that includes four victories over potential playoff teams, the Titans now meet their reward with back-to-back home matchups against Trevor Siemian and Tyrod Taylor. Looking further ahead, Tennessee has a gorgeous rest-of-season schedule for D/ST scoring (not to mention winning the AFC's No. 1 seed), albeit with a road bump when the Week 12 trip to New England is followed by a Week 13 bye.

For now, however, the Titans are a priority D/ST add, setting up as our top streamer for Week 10 and then a top-five play for Week 11. They're already up to eighth in fantasy scoring average (7.8), despite starting the season with four straight performances of three points or fewer. And while Tennessee's defensive depth chart is still far from pretty on paper, OLB Harold Landry (nine sacks) and S Kevin Byard (five INTs) have been eating for two.

2. Green Bay Packers (vs. SEA)

27% Yahoo, 28% ESPN

Team implied total: 26.75

Opponent implied total: 22.75

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 11: 19th (at MIN), Week 12: 20th (vs. LA)

This is the risk/reward play, with Green Bay easily a top-10 D/ST for Week 10 if Geno Smith is the one under center for Seattle. On the other hand, Russell Wilson's return from IR would drop the Packers to around 15th, which is still playable but far from ideal.

While Smith has thrown just one interception this year, he's been sacked on a whopping 12.0 percent of dropbacks, second most in the league. Wilson does take his fair share of sacks (career rate: 8.4 percent) as well, but he makes up for it with a top-five all-time mark in INT rate (1.8 percent). The difference between the two QBs is the difference between Green Bay being at the top of our streaming list or the bottom.

3. Broncos (vs. PHI)

48% Yahoo, 53% ESPN

Team implied total: 23.75

Opponent implied total: 21.25

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 11: BYE, Week 12: 16th (vs. LAC)

The Broncos are coming off a shocking road blowout of the NFC East-leading Cowboys, now returning home to face the 3-6 Eagles. That sounds like a good recipe, but there are a few complicating factors, starting with Nick Sirianni's recent transition to a run-first offense.

Sirianni may still revert to his pass-only ways if the Eagles fall behind, but even then, Jalen Hurts has actually been quite good at avoiding interceptions (1.5 percent) and sacks (5.2 percent). Of course, Hurts has far less effective at keeping the chains moving and sustaining drives, and it may just be a matter of time before his inconsistency leads to more turnovers and sacks.

4. Chargers (vs. MIN)

27% Yahoo, 6% ESPN

Team implied total: 27.0

Opponent implied total: 24.5

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 11: 8th (vs. PIT), Week 12: 11th (at DEN)

You know it's a rough week for streaming when one of our picks is a league-worst run defense that's up against Dalvin Cook. Easy enough to see how things could go horribly wrong, but there's also some upside if the Chargers can jump out to a lead and allow their solid pass defense to take aim at Kirk Cousins. Not the worst risk, especially given that the Chargers also have playable matchups in Weeks 11 and 12.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (at DEN)

7% Yahoo, 9% ESPN

Team implied total: 21.25

Opponent implied total: 23.75

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 11: 17th (vs. NO), Week 12: 14th (at NYG)

The Eagles defense does have three games with double-digit fantasy points this year. But it also has five outings with one point or less, and is averaging 5.9 points (18th) overall. That'll do for a desperation play in a thin week, but we won't bother sugar-coating it beyond that.

Week 10 Rankings

Steelers (vs. DET)
Bills (at NYJ)
Cardinals (vs. CAR)
Colts (vs. JAX)
Ravens (at MIA)
Buccaneers (at WAS)
Cowboys (vs. ATL)
Rams (at SF)
Titans (vs. NO)
Patriots (vs. CLE)
Packers (vs. SEA) - depends on Geno vs. Russell, this is a middle-ground ranking.
Broncos (vs. PHI)
Browns (at NE)
Chargers (vs. MIN)
Eagles (at DEN)
Saints (at TEN)
Vikings (at LAC)
Chiefs (at LV)
Raiders (vs. KC)
Panthers (at ARZ)