Streaming Defenses: Week 7 Fantasy Options for Team Defenses

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Published on October 15, 2024

We've got a nice hot streak going here at Streaming Defenses the past couple weeks, but the upcoming slate looks trickier than the last two, with premium matchups mostly going to defenses that have been among the worst in the league. That does mean most of the recommendations are widely available on waivers, even in reasonably deep leagues, but it also means the level of confidence in these plays should be slightly lower than usual.

In other words, this probably isn't the best week to burn significant FAAB or waiver priority on a D/ST. Regardless of how you choose to play things, you'll find all the usual stuff below, with streaming picks for Week 7 followed by top-20 rankings for Weeks 7 and 8 and then my stab at rest-of-season rankings. If you have any specific questions, you can find me in the comments at the bottom of the article or on twitter (@rotocats).

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 7

1. Cincinnati Bengals (at CLE)

16% Yahoo, 21% ESPN
Team implied total: 23.75 Opponent implied total: 19.25
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 8: 22nd (vs. PHI), Week 9: 3rd (vs. LV)

The Bengals are coming off their best defensive performance of the season, albeit against a Giants

Top Streaming Options for Week 7

1. Cincinnati Bengals (at CLE)

16% Yahoo, 21% ESPN
Team implied total: 23.75 Opponent implied total: 19.25
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 8: 22nd (vs. PHI), Week 9: 3rd (vs. LV)

The Bengals are coming off their best defensive performance of the season, albeit against a Giants offense that didn't have WR Malik Nabers (head) or RB Devin Singletary (groin). The Browns are in even worse shape, but not because of injuries so much as Deshaun Watson's incompetence. The return of offensive tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin from knee surgeries hasn't even mattered, with Watson continuing to make starts amid one of the worst seasons from a starting QB in the modern era. The Browns reportedly will have RB Nick Chubb back this week, but the Bengals are finally equipped to hold up against the run, with all their defensive tackles now healthy after the position was hit with a glut of injuries Weeks 1-5.

New free column: It's time for the Browns to give up on Deshaun Watson, who is off to the worst start in modern league history.
Since 2007, out of 566 passers through six weeks, Watson ranks:
QBR: 558th
Yds/Dropback: 565th
First Down Rate: 566thhttps://t.co/2sRVcLHv8W pic.twitter.com/qTubGAAztL
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) October 14, 2024

2. Los Angeles Rams (vs. LV)

2% Yahoo, 1% ESPN
Team implied total: 24.25 Opponent implied total: 18.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 8: 26th (vs. MIN), Week 9: 20th (at SEA)

This is another one that's all about the matchup, with Los Angeles coming out of a bye to host statue~~esque~~ Aidan O'Connell, who has been decent at avoiding sacks and interceptions but terrible at piling up yards/points. In addition to the deficiency under center, the Raiders were missing four starters on offense this past Sunday and then lost a fifth (RG Dylan Parham) to an aggravation of a pre-existing injuryT. he Rams defense, on the other hand, may have all 11 starters healthy after the bye. This is also the biggest coaching mismatch of the week, pitting Sean McVay against the player-blaming, punt-loving Antonio Pierce.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. NE)

4% Yahoo, 17% ESPN
Team implied total: 24.25 Opponent implied total: 18.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 8: 29th (vs. GB), Week 9: 26th (at PHI)

Betting odds suggest the Jaguars should be listed either first or second here, but the combination of their terrible defense and a decent debut from Patriots QB Drake Maye is enough to make me hesitate (at least a little). There's still plenty of upside, of course, facing a rookie QB in his second career start behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Unfortunately, there's not much to say beyond recognizing the favorable matchup, as Jacksonville's defense has been consistently terrible since the first couple weeks of the season.

4. New Orleans Saints (vs. DEN)

34% Yahoo, 49% ESPN
Team implied total: 17.5 Opponent implied total: 19.5
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 8: 20th (at LAC), Week 9: 7th (at CAR)

The Saints open the week as two-point home underdogs for Thursday Night Football, but it works for our purposes with their game tied for the lowest over/under (37) of the week*. It's a matchup between rookie QBs, with the Saints forced to rely on their defense due to an unusual number of injuries on offense. I'd rather play the Denver side of this game and try to exploit the pile of injuries, but the Broncos are rostered in too many leagues to meet the criteria for this article.

5. Indianapolis Colts (vs. MIA)

26% Yahoo, 27% ESPN
Team implied total: 23.5 Opponent implied total: 20.0
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 8: 30th at HOU, Week 9: 27th (at MIN)

The Colts have allowed the third most yards this season, but they've also come up with the ninth most turnovers and are only a bit below average in most QB-pressure stats. While they don't have a good defense by any means, it's not quite as bad as some of the fantasy-related discourse might suggest, whereas Miami's offense has been truly brutal in the absence of QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion). Only the Titans have allowed more fantasy points per game to team defenses, with the Dolphins yielding double digits in every matchup besides their season opener (when Tua was healthy).