Streaming Defenses: Week 13 Options

Week 12 was a mixed bag for my steaming recommendations, with the Cowboys (nine fantasy points), Browns (eight) and Bills (seven) all providing above-average scores, while the Colts (three) and Bengals (negative four) fell flat on their faces.

Fortunately, we should have an easier time finding reliable streamers now that bye weeks are over and injuries have thinned out the number of starting-caliber quarterbacks around the league. I have a high degree of confidence in each of my five streaming picks this week…probably the first time I've been able to say that since October.

The five recommendations actually correspond directly with the top five of my Week 13 D/ST rankings, as the best matchups belong to defenses owned in less than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues. There are also some strong choices that didn't quite make the cut — namely Kansas City in a road game against the woeful Raiders.

Note: These recommendations are limited to D/ST units with under 60 percent ownership on Yahoo as of Tuesday morning. Any references to fantasy points are based on Yahoo standard scoring.

Top Streaming Options for Week 13

1. Seattle Seahawks (vs. San Francisco 49ers)
27% Yahoo ownership

Brilliant while leading a blowout win over the Raiders in his first career start, Nick Mullens predictably regressed the past two games with four interceptions against a pair of lousy defenses (Bucs and Giants). Assuming he gets another start, the 2017 UDFA will get his first taste of a real NFL defense, not to mention his first experience in a hostile road environment (sorry Tampa Bay). The matchup will still be mouth-watering if the 49ers turn back to C.J. Beathard, who has yielded 12 interceptions, 35 sacks and eight fumbles (five lost) in his 10 career starts. It doesn't help that the Niners may play another game without Pierre Garcon (knee) and/or Marquise Goodwin (personal), though neither has enough juice to salvage an offense this bad. The 49ers have an implied total of 18 as 10-point underdogs against a hot Seattle team coming off a run of tough matchups.

2. Green Bay Packers (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
41% Yahoo ownership

The Packers allow 7.7 yards per pass attempt and 4.4 per carry, but they do at least put pressure on quarterbacks, sitting in a three-way tie for third place with 36 sacks (3.3 per game). The matchup spells trouble for a hideous Arizona squad, as rookie quarterback Josh Rosen ranks 28th among 34 qualified players in sack rate (8.9 percent). Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has tried to ease Rosen's burden with run-heavy game plans, but the Cardinals may end up airing it out as 14.5-point underdogs with the lowest implied total (15.0) of Week 13. The Green Bay defense is averaging 12.4 fantasy points at Lambeau Field, with at least seven in each game. Crazy as it may seem, the Packers aren't totally out of the playoff picture at 4-6-1, with a soft December schedule giving them a chance to run the table and grab a wild card spot. That same schedule should create additional opportunities for streaming when they face the Jets in Week 16 and Lions in Week 17.

3. Tennessee Titans (vs. New York Jets)
24% Yahoo ownership

Coming off six consecutive matchups with potential playoff teams, the Titans land in a favorable spot for the first time since Week 5, host a Gang Green outfit that somehow looks even worse with Josh McCown than it did with Sam Darnold (foot). The Jets have scored 17 or fewer points each week during their ongoing five-game losing streak, allowing an average of 12.2 fantasy points to team defenses in that stretch. The Titans were inconsistent through the aforementioned run of difficult matchups, but we did see them take advantage of softer opponents when they opened the season with five straight games scoring at least six fantasy points. The betting line hints at a return to September form, with the Jets carrying a measly implied total of 15.25 as 10.5-point underdogs.

4. Denver Broncos (at Cincinnati Bengals)
51% Yahoo ownership

After putting up 20 fantasy points the past two weeks in unexpected wins over the Chargers and Steelers, the Denver defense will be rewarded with a matchup against Jeff Driskel in his first career start. The 2016 sixth-round pick owns NFL-caliber physical tools and has looked pretty good in limited action (36 passes) this season, but he wasn't especially successful in college and may not have A.J. Green (toe) at his disposal. As if that weren't bad enough, the Bengals may have to play another week without starting left tackle Cordy Glenn (back). With right tackle Bobby Hart already making a mess of things on the other side of the line, Von Miller (10.5 sacks) and Bradley Chubb (nine sacks) both figure to eat come Sunday. The Bengals have an implied total of 19.5 as 3.5-point home underdogs, kicking off a streak of four consecutive favorable matchups for the Broncos defense. Week 14 brings a road game against the 49ers, followed by a home game against Cleveland in Week 15 and a road matchup with the Raiders in Week 16. I still prefer a game-to-game approach with my team defense, but it wouldn't be the worst idea to simply start Denver for the next four weeks.

5. Miami Dolphins (vs. Buffalo Bills)
11% Yahoo ownership

The Buffalo offense was unexpectedly competent the past two games, but we'd be crazy to discount the possibility of a complete meltdown on the road, especially against a Miami defense that's proven to be opportunistic (17 interceptions) despite ranking 29th in yards allowed (399 per game) and t-22nd in scoring (25.7). True to form, the Dolphins came up with three takeaways in Sunday's loss to the Colts before collapsing in the fourth quarter to blow a 10-point lead. This isn't a defense you trust with the game on the line, but it is one worth taking a risk on in favorable spots, averaging 10.6 fantasy points at home and 13.2 in the team's five wins. While some metrics hint at a high-variance matchup that could go in either direction, Vegas has the Bills as five-point underdogs with an implied total of 17.5.

Week 13 D/ST Rankings

1. Seattle Seahawks (vs. SF)
2. Green Bay Packers (vs. ARI)
3. Tennessee Titans (vs. NYJ)
4. Denver Broncos (at CIN)
5. Miami Dolphins (vs. BUF)
6. Chicago Bears (at NYG)
7. Los Angeles Rams (at DET)
8. Kansas City Chiefs (at OAK)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. WAS)
10. Houston Texans (vs. CLE)
12. Indianapolis Colts (at JAC)
12. Buffalo Bills (at MIA)
13. New Orleans Saints (at DAL)
14. New England Patriots (vs. MIN)
15. Cleveland Browns (at HOU)
16. New York Jets (at TEN)
17. Carolina Panthers (at TB)
18. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. DEN)
19. New York Giants (vs. CHI)
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. LAC)

Looking Ahead to Week 14

1. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. CIN)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (at OAK)
3. Denver Broncos (at SF)
4. Tennessee Titans (vs. JAC)
5. Buffalo Bills (vs. NYJ)
6. New England Patriots (at MIA)
7. New Orleans Saints (at TB)
8. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BAL)
9. Washington Redskins (vs. NYG)
10. New York Jets (at BUF)
11. Dallas Cowboys (vs. PHI)
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (at TEN)
13. Arizona Cardinals (vs. DET)
14. Los Angeles Rams (at CHI)
15. Detroit Lions (at ARI)
16. Cleveland Browns (vs. CAR)
17. Chicago Bears (vs. LAR)
18. Indianapolis Colts (at HOU)
19. Green Bay Packers (vs. ATL)
20. Carolina Panthers (at CLE)

Rest-of-Season Rankings

1. Denver Broncos
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New England Patriots
4. Los Angeles Rams
5. Chicago Bears
6. Houston Texans
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Green Bay Packers
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. Kansas City Chiefs
12. Buffalo Bills
13. Minnesota Vikings
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. New Orleans Saints
16. Baltimore Ravens
17. Cleveland Browns
18. Washington Redskins
19. Los Angeles Chargers
20. Miami Dolphins