Streaming Defenses: Week 11 Fantasy Options for Team Defenses

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Published on November 12, 2024

Week 10 brought major disappointment here at Streaming Defenses for the first time in nearly two months, with the top three recommendations (CHI, NYG, ATL) each scoring fewer than five fantasy points. The fourth and fifth picks (WAS, DET) fared considerably better, scoring six and eight points, which was ironic after I'd cautioned that the pool of streaming options was shallow and didn't hold much appeal beyond the first few teams.

Week 11 also has fewer solid D/ST starts than usual, mostly because the Panthers and Giants are on bye, which deprives us of two of the most favorable offenses to target. There are nonetheless some excellent options at the top, with seven of the 15 games this week having spreads of five points of more. There are four defenses that meet our streaming requirements while favored by five or more against a team with a lousy offense and/or mistake-prone QB.

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 11

1. Houston Texans (at DAL)

46% Yahoo, 45% ESPN
Team implied total: 24.75 Opponent implied total: 17.25
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 12: 2nd (vs. TEN), Week 13: 6th (at JAX)

The Texans have three straight excellent matchups before a Week 14 bye, sandwiching road dates with the Cowboy and

Top Streaming Options for Week 11

1. Houston Texans (at DAL)

46% Yahoo, 45% ESPN
Team implied total: 24.75 Opponent implied total: 17.25
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 12: 2nd (vs. TEN), Week 13: 6th (at JAX)

The Texans have three straight excellent matchups before a Week 14 bye, sandwiching road dates with the Cowboy and Jaguars around a home game against the Titans. Houston isn't strictly a matchup play, either, ranking ninth in sacks per game (2.9) and third in interceptions (1.3) after picking off Jared Goff five times Sunday night. The only thing that's held the Texans back in fantasy is a lack of return touchdowns, and even without one all season they've scored double-digit points on four occasions. The number will go up to five if Cooper Rush's second start for Dallas this season looks anything like his first.

2. Green Bay Packers (at CHI)

32% Yahoo, 25% ESPN
Team implied total: 23.5 Opponent implied total: 17.5
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 12: 18th (vs. SF), Week 13: 16th (vs. MIA)

This looked like a good matchup less than a month ago, but the Bears have been absolutely dreadful since their Week 7 bye, undoing any perception of progress from wins over the Rams, Panthers and Jaguars in Weeks 4-6. QB Caleb Williams has been especially bad, taking 18 sacks the past three weeks while averaging 5.5 yards per pass attempt or worse in each contest. The Patriots just sacked him nine times, after averaging a mere 1.8 sacks through their first nine games of the season. Now Williams will have to deal with a Green Bay defense that's healthy coming out of a bye and averaging 2.4 sacks and 2.1 takeaways per game.

Matt LaFleur tells me he's "optimistic" that Jaire Alexander, Evan Williams and Josh Myers will all play Sunday in Chicago coming off the bye but will give them the week. All three missed the Lions game. Full 25 minutes with the Packers head coach drops tomorrow at 6 on my show.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 11, 2024

3. Miami Dolphins (vs. LV)

31% Yahoo, 26% ESPN
Team implied total: 25.75 Opponent implied total: 18.25
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 12: 5th (vs. NE), Week 13: 20th (at GB)

The Dolphins shut down an above-average Rams offense in Los Angeles on Monday and now return home to face a dismal Raiders team led by either Gardner Minshew or Desmond Ridder (coach Antonio Pierce hadn't named his Week 11 starter as of Tuesday morning). It's also unclear how many of the Raiders' starting offensive linemen will be available, as LT Kolton Miller (ankle), C Andre James (ankle) and LG Cody Whitehair (ankle) all either missed the Week 9 game or were forced out early. They've had a bye since then to rest, but things didn't sound great for Miller and James prior to the off week, and top backup Andrus Peat also is dealing with an ankle injury.

4. Los Angeles Rams (at NE)

24% Yahoo, 7% ESPN
Team implied total: 24.75 Opponent implied total: 19.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 12: 20th (vs. PHI), Week 13: 13th (at NO)

The Rams are in a tough spot in terms of qualifying for the playoffs, but their young defense has really improved since the first month of the season, scoring six or more fantasy points in five straight games. They have five players with at least three sacks, including two rookies (Jared Verse, Braden Fiske) and two second-year pros (Kobie Turner, Byron Young). Verse, in particular, has been fantastic, recording 3.5 sacks the past three games after missed tackles cost him a bunch of takedown opportunities early in the year. Patriots QB Drake Maye is also enjoying an impressive rookie season, but he won't have much time to find open receivers with his bottom-tier offensive line facing an excellent, underrated group of pass rushers.

5. New Orleans Saints (vs. CLE)

34% Yahoo, 38% ESPN
Team implied total: 22.75 Opponent implied total: 21.75
Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 12: BYE, Week 13: 16th (vs. LAR)

The Saints are the lone team on this list that isn't a considerable favorite, and truthfully their defense has been among the league's worst since the first few weeks of the season. The fantasy appeal here comes from mistake-prone Browns QB Jameis Winston, who has three interceptions and five dropped INTs on 99 pass attempts this year. He's also taken nine sacks and fumbled twice (one lost), and the Browns haven't been able to generate a running game even with RB Nick Chubb back in action. Maybe that'll get going after the Week 10 bye, or maybe not. Cleveland's once-vaunted offensive line is no better than average these days, with LT Jedrick Wills benched for struggling second-year pro Dawand Jones while C Ethan Pocic and RG Wyatt Teller uncharacteristically have bottom-third PFF grades among starters at their respective positions.