Parity reigned in Week 6 of the NFL season, making it even more difficult for fantasy owners to place confidence in their defense in Week 7.
As such, we have come to rescue those in need of a defense to stream following such an unpredictable week of upsets. Taking into account that two strong streaming options in the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans are on a bye, we have listed eight defenses in line for favorable matchups in Week 7.
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Washington)
The Eagles defense is on a roll after sacking Cam Newton twice last week and picking him off three times. This unit boasts one of the best defensive lines for fantasy purposes as they have racked up 13 sacks along with three forced fumbles as well as a fumble recovery. Philadelphia has been solid in producing big plays with six interceptions and five fumble recoveries while adding a defensive touchdown. In the Week 1 meeting between these teams, the Eagles put up four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and scored a defensive touchdown. This is a great week to roll stream the Philadelphia defense/special teams.
New Orleans Saints (at Green Bay)
There was a time that streaming the Saints defense would have been considered a risky move. That’s no longer the case, as this unit has been on a tear of late. In their last two games New Orleans has been putting up top-five defense/special team numbers. In those games they have put up nine sacks while forcing six turnovers and scoring three defensive touchdowns. The Packers offense is in disarray with the loss of Aaron Rodgers (collarbone) and a beaten-up offensive line. Green Bay has allowed 23 sacks and will now be turning to Brett Hundley under center. Last week in relief of Rodgers, Hundley threw three interceptions and was sacked four times.
Carolina Panthers (at Chicago)
After getting off to a slow start, the Carolina defense has righted the ship and been getting after the quarterback consistently. In the last two weeks they have racked up nine sacks and now have 20 for the season. As a team, Carolina has been credited with 60 quarterback hurries and 17 quarterback hits. In their victory over Baltimore last week the Bears allowed four sacks and turned the ball over twice. They also allowed a pair of kick returns for a score meaning that special teams play could factor into this game heavily.
Tennessee Titans (at Cleveland)
The move to Kevin Hogan as the starting quarterback for Cleveland did not exactly work out as planned. Things seldom do for the hapless Browns. Hogan threw for just 140 yards with a single touchdown and was sacked four times while throwing three interceptions. There’s no point in breaking down the Titans from a defensive standpoint as it’s advisable to stream any and all defenses that face Cleveland. The Browns offense remains in a free fall, having allowed 18 sacks and a league-leading 14 interceptions. This is another team that deserves to be chased on a weekly basis for streaming purposes regardless of the matchup.
Seattle Seahawks (at NY Giants)
Through the first three weeks of the season the Seahawks were among the worst defense/special teams for fantasy purposes. After posting five sacks, seven turnovers, and a pair of defensive scores in their past two games Seattle is a top-10 fantasy defense. The Giants are coming off an impressive upset of the Denver Broncos but remain a beaten-up offense that lacks playmakers. New York has also allowed eight sacks in the past two weeks and faces a rested Seahawks defense coming off a bye. The Seattle is finally rounding into form and has been playing good football on all three levels of their defense. Look for big games from Frank Clark, Bobby Wagner, and Kam Chancellor as the Seattle defense continues to roll.
Jacksonville Jaguars (at Indianapolis)
What is that old saying? “Dance with the one that brought you.’? The Jaguars defense remains the top fantasy option despite the loss to the Rams last week. Led by Calais Campbell racking up his seventh and eighth sacks, Jacksonville managed to notch three total, bringing their season total to 23. The one turnover they forced was their 16th, which leads the league, as do the four defensive touchdowns that Jacksonville has totaled. The Colts are among the most generous offenses when it comes to handing out fantasy production and the Jaguars will take full advantage of this juicy matchup.
Los Angeles Rams (vs. Arizona)
It’s time to admit that the 4-2 Rams are for real on both sides of the ball. At least they are for fantasy purposes. Despite ranking outside the top 20 in both overall as well as rush defense this unit is among the top five in fantasy production in most scoring formats. The Rams have forced double-digit turnovers (10) while also putting up two defensive touchdowns and two special team scores. The 20 sacks they’ve amassed is tied for second-most behind only the aforementioned Jacksonville defense. Wade Phillips has this unit harassing opposing quarterbacks consistently and that will lead Carson Palmer into some ill-advised throws this week.
Kansas City Chiefs (at Oakland)
Let’s not be too quick to write off the Chiefs defense/special teams after they managed just a single sack and interception last week in their loss to Pittsburgh. This is still a top-10 fantasy unit with big-play potential on a weekly basis. The Chiefs have a punt return for a score as well as a defensive score and eight turnovers. They also have a nice matchup against a Raiders offense that looks to be taking on water. In the last three weeks Oakland has allowed 10 sacks, turned the ball over five times and given up a defensive touchdown. Derek Carr is still dealing with a back issue and that does not bode well when lining up against Justin Houston and company.
Miami Dolphins (vs. NY Jets)
Over the last two weeks the Dolphins have put up some very nice numbers for fantasy purposes. Veteran Cameron Wake has put up 1.5 sacks in that time and now has 3.5 on the season. Miami has also been credited with 22 quarterback hit and seven hurries while posting eight sacks in the past two games. This is a unit on the rise facing a Jets offense that has been giving up nice fantasy totals to opponents of late. The Jets have struggled to protect the quarterback having allowed an average of four sacks per game over the past three weeks and have turned the ball over six times in those games. Look for big games from both Wake as well as Ndamukong Suh at home this week.
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