Who could’ve guessed a game played with an oblong ball can have bounces we never saw coming? Week 9 for streaming D/ST purposes wasn’t great. We knew that a week ago. What we didn’t and couldn’t see coming was the Tennessee Titans not giving up the most points to a defense, but they were, themselves, the top dog of the week, thanks to a pick-six and punt return touchdown. Then, of course, the Steelers would sack Daniel Jones five times and force six turnovers. That was so obvious. This game. My goodness.
Last week, we still did alright with our top five calls. Four of the five finished inside the top 13 scoring defenses. Not bad at all. That’s about what you hope for when you’re streaming weekly and picking up the scraps from the waiver wire.
Now is the time to start peeking ahead at schedules to see if it makes sense to start carrying two defenses. I’m not against that late in the season at all. If you can find an advantage over your opponents, take it. Just don’t stash a D/ST for a month from now. That’s wasting a roster spot.
I’ll give a few thoughts on future schedules at the bottom of the article.
TEAMS ON BYE IN WEEK 10: Bengals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Titans
(Note: This article is posted prior to the NFL trade deadline, which could impact teams.)
Based on D/STs owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues
Drake’s Top 5 D/ST Targets for Week 10
- Cleveland Browns (CLE 32%) @ NYJ
- Carolina Panthers (CAR, 3%) vs NO
- Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT, 50%) @ LAC
- Buffalo Bills (BUF,43%) @ MIA
- New York Jets (NYJ, 3%) vs CLE
Higher-owned Options
Seattle Seahawks (SEA, 58%) vs ARI — We aren’t sure who will be at quarterback for Arizona, which, for our purposes, I hope it’s Kyler Murray. Seattle is a D/ST that needs to be owned everywhere because they are that damn good. With only one game under eight fantasy points, the Seahawks are tied for fifth in total D/ST points. Seattle sits third in total points allowed. Their 25.4% pressure rate sits fourth in the league.
Houston Texans (HOU, 67%) vs JAX — The number one scoring defense in the NFL, Houston boasts the fewest points and yards against. Nobody really knows which Trevor Lawrence will show up week to week. Houston has forced a turnover in five straight games. If they are available in your league, add them for Sunday and keep them for Week 11 @ TEN.
Top Targets
Cleveland Browns (CLE, 32%) @ NYJ — At press time, we don’t know if Justin Fields or Tyrod Taylor will be under center for Gang Green. One would assume it would be Fields coming out of the BYE, after his performance in the Jets Week 8 win. That was against Cincinnati, though, so we can throw out anything from that game. The Jets bleed QB sacks. Prior to playing the JV Bengals, New York allowed 15 sacks in three games. These Browns have ten of their own in their last two contests. This is simply chasing a bad quarterback situation and a below-average line. Cleveland should easily collect a handful of sacks and a pair of turnovers.
Carolina Panthers (CAR, 3%) vs NO — I’ll give Tyler Shough a speck of credit. He didn’t totally poop his pants in his debut. Then again, his offense scored 10 points and turned the ball over twice while holding the ball for a pathetic 16 minutes. Carolina has five wins. That’s a real sentence in Week 10. I had to look it up twice. Carolina’s defense isn’t good. I couldn’t find a great stat to blow your mind with. They are simply playing a horrific quarterback at home. Let’s not try to do trigonometry when 2+2 will get us the answer.
Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT, 50%) @ LAC —. The Steelers’ resurgent pass rush will be unleashed on the Chargers' line that just lost stud tackle Joe Alt for the season. Justin Herbert was sacked six times behind his subpar group against the Titans of all teams last week. Pittsburgh has the second-most QB hits of any defense (70). If they can’t get to Herbert, he’ll have a chance to beat the defense that’s allowed the third-most passing yards. I like the Steelers in this spot. The Steelers won’t force another six turnovers, but they’ll do enough damage to stream a top-15 performance this week.
Going Deeper
Buffalo Bills (BUF, 43%) @ MIA — These teams met in Week 3, and the Bills scored a whopping two points. I expect things to be different in South Beach on Sunday. Since their Week 7 BYE, the Bills have ten sacks and are playing like a Super Bowl contender. After holding Patrick Mahomes to 250 yards and zero touchdowns, facing Tua Tagovailoa should feel like an off week. Two of the last three DSTs to face Miami have scored 15+ points. The wheels are coming off in Miami, and the Bills should be an excellent play for streamers searching for upside.
New York Jets (NYJ, 3%) vs CLE — OK, I can’t in good faith tell you to play the Jets. But for the love of all things holy, it’s the Browns. Anything can happen. This game is going to be terrible. If there is NOTHING else on the wire, Cleveland has given up double-digits in four of eight games. One thing to note, Dillon Gabriel gets rid of the ball quickly, so he doesn’t take many sacks. You’re hoping for a turnover-fest between two of the worst teams in the league. If you actually start the Jets, screenshot me your line-up and tweet it to me @DrakeFantasy. But seriously, don’t play the Jets.
DSTs Upcoming Schedules of Interest
Baltimore — Weeks 10-15 feature just one matchup against a team ranked outside the top-10 in points allowed to defenses. This is an insane runout starting this week: @ MIN, @ CLE, NYJ, CIN, PIT, @ CIN.
Cleveland — From Week 10 through 14, you could alternate weeks with the Browns and someone else as Cleveland faces: @ NYJ, vs BAL, @ LV, vs SF, vs TEN.
Seattle — Here’s your team to alternate with Cleveland. Starting in Week 10: vs ARI, @ LAR, @ TEN, vs MIN, @ ATL.
Atlanta — Solid three-game run from Weeks 11-13 vs CAR, @ NO, and @ NYJ.
San Francisco — You could run with the 49ers from Weeks 11-13 with games @ ARI, vs CAR, and @ CLE, but you can also run blindfolded through traffic and likely get the same feeling. The Niners do host the Titans in the opening round of the fantasy playoffs.
Houston — Houston is a legit bad ass defense. Their schedule is brutal from Weeks 12-14, so you’ll want to find someone else until their juicy playoff schedule hits with matchups starting Week 15: vs ARI, LV, @ LAC.
Tampa Bay — Weeks 13 on, you can set and forget the Bucs DST with three-straight home games against: ARI, NO, ATL, and the fantasy money weeks against @ CAR, @ MIA.
Buffalo — Schedule isn’t great. They’ll be streaming options Week 14 vs CIN and Week 16 @ CLE.
LA Rams — Streamable in Week 13 @ CAR and Week 14 @ ARI.
Jacksonville — D/ST has really fallen off, but they get back-to-back games on the road with ARI in Week 12 and TEN in Week 13. Week 15, the Jags host the Jets.
Pittsburgh — Nice playoff stash and stream option as they’ll host Miami in Week 15 and visit Cleveland for championship week.
Philadelphia — Good way to start the fantasy playoffs at home vs LV, then at the destitute Commanders in Week 16.
New England — Couple of good spots mixed in as they’ll get a three-game stretch vs NYJ, @ CIN, vs NYG starting in Week 11. In championship week, the Pats are at the Jets.
Kansas City — Brutal schedule ROS. The only bright spot is Week 16 @ TEN.
Place Kickers
Higher-owned Options
Ka’imi Fairbairn (Hou, 77%) — Just like last week, we are going to list someone who is owned in more than 50% of Yahoo leagues. Fairbairn should not be available in your league. Yet, he converted five field goals in Week 9, and three of them were from the bonus range. His only miss was wide right from 51 yards out. Fairbairn has four or more field goals in each of his last two games and multiple field goal outings in seven of his eight games. He is on fire and a must-have if available, which he should not be.
Top Targets
Michael Badgley (Ind, 44%) — It is not that Badgley is such a great PK option, but rather the Colts offense puts up fantasy points even in off weeks like this past one. A tough road game for the Colts in Pittsburgh, but Badgley still had two field goals. What was impressive was that both FGs were from 50 or more yards out. Be leery, though. Atlanta is up next, and they have not allowed multiple field goals to a place kicker in two straight games and in three of their last four outings.
Going Deeper
Cam Little (Jax, 10%) — We have to list a kicker who set the NFL record for longest field goal with his 68-yarder against Las Vegas. This is coming from a guy who kicked a 70-yarder during the preseason. Yet in Weeks 5-7, Little had just one field goal in three games combined and had missed three of his last four kicks.. Little had a huge game in Week 9, making three field goals with two of them from the bonus range.
