The NFL regular season has blazed through 12 weeks and the fantasy playoffs are now pounding on the door. This period of the fantasy season turns frantic as teams are either scrapping to sneak into the postseason or angling to create an indestructible roster as championship matchups draw closer. No matter which side of the coin your team falls on, the latest installment of Getting Defensive has you covered.
After we break down Week 13 D/ST options into tiers like usual, we will bust out our fantasy playoff battle plan like Kevin McCallister preparing to face the Wet Bandits. Instead of Micro Machines and paint cans, “playoff pairings” will be our weapon of choice to ensure fantasy squads are stacked with multiple D/ST options with top-flight matchups in Week 14-16. Throw another splash of eggnog in your mug and get ready for all the fantasy special teams coverage you can handle.
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Top Tier Options
The distinct honor of facing Blake Bortles in Week 13 goes to the Denver Broncos (at Jacksonville), who will take their turn against the struggling quarterback. Bortles is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions and has completed just 57 percent of his passes over the last two weeks. The Denver defense is fresh off a six-sack performance and should feast on Bortles and the Jaguars.
The New England Patriots (vs Los Angeles) have turned in two mediocre performances as heavy road favorites in the last two weeks, but now return home to face the Los Angeles Rams. New England will once again be playing as nearly a two touchdown favorite, this time against rookie QB Jared Goff. Goff improved in Week 12 at New Orleans in his second career start, but traveling to New England is a different challenge entirely.
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Second Tier, But Solid
While the offense of the Seattle Seahawks (vs Carolina) is a weekly wild card, the Seahawks D/ST has been very reliable, scoring at least six fantasy points in 10 of 11 games this season. Carolina will visit Seattle in Week 13, where the Seahawks should once again be a safe floor play after forcing multiple turnovers in three consecutive games.
The Baltimore Ravens (vs Miami) keep producing under the radar, as the Ravens D/ST has pumped out double-digit fantasy points in four of the last five weeks, including 12.7 ppg in their last three home games. Baltimore will be at home once again in Week 13, this time hosting the Miami Dolphins. Miami is not quite a dream matchup for a fantasy D/ST, but the Ravens are tied for tenth in sacks and sixth in takeaways this season and have become a reliable fantasy unit.
While Houston QB Brock Osweiler has crushed the fantasy value of DeAndre Hopkins this season, he has been far kinder to fantasy defenses. The Green Bay Packers (vs Houston) get the pleasure of facing Osweiler in Week 13, who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this season and chucked a trio of passes to the wrong team in Week 12. Even on a short week, the Packers D/ST that has recorded multiple sacks in 10 of 11 games this season is a solid bet at home against the Texans.
Whether Andrew Luck (concussion) suits up in Week 13 or not, the New York Jets (vs Indianapolis) are worth a look for streaming fans. The Jets D/ST is owned in only 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, and will take on the Colts, who have allowed the second-most sacks among NFL teams this season. Luck has also thrown four interceptions in his last three starts, creating a nice spot for the Jets to end a three-game turnover drought.
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Getting Deeper, But Worth A Look
The second half of the season has not been kind to the Philadelphia Eagles (at Cincinnati) D/ST, as this group has not tallied more than five fantasy points in a game since Week 7. A trip to Cincinnati could end the Eagles’ slump, as the Bengals have allowed the fourth-most sacks in the NFL while QB Andy Dalton has thrown more than one touchdown in a game only twice in 2016. Cincinnati is missing several key pieces on offense and should be a solid matchup for the Eagles D/ST.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (vs NY Giants) delivered the goods in two cushy streaming spots in Weeks 11 and 12, and now return home to face the Giants. The Steelers D/ST racked up 11 sacks and four turnovers in their short two-game road trip, and will look to keep their momentum rolling in Week 13. Eli Manning should prove to be a tougher test than Cody Kessler and Scott Tolzien, but the Steelers are worth a shot this week as a home favorite.
The San Diego Chargers (vs Tampa Bay) have scored double-digit fantasy points in three of their last four games and have forced 11 turnovers in those same four contests. Tampa Bay has done a solid job of protecting QB Jameis Winston recently, but the Chargers D/ST is hot and home favorites are solid bets in the world of fantasy defenses.
Three consecutive weeks of two sacks and two turnovers has steadied the ship for the Oakland Raiders (vs Buffalo), who will host Buffalo in Week 13. The Bills aren’t an overly enticing matchup from a D/ST perspective, but QB Tyrod Taylor has taken a beating lately, absorbing 12 sacks in his last three games.
The Kansas City Chiefs (at Atlanta) D/ST has been on an absolute heater, scoring double-digit fantasy points in six of the last seven weeks. This week, the Chiefs D/ST travels to Atlanta to face the NFL’s highest-scoring offense. While the matchup is far from enviable, the Chiefs racked up five sacks in Week 12 and Falcons QB Matt Ryan has been dropped multiple times in 10 of 11 games this season. The Chiefs D/ST deserves our respect, but tread lightly in this road matchup.
The Chicago Bears (vs San Francisco) are falling apart at the seams, and their defense has gone two weeks without recording a single sack or turnover. The Bears D/ST will have a shot to get back on track in Week 13, when the 49ers come to town. In recent weeks, San Francisco hasn’t quite been the cupcake matchup they were to begin the season, but QB Colin Kaepernick has been sacked 10 times in the last three weeks and the 49ers offense is not dripping with playmakers.
The floundering offensive line of the Seattle Seahawks is the target of the Carolina Panthers (at Seattle) in Week 13. Russell Wilson was dropped six times in Week 12, and has been sacked three or more times in three of the last four weeks. Carolina has averaged four sacks per game since a Week 7 bye, and should be able to apply pressure to Wilson throughout this game. The road trip to Seattle isn’t the most comfortable spot to roll out a fantasy defense, but the Panthers are worth a look in this matchup against a struggling pass protection unit.
Streamer Specials
The following four fantasy D/ST options have been low-scoring groups in 2016, but are looking at favorable matchups in Week 13. All four matchups happen to be on the road, but these D/ST options are lightly owned and are worth the risk they present this week.
The Indianapolis Colts (at NY Jets) are owned in four percent of Yahoo leagues, and will be facing turnover-prone Ryan Fitzpatrick this week.
The San Francisco 49ers (at Chicago) are deservedly owned in just one percent of leagues, but have a date with Chicago QB Matt Barkley in Week 13.
The Washington Redskins (at Arizona) are owned in 11 percent of leagues and will face Arizona after a long layoff. Carson Palmer has taken eight sacks and turned the ball over six times in the last three weeks.
The Dallas Cowboys (at Minnesota) have managed to score more than eight fantasy points only once this season, but are owned in just 47 percent of leagues and will face the underwhelming Minnesota offense in Week 13.
Looking Ahead
Week 13 Byes: Tennessee and Cleveland are on bye in Week 13, the last two NFL teams to take a breather during the regular season. Both of the Titans and Browns D/ST can be safely cut during the off week.
Week 14 Streaming Candidates (owned in under 50% of Yahoo leagues):
Detroit Lions (12% owned, Week 14 vs Chicago)
Cincinnati Bengals (26% owned, Week 14 at Cleveland)
Atlanta Falcons (14% owned, Week 14 at Los Angeles)
Houston Texans (44% owned, Week 14 at Indianapolis)
NY Jets (15% owned, Week 14 at San Francisco)
Fantasy Playoff Pairings (all teams owned in under 50% of Yahoo leagues):
While rostering multiple fantasy defenses is an ill-advised tactic during the majority of the regular season, the fantasy playoffs are a different story. Try snagging two defenses to ensure a cushy matchup in each remaining week. The following D/ST pairings can be scraped together from your local waiver wire and present solid matchups in Weeks 14-16.
Atlanta and San Diego
(Wk 14 ATL at LAR / Wk 15 ATL vs SF / Wk 16 SD at CLE)
Houston and Oakland
(Wk 14 HOU at IND / Wk 15 HOU vs JAX, Wk 16 OAK vs IND)
Miami and San Diego
(Wk 14 MIA vs ARI / Wk 15 MIA at NYJ / Wk 16 SD at CLE)
NY Jets and Washington
(Wk 14 NYJ at SF / Wk 15 WAS vs CAR / Wk 16 WAS at CHI)
San Francisco and Green Bay
(Wk 14 SF vs NYJ / Wk 15 GB at CHI / Wk 16 SF at LAR)
Take Your Kick
The Week 13 NFL slate is stuffed with numerous interesting offensive matchups, with high expected point totals to help us identify fantasy kickers worth starting.
1. Stephen Gostkowski, NE (vs LAR)
2. Justin Tucker, BAL (vs MIA)
3. Wil Lutz, NO (vs DET)
4. Dustin Hopkins, WAS (at ARZ)
5. Josh Lambo, SD (vs TB)
6. Steven Hauschka, SEA (vs CAR)
7. Matt Bryant, ATL (vs KC)
8. Chandler Catanzaro, ARZ (vs WAS)
9. Matt Prater, DET (at NO)
10. Mason Crosby, GB (vs HOU)
11. Brandon McManus, DEN (at JAX)
12. Adam Vinatieri, IND (at NYJ)
13. Dan Bailey, DAL (at MIN)
14. Sebastian Janikowski, OAK (vs BUF)
15. Chris Boswell, PIT (vs NYG)
