If you're skilled and lucky enough to still be alive in your fantasy football playoffs, congratulations. If you're eliminated but looking to finish strong regardless, kudos. Either way, you'll want a high-upside D/ST to roll out in what should be the penultimate week of your league. Our Week 16 fantasy defense rankings will help you navigate the most overlooked position in fantasy and hopefully help you grab a much-needed victory at this all-important stage of the year.
With each passing week of the NFL season, we have a larger sample size with which to analyze matchups, project stats, and of course, rank defenses. All season long, we have deep-dived every game of every week, kept you up to date with every major injury, and highlighted the defenses we view as sleepers, high-upside streamers, or potential busts.
Next week will be for all the bananas — but you can't fight for the fruit if you don't first gorilla your way into the championship. So, are you a champ or a chump? (If you said chimp, we accept you.) The difference between being a contender and a pretender at this time of year can boil down to the last starting position on your squad: D/ST.
Your job is to get to the big dance. Our job is to help you get there. So, without further ado, here's our Week 16 fantasy defense rankings. Good luck, have fun, and fingers crossed you make it to the title round!
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 16?
Our top 10 list looks a bit different than the year-to-date fantasy D/ST stat leaders, mostly because the stud defenses draw tough matchups and many high-upside units draw offenses with some combination of injuries and inconsistencies.
WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
First and foremost, the Buffalo Bills (@ Chargers in Week 16) showed us something last week against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. They held Dallas to just 195 total yards and a paltry 3.4 yards per play, and now they get to face Easton Stick and the Chargers one week after the Raiders beat them down 63-21. Buffalo should stampede over the Bolts.
Speaking of high-upside New York defenses, the Jets (vs. Commanders) at home against Sam Howell sounds like a boom play to us. Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, and company have been the hardest secondary to throw on all season, and Gang Green has 13 sacks over its past four games. That's not great for Howell, who ranks first in interceptions thrown and sacks taken this season.
WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Now for the squads that have showed out lately and/or have a great opportunity to do so this week. The Broncos (vs. Patriots) got crushed by Detroit in Week 15, but they have otherwise looked quite strong the entire second half of the season. In the seven games Sean Payton's squad has played since Week 8, it has compiled 17 takeaways. Bailey Zappe and the Pats could be in for a long game in the mile-high altitude.
The high-powered defense of the Saints (@ Rams) showed us last week that the Tommy DeVito magic might be over, so we're happily streaming the Eagles (vs. Giants) despite Philly's widely discussed issues against the pass this season. The sack and takeaway upside is too high, and New York has scored just 40 points in the past three weeks.
We're also very interested in both sides of the Bengals @ Steelers matchup, one of the many games pitting two backup QBs against strong pass rushes. Speaking of strong pass rushes, don't bump the Browns (@ Texans) too far down even if C.J. Stroud (concussion) can lace 'em up after a one-week absence. Tank Dell (fibula) and Nico Collins (calf) are massive losses that will hamper Houston's offense against stud defenses like Cleveland.
Rounding out the top 10, the Packers (@ Panthers) should obliterate Carolina with their zone D, especially if Jaire Alexander returns to the field. The Chiefs (vs. Raiders) won't be scared of the big, bad Raiders after they beat up Easton Stick. Aidan O'Connell with a banged-up Josh Jacobs (quad) going into Arrowhead to face Chris Jones, L'Jarius Sneed, and a motivated Kansas City squad sounds less than appealing for Raiders Nation.
WEEK 16 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 16?
Ahead of their matchup with the Chiefs, the Patriots (@ Broncos) got dropped like germy friends during flu season. However, they're right back to the top of our sleepers and streamers for Week 16 against a Russell Wilson-led Denver offense that makes lots of mistakes. New England has three picks over its past two games, 11 sacks over its past four, and an opponent average of just 14.2 points per game over its past five. Don't overlook a team with a good D just because of its bad offense.
Another heavily dropped defense, the Lions (@ Vikings), have been underwhelming the entire second half of the season but looked pretty good in Week 15 against Denver. Dan Campbell's squad held Russell Wilson and company to 17 points, 4.6 yards per play, and 83 total rushing yards. Detroit should be able to carry over momentum against a Nick Mullens-led Vikings team that has been banged up at every skill position.
We still have both sides of the 49ers vs. Ravens and Dolphins vs. Cowboys in the 13-21 range, but you might want to look for a higher-upside stream if your matchup calls for a high ceiling as opposed to a high floor. The ball-hawking Colts (@ Falcons) have been the definition of high-ceiling, and Desmond Ridder could keep that trend going.
The Commanders (@ Jets) also offer plenty of intrigue against a low-rate New York offense. Finally, the Falcons (vs. Colts) and Texans (vs. Browns) both believe they can make the playoffs and both face backup QBs with depleted skill-positions corps. Once you drift into the bottom-third of the rankings, you start entering a dark territory. We're not saying you'll get attacked by hyenas in an elephant graveyard, but you probably won't be singing hakuna matata if you go there.
And be sure to check back throughout the week for updates to our rankings. Good luck and happy holidays, fantasy friends!
WEEK 16 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Fantasy Defense Rankings Week 16: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Rank Player
1 Buffalo Bills @ Chargers
2 New York Jets vs. Commanders
3 Denver Broncos vs. Patriots
4 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Giants
5 Cincinnati Bengals @ Steelers
6 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Bengals
7 New Orleans Saints @ Rams
8 Cleveland Browns @ Texans
9 Green Bay Packers @ Panthers
10 Kansas City Chiefs vs. Raiders
11 New England Patriots @ Broncos
12 Detroit Lions @ Vikings
13 San Francisco 49ers vs. Ravens
14 Miami Dolphins vs. Cowboys
15 Indianapolis Colts @ Falcons
16 Washington Commanders @ Jets
17 Atlanta Falcons vs. Colts
18 Houston Texans vs. Browns
19 Los Angeles Rams vs. Saints
20 Dallas Cowboys @ Dolphins
21 Baltimore Ravens @ 49ers
22 Chicago Bears vs. Cardinals
23 Minnesota Vikings vs. Lions
24 Las Vegas Raiders @ Chiefs
25 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Bills
26 Carolina Panthers vs. Packers
27 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buccaneers
28 Tennessee Titans vs. Seahawks
29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Jaguars
30 Seattle Seahawks @ Titans
31 Arizona Cardinals @ Bears
32 New York Giants @ Eagles
