X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Rest of Season Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - Updated Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Buffalo Bills Defense - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Draft Sleepers

Eric's updated rest-of-season fantasy football defense rankings (DEF) for the rest of the 2021 fantasy football season -- streamers, sits/starts, and D/ST waiver wire pickups to add.

You asked for it, so here it is: Rest of Season defense rankings. We've hit the point of the fantasy season where fantasy managers have a much better sense of where their team stands in regards to the playoffs. Some have all but locked in bids, while others pretty much know their season is over, and likely many more are fighting for the chance to sneak in. Whatever your situation is, it's time to start thinking beyond just one week at a time.

If your roster is set for this week, what does it look like for next? Will you need a better RB play? Should you add a stash TE onto your bench? Do you have a playable DST matchup? Just like every other position on your team, you need to be able to make sure that your DST slot is planned for ahead of time. Sometimes you can weather a bad matchup with a good defense if that means you get a cushy schedule afterward, but if it's a rough road for weeks at a time, it might be best to move on.

Below you'll get my full rest of season defense rankings as well as a matchup chart for Weeks 11 - Week 17. The PLUS matchups (the ones we want) are colored in green, while the BAD matchups (the ones to avoid) are in red. I would recommend using this chart to not only plan a few weeks in advance but also see what pair of defenses might be the best fit for you. For example, if you have the Rams' defense and know you want to hold them for the rest of the season, use the chart to see who has a better Week 12 matchup than the Rams traveling to Green Bay in December. That way you can lock that defense in ahead of time without having to spend precious waiver money or without getting sniped by your leaguemates.

Just like with my weekly rankings, I encourage you to always check the link to my updated rankings as the week(s) goes on. The outlook of some of these teams will change drastically due to injury, like with Carolina and Seattle likely being harder matchups now that Christian McCaffrey and Russell Wilson are back.

 

Picking The Right Defenses To Pickup and Start

Just a quick recap of my general philosophy: when choosing a defense, you want to look for defenses that get consistent pressure and takeaways. Sacks and turnovers are more valuable for fantasy defense than preventing yardage and even, to a certain extent, preventing points. If a defense allows a stingy yards-per-play number, that's great; however, they better also be able to get into the backfield or force turnovers, or else it won't really matter in the long run.

Essentially, we need to move away from points against as being the most important factor in choosing a fantasy defense. Last season, NFL offenses gained 359 yards per game and scored 12,692 points or 24.8 points per game, which is the most in the Super Bowl era. This year, it hasn't gotten much better, with teams averaging 360.2 yards per game and 23.8 points per game. With offenses putting up video game numbers, it means that we can't continue to judge a defense solely by the number of points they allow or the number of yards they give up.

 

What is the BOD Ranking?

BOD (Best Overall Defense) Rankings. This is my defensive rankings formula based on the stats that I think are most conducive to fantasy success which are ones that focus mainly on pressure rate but also on turnover rate since these are metrics that traditionally lead to the most consistent results and are also scheme-dependent, thus highlighting defensive schemes that are more fantasy-friendly. You can see the full updated leaderboard here but the basic formula is:

(Pressure Rate x 2) + (Sacks) + (QB Hurry Rate) + (Pass Rush Win Rate) + (%Drives ending in a Turnover x 2)

Minus

(% Drives ending in a Score x 2) + (Yards per play)

Divided by Games Played

 

Tier 1 Defenses - Fantasy Football Rankings for Rest of Season

Not much to say here. These five defenses are all currently in my top-10, so they've already proven to be among the best in the league. The Bills remain number one because they have been the best defense in the league for much of the season. They're 1st in yards allowed per play, 1st in turnover rate, 1st in percentage of drives that end in an opposing score, 1st in QB hurry rate, and 2nd in pressure rate. They're just an incredibly well-rounded unit. Although Indianapolis hasn't been easy for opposing defenses, that's a home game for Buffalo at the end of November in what is predicted to be ugly weather, so I have no problem running them out there in that matchup. That means that only the Bucs game could be truly problematic for this defense from here on out.

I know some people may be shocked to see the Cowboys this high but look at that remaining schedule. The only matchup that might really concern you with Dallas is Kansas City in Week 11, as Arizona has been a strong offense but gives up a fair amount of sacks, so isn't a team we need to avoid playing a defense against. The lack of poor matchups is what puts them ahead of some of the other defenses in this tier, like the Bucs, who have been fine on defense this year but not as elite as we came to expect last year. They also have two bad matchups against the Colts and Bills, which puts them just below the Cowboys for me.

The Panthers also have two plus matchups and two poor matchups, but what set the Bucs apart for me is that the Panthers end the season with their two worst matchups. You absolutely can't start the Panthers in your playoffs with matchups against the Bills and Bucs; however, they can certainly be a defense that helps to get you to the playoffs, much like New England, who rounds out the top tier for me. The Patriots have been on fire of late and are a truly elite defense, but the Patriots have a really tough road from Week 12 on, which really hurts their ranking. However, you can play the Patriots against the Titans in Week 12 and then hold onto them for a cake matchup in the finals, if you get there, but you'll need another defense to help carry you through the first few rounds.

 

Tier 2 Defenses - Fantasy Football Rankings for Rest of Season

This is a tier mixed with defenses that currently rank inside my top-10 for the season and a couple of strong defenses that have mouth-watering end-of-season schedules. The Titans' defense has looked much better over the last few weeks, ranking as the top fantasy DST from Week Five on, and they get no really bad matchups on their schedule the rest of the way; although, the 49ers matchup is one I'd like to avoid if possible. Given how they've performed since their secondary has gotten healthier, I almost thought about having them higher up in my rankings. Heck, maybe I should have, but that one bye week mixed in there does throw a slight wrench into things.

The Eagles are the first surprise for me here because they haven't been consistent on defense this season. However, you can't say anything negative about that schedule, and the Eagles have been the 6th-ranked fantasy defense from Week Five on. They have no bad matchups the rest of the way, based on current fantasy scoring. The Chargers last week was really the only tough matchup left on the Eagles' schedule, and they handled that pretty well. I would feel comfortable starting them most weeks from here on out, but that bye in Week 14 might be the first round of the playoffs in some leagues, so you'll need a contingency plan.

Sliding down into this tier is the Rams, who I know many people have ranked higher, but they haven't really been an elite unit this year. Even if we factor in a bump in production with the addition of Von Miller, there are two things working against the Rams here. First, their bye this week means you have one week where you have no choice but to add another defense. Second, the final three weeks of the season could be really difficult for the Rams with matchups against fully healthy Cardinals and Seahawks teams, plus the Vikings. You can certainly start them in those matchups, and that's why they're in tier two, but it's hard for me to look at their Week 14-16 schedule and say with confidence I'd start them over the defenses above them.

 

Tier 3 Defenses - Fantasy Football Rankings for Rest of Season

This is a big tier because so many of these defenses are just coin flips at this point. All of these teams have been useful defenses at some point in time this season but none have been overly consistent.

The Steelers seemed to be taking a step forward on defense, but they're the 20th-ranked fantasy unit over the last four weeks, which doesn't really inspire a lot of confidence. We've seen that they have the talent to put up big point totals, but they also get no easy matchups the rest of the season. You could easily make a case that they should be lower down on this list.

The Broncos have no business still playing this well on defense, especially after trading Von Miller, but they are the 9th-ranked defense over the last three weeks and 10th over the last four. They're a bend-but-don't-break unit that has begun to dial up the pressure a bit in recent weeks. It's not a defense I'm incredibly confident in, but the schedule isn't overly difficult for a unit playing solid defense.

The Vikings and Cardinals are so similar to me right now. They have both been elite this year, but they both just suffered massive injuries to elite defensive ends with J.J. Watt for the Cardinals and Danielle Hunter for the Vikings both being ruled out for the season. Now, the teams may prove capable of weathering that storm and push me to move them up in the rankings, but they also both have some tough matchups ahead. The Cardinals are at a bit of a disadvantage because they have yet to have their bye and their two tough matchups both come during playoffs, which could be tough for some fantasy managers to withstand.

Miami has started to come on of late, ranking 4th among all fantasy defenses over the last four weeks. They have become a bit more blitz-heavy, which has helped take some pressure off of a defensive line that doesn't really get a lot of pressure on its own. They have also gotten healthy in the secondary, which has helped curtail the big plays. Then you see the schedule they get over the next five weeks and that should be very enticing for you. I might not play them in those last two games, but they can help a lot of fantasy managers get to the semi-finals.

The Browns only have one good matchup the rest of the way, plus they have their bye still to come, so it's hard to get overly excited about them, especially after the way they looked last week against the Patriots. I just can't see being overly confident in starting them after this week. I also came into this exercise hoping the Saints and Packers would be defenses you could hold the rest of the way, but the matchups are too difficult for that. The Packers are not startable for me over the next two weeks, nor in the fantasy championship, while New Orleans has a brutal four games over the next five. New Orleans is a defense I think you can hold on your bench because their matchups are either cake-walks or unplayable ones, so they are the perfect defense to pair with another to help you through the end of the season.

The Bengals have been inconsistent this year, but have shown that they are capable of solid weeks, which keeps them interesting. They don't have any bad matchups the rest of the way, but they also don't have any weeks I feel good about playing them, which makes them an option only in deeper formats.

The Ravens are such an enigma to me, ranking 15th currently for me on the season. As I said in my rankings for Week 11: "They are 1st in pressure rate, 20th in sacks, 13th in QB hurry rate, 8th in percentage of drives that end in an offensive score, and 27th in turnover rate. One week the pass rush carries them and they look great, and then the next week, their secondary lets them down and they look average." They have some real problems in the secondary which could be a problem in games against Green Bay, Cincinnati, and the Rams in the weeks ahead. Based on current metrics, they only get one plus matchup the rest of the way, which makes them startable and a fringe "hold" as a defense but not a defense I'm as confident in as the tier above.

 

Tier 4 Defenses - Fantasy Football Rankings for Rest of Season

These defenses are all payable in certain matchups, so keep an eye on mixing and matching them with some of the defenses in the top tiers.

 

Tier 5 Defenses -  Fantasy Football Rankings for Rest of Season

I wouldn't recommend playing any of these defenses the rest of the way, if you have a choice.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Luis Severino7 hours ago

Works Eight Innings On Saturday
Chad Patrick7 hours ago

Posts Quality Start In Loss
Brent Rooker7 hours ago

Hits Go-Ahead Homer
TJ Friedl7 hours ago

Has Four-Hit Game
Ramón Laureano7 hours ago

Ramon Laureano Homers Twice Off The Bench
Griffin Conine7 hours ago

Suffers Dislocated Shoulder
Shohei Ohtani7 hours ago

Expected To Be Activated On Sunday
Ben Rice10 hours ago

To Undergo MRI
Heston Kjerstad10 hours ago

Makes Early Exit On Saturday
Jason Heyward10 hours ago

Heading To Injured List
Tirso Ornelas10 hours ago

Recalled On Saturday
David Bednar10 hours ago

Recalled From Triple-A
Mark Vientos10 hours ago

Removed Early On Saturday
Max Pacioretty10 hours ago

Available For Playoffs
Jake McCabe11 hours ago

Available For Sunday's Game 1
Oliver Bjorkstrand11 hours ago

Will Not Play In Round 1
Matthew Tkachuk11 hours ago

Logs Full Practice Saturday
Jonathan Drouin11 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Miro Heiskanen11 hours ago

Upgraded To Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi11 hours ago

Out On Saturday
Jaylen Brown12 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Christian Vázquez14 hours ago

Christian Vazquez Moves Past Hand Injury
Willi Castro14 hours ago

Remains Sidelined With Oblique Injury
Austin Wells14 hours ago

Back In Action On Saturday
Gabriel Arias14 hours ago

Lane Thomas Sitting On Saturday
Josh Smith14 hours ago

Back In Action On Saturday
Martín Pérez15 hours ago

Martin Perez Hits 15-Day Injured List
Jordan Beck15 hours ago

Recalled From Triple-A
Ezequiel Tovar15 hours ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Irv Smith16 hours ago

Houston Re-Signs Irv Smith Jr.
Ja Morant1 day ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams1 day ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis1 day ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.1 day ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince1 day ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
NFL1 day ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Waived With Non-Football Injury
Isaiah Stewart1 day ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson1 day ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura1 day ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves1 day ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
NFL1 day ago

Bills Release Armani Rogers, Branson Deen
Luka Dončić1 day ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James1 day ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard1 day ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
NFL1 day ago

Kolton Miller Absent From Raiders' Voluntary Offseason Program
Kevin Durant1 day ago

To Houston Already Losing Steam
Lauri Markkanen1 day ago

Wants To Stay With The Jazz
NFL1 day ago

Ross Blacklock Let Go By New York
Bennedict Mathurin1 day ago

Expected To Play In Game 1 Saturday
Pascal Siakam1 day ago

Available For Playoff Opener
Tyrese Haliburton1 day ago

Returning From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Cade Cunningham1 day ago

Available For Game 1 Against Knicks
Josh Hart1 day ago

Back In Knicks Lineup Saturday
OG Anunoby1 day ago

Good To Go For Game 1
NFL1 day ago

Raiders Considering Drafting A Quarterback
Irv Smith1 day ago

Sticking With Texans
Ryan Lindgren1 day ago

Set To Return Saturday
NFL1 day ago

Texans Expected To Draft Wide Receivers
Greg Dortch1 day ago

Returning To Cardinals
Josh Manson1 day ago

Available For Game 1
Mark Andrews1 day ago

Could Be Traded Soon
Ondrej Palat1 day ago

To Return For Start Of Playoffs
David Savard1 day ago

Will Retire After Playoffs
NFL1 day ago

Raiders, Falcons Could Have Interest In Jalen Ramsey
Robert Thomas1 day ago

Good To Go Saturday
Matthew Tkachuk1 day ago

Expected To Return For Game 1
1 day ago

Raiders Are High On Ashton Jeanty
Jason Robertson1 day ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Rome Odunze1 day ago

To Hopefully Get More Involved
NFL2 days ago

Dolphins Could Draft A Quarterback
James Cook2 days ago

Could Stay Away From Voluntary Workouts
Leon Draisaitl2 days ago

Wins First Rocket Richard Trophy
Nikita Kucherov2 days ago

Bags Third Art Ross Trophy
Bryan Rust2 days ago

Scores Twice In Season-Ending Win
Igor Shesterkin2 days ago

Shuts Out Lightning With 27 Saves
Dylan Cozens2 days ago

Picks Up Three Points In Regular-Season Finale
Matvei Michkov2 days ago

Caps Off Rookie Campaign With Three-Point Effort
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Makes Early Exit For Precautionary Reasons
Jake Tonges2 days ago

Signs Exclusive-Rights Tender
Denver Broncos2 days ago

Broncos To Focus On RB Position In Next Week's Draft
Drew Lock2 days ago

Sam Howell, Drew Lock Expected To Compete For Backup Job
New York Giants2 days ago

Giants Leaning Toward Taking Best Player Available At No. 3
New Orleans Saints2 days ago

Ryan Ramczyk Announces His Retirement
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Tre'Davious White Reunites With Buffalo
Lucas Glover3 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger4 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka4 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy4 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry4 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris4 days ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland4 days ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns4 days ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai4 days ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge4 days ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap4 days ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley4 days ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay4 days ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa4 days ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
Alexander Volkanovski5 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler5 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA5 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva5 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes5 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
6 days ago

Austin Dillon Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
6 days ago

Ryan Blaney's Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
6 days ago

Christopher Bell Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
6 days ago

Ty Gibbs Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
6 days ago

Chase Briscoe Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
6 days ago

Denny Hamlin Cuts Into William Byron's Points Lead
6 days ago

William Byron Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
6 days ago

Despite Engine Failure, Alex Bowman's Improved Speed Looks Promising
NASCAR6 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Enters Playoff Picture With Surprise Bristol Top-10 Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF