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

Week 14 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2020 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Eric Samulski breaks down all 2020 fantasy football Week 14 defenses (DEF) -- streamers, sits/starts, and D/ST waiver wire pickups to add. His Week 14 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL defenses.

Learn from the Chicago Bears. All year I’ve been saying that we should be picking defenses based on their ability to get pressure and force turnovers. Yardage stinginess doesn’t really matter. Targeting a bad offense only somewhat matters. For all of those reasons, I initially had the Bears as my 12th ranked defense this week. They have a below-average pressure rate and don’t consistently force turnovers. They have a reputation for being a strong defensive unit, but, for fantasy purposes, they’ve been average at best.

But I saw what Houston’s defense did against Detroit on Thanksgiving. Then D’Andre Swift was ruled out, and Kelly Golladay was ruled out, and I vaulted the Bears into my top-10. I started them over the Bills. Which also prevented me from grabbing San Francisco off of waivers to pair with the Bills for my playoff run. And then the Bears laid an egg against that bad Detroit offense.

I mentioned this because we all make managerial mistakes. We all over-correct and outsmart ourselves sometimes. But, if possible, we have to trust the trends and data that have built up over the first 75% of the regular season. It may not go our way, but I’d rather lose by trusting what got me there than feel like I got too cute and cost myself.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Picking The Right Defenses

When choosing a defense, you want to be looking 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 and I'll cite some of those numbers below - but 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. NFL offenses have scored 9,452 points or 24.7 points per game so far this season, which, despite coming back to earth a little bit over the past couple of weeks, is the most through the first 13 weeks of any season in the Super Bowl era.

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. Those numbers will naturally be higher than we're used to. Instead, we need to look for which offensive lines are truly weak points and which defenses will either be blitz-heavy or get consistent pressure with their pass rush. These are all incredibly important pieces of information in determining which defenses to play in any given week.

We can also identify the offenses that we want to attack based on current performance. Injuries can always change this, but, for right now, defenses going up against the Cowboys, Jets, Broncos, Eagles, Lions, Bengals, Giants, and Washington Football team have scored considerably more points on average than defenses facing other offenses.  As I mentioned above, attacking these teams doesn't always work, and you don't want to elevate a bad defense too far just because they get one of those teams; however, it is a key factor to keep in mind when making your decision.

Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker, so remember to check back here during the week as I will make updates once we get more information on some of these injuries and also get a better sense of the weather for the game.

 

Week 14 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

These rankings are from before the Monday Night Football game and will be adjusted throughout the week to take into account weather and injuries.

Below are my Week 14 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream, start and target off the waiver wire for Week 14 of the NFL and fantasy football season. Our weekly tiered defense rankings are a guide to making waiver wire pickups to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 14. I've broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup. Some of these Week 14 defenses have good matchups and are not widely-owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league's waiver wire for a Week 14 pickup or add.

Returning for this year: Confidence Ratings (out of 15) - Since every league's DST scoring is different, projections don't always make a ton of sense. The confidence rating, which Bill Dubiel started last year, is a guideline for how much more I like one team over another instead of a straight point projection. A zero means "do not start," then the confidence rises from there. I take a lot of factors into account: opponent injuries, home-field advantage, weather (which will be updated during the week), etc. We still have only one game of in-season data to work with, so this week's rankings weigh schedule and personnel heavier than they will down the line.

Typically the top three tiers will be DSTs you should target, with Tier 4 being options in deep leagues and Tier 5 being desperation plays or good defenses in horrendous matchups.

 

Tier 1 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Week 14 Opponent Confidence Rating
1 1 New Orleans Saints Defense @ PHI 13.1
2 1 Los Angeles Rams Defense vs. NE 12.9
3 1 Seattle Seahawks Defense vs. NYJ 12.6
4 1 Pittsburgh Steelers Defense @ BUF 11.1

The Saints are the best fantasy defense in the second half of the NFL season. They've averaged 12.2 points per game since Week 8 and have rocketed up to 4th in the league in sacks and 8th in pressure rate. Now they will take on an Eagles team that is dead last in sacks allowed with 53 in 12 games. Even if they start Jalen Hurts, that doesn't mean they will avoid sacks. Hurst's improvisation in the pocket is not necessarily a fit for a porous offensive line. Added to that the rookie's desire to take chances, which could lead to mistakes and turnovers, and I don't think you'll find a better defense than the Saints this weekend.

The Rams have been the 4th best defense since Week 8. They've gotten there on the back of the 4th most sacks, 8th-most drives ending in an offensive turnover, and fewest yards per play allowed in the league. They are the 5th-best run defense in the league, allowing only 3.9 yards per run. That will be especially important against a Patriots offense that is 8th-best in yards per rush but only 20th in yard per pass. The Patriots want to run the ball, and if the Rams can stop that, they'll force the Patriots to depend on a passing attack that has thrown the 3rd-most interceptions in the league. In fact, the Patriots offense has the 4th-most drives ending in a turnover, which the Rams will be especially able to capitalize on.

The Seahawks have really come on of late, averaging seven fantasy DST points per game over the last four weeks.  That may only be good for 12th over that span, but they've taken on passing attacks in the Rams, Cardinals, and Eagles that were able to take advantage of their issues in the secondary. The Jets aren't a team that is going to be able to consistently do that. The Jets are 25th in sacks allowed and dead last in offensive drives ending in a score, which makes them a tasty matchup for a Seahawks defense that is 7th in sacks, 8th in quarterback knockdowns, and 6th in quarterback hurries. We have seen Sam Darnold make terrible decisions when under pressure, which could lead to a few turnovers on Sunday as well.

The Steelers did not show up to play last night while the Bills came out and put on a clinic. However, you best believe the Steelers will come out on a mission on Sunday night. The Bills are not an easy offense to attack, but they have the 11th-most offensive drives that end in a turnover and have allowed the 16th-most sacks. They handled San Francisco on Monday, but Joey Bosa had a field day against the Bills last week, and the Steelers' defense, which leads the league in pressure rate, blitz rate, and sacks, may experience the same type of success.

 

Tier 2 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Week 14 Opponent Confidence Rating
5 2 Washington Football Team Defense @ SF 10.7
6 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense vs MIN 10.5
7 2 Baltimore Ravens Defense @ CLE 10.2
8 2  San Francisco 49ers Defense vs WAS 9.6

Washington really showed up to play against a strong Steelers unit last night. There's a chance Jimmy Garoppolo makes it back for this game, which will make the 49ers even healthier on offense, but George Kittle will still be out, and this offensive line has given up 27 sacks, which is 20th in the league. The 49ers are also 26th in offensive drives ending in a turnover, which is not great news against a Washington defense that is 3rd in sacks, 4th in pressure rate, and 9th in defensive drives ending in an offensive score. They could be in the backfield often, hounding whoever is at quarterback and racking up fantasy points. Yet, on the other side of the ball, Washington allows sacks on 8.3% of dropbacks, which is 28th in the league and ranks 21st in offensive drives ending in a turnover. Antonio Gibson has been great, but San Francisco is 8th-best in rushing yards allowed and Gibson left Monday night's game with turf toe, which can often linger, so this may wind up being an ugly, low-scoring game with a bunch of sacks on either side.

I'm not nearly as confident in the Bucs defense as I was four weeks ago. However, they had two weeks to prepare for a middle-of-the-pack Vikings offense and have the league's stingiest run defense, which can make life hard on Dalvin Cook. If Kirk Cousins is forced to pass, he may complete some deep balls against Tampa's secondary, but he will also be trusting an offensive line that is 17th in sacks allowed against a defense that is 2nd in the league in pressure rate, 6th in sacks, 4th in quarterback knockdown percentage, and 7th in defensive drives ending in an offensive turnover. This isn't as dominant a unit as it was before, so expect the Vikings to put up some points, but I also expect a handful of sacks and maybe a turnover or two, which should keep the Bucs as a top-10 unit on the week.

The Ravens are another team that hasn't suited up this week, and we won't have seen a fully healthy Ravens team in about three weeks now. However, we're well aware of the talent on that defense. They are 9th in pressure rate, 3rd in quarterback knockdown percentage, and 12th in defensive drives ending in a turnover. From Weeks 1-11, they were the 3rd ranked fantasy defense, averaging 9.8 points per game. I expect that defense to be the one that takes the field in a week, and they will have a lot on the line against a Browns team that is 21st in offensive drives ending in a turnover. The Ravens will use their league-high blitz rate to pressure Baker Mayfield, which has always led to defensive success in the past.

 

Tier 3 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Week 14 Opponent Confidence Rating
9 3 Indianapolis Colts Defense @ LV 9.1
10 3 Arizona Cardinals Defense @ NYG 8.5
11 3 Carolina Panthers Defense vs. DEN 8.3
12 3 New York Giants Defense vs. ARI 8.0
13 3 Philadelphia Eagles Defense vs NO 7.6
14 3 Buffalo Bills Defense vs. PIT 7.5
15 3 New England Patriots Defense @ LAR 7.1

The Colts ranking may change if Josh Jacobs plays this week, but considering he didn't practice at all last week, there is a chance that he is not able to get back on the field. If he's out, it drastically changes the nature of the Raiders' offense. Even with Jacobs, the Raiders are 20th in turnovers allowed and 24th in the percentage of drives that end in turnovers. That could be problematic against a Colts team that is 10th in the league in defensive drives that end in turnover and now fully healthy after dealing with injuries for the better part of a month. The Colts are a league-average defense in terms of pressure rate, and the Raiders don't give up sacks, which is what keeps the Colts just outside the top-10 for me, but they have the ability to sneak into the top-10 with some opportunistic defensive play.

The Giants and Cardinals game may be more of a sneaky defensive showdown than people realize. Colt McCoy led the Giants to a big win over the Seahawks, but Giants fans should hope he doesn't line up under center again. The veteran threw for only 105 yards while adding a touchdown and an interception on Sunday afternoon. He was also sacked twice and will now have the face a Cardinals defense that has the 6th highest blitz rate, 8th in pressure rate, and 14th in sacks. The Giants are 27th in sacks allowed and 26th in offensive drives ending in a turnover, so the blitz-heavy approach of the Cardinals could lead to a few turnovers to cushion a solid fantasy floor. On the other side of the ball, the Giants will be facing a clearly banged-up Kyler Murray. The second-year pro has been hampered by an injury to the AC join in his throwing shoulder, and this Cardinals offense has simply not looked the same in recent weeks. Adding to that, the Giants defense just dominated a strong Seahawks offense. They are 7th in pressure rate, 9th in sacks, and 8th in defensive drives ending in an offensive touchdown. They're riding a hot streak, tied for the 8th-ranked defense since Week 7, and could pose a problem for the Cardinals.

Carolina makes for a sneaky fantasy defense after scoring 37 total fantasy points from Weeks 10-12. The Broncos offense makes for a strong unit to attack; however, the Panthers are also dealing with a COVID outbreak that has already cost them, D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, Derrick Brown, and Shaq Thompson. As we get more information on the situation, the Panthers may find themselves anywhere from Tier 2 to Tier 5, while a Broncos Defense that ranks 3rd in pressure rate may move up, despite the likely return of Christian McCaffrey.

The Eagles offense is a mess. Of that, there is no doubt. However, they have the 6th-best pressure rate and 2nd-most sacks in the league, so they will bring the pressure. Their strong rushing defense will also force the ball into Taysom Hill's hands as a passer bit more than the Saints may like, which could lead to more turnover opportunities. Without Drew Brees under center, the Saints are a slower, more methodical offense, and the Eagles just put up a top-1o performance against a more dynamic Packers offense, so they might be able to sneak into the top-10 again. After all, they are the 7th-ranked defense since Week 7.

The Bills have been an entirely different defense in the second half of the season. Since Week 7, they rank 8th respectively in average points per game and have started to get healthy again, with their starting defense playing together for the first time all season last night. The Bills will face a stiff test in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers' offense struggled to move the ball against Washington last night, and the Bills will bring a defensive unit that is 12th in sacks and 6th in defensive drives ending in an offensive turnover. The Bills' biggest weakness is against the run, but if the Steelers aren't able to get James Conner back in time then they likely won't be able to take advantage of that. Lastly, the Steelers will be playing their third game in 12 days, so there's also just a decent chance the players will be worn down.

Don't look now, but the Patriots are making some noise. Yes, they dropped a winnable game against the Texans, but after beating the Ravens and absolutely dismantling the Chargers, this is a defense that needs to be paid attention to. They are only 16th in pressure rate and 26th in sacks, so they are not getting to the quarterback too often, but they make their points off of being an opportunistic defense that is 3rd in the league in defensive drives ending in an offensive turnover. It has led to some inconsistent performances, but they also showed last week that they have the ability to win you a week. Jared Goff has protected the ball relatively well this year, but the Rams are 27th in turnovers lost, so they could very well give the Patriots a chance to make a big play on defense.

 

Tier 4 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Week 14 Opponent Confidence Rating
16 4 Kansas City Chiefs Defense @ MIA 6.7
17 4 Atlanta Falcons Defense @ LAC 6.5
18 4 Denver Broncos Defense @ CAR 5.9
19 4 Green Bay Packers Defense @ DET 5.6
20 4 Tennessee Titans Defense @ JAX 4.9
21 4 Chicago Bears Defense vs HOU 3.9
22 4 Dallas Cowboys Defense @ CIN 3.7

 

Tier 5 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Week 14 Opponent Confidence Rating
23 5 Houston Texans Defense @ CHI 3.4
24 5 Cleveland Browns Defense vs BAL 3.1
25 5 Cincinnati Bengals Defense  vs DAL 2.8
26 5 Miami Dolphins Defense vs KC 2.2
27 5 Los Angeles Chargers Defense  vs ATL 1.9
28 5 Las Vegas Raiders Defense  vs IND 1.7
29 5 Minnesota Vikings Defense @ TB 1.2
30 5 New York Jets Defense @SEA 0.9
31 5 Jacksonville Jaguars Defense vs TEN 0.7
32 5 Detroit Lions Defense vs GB 0.4


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

Jalen Brunson14 mins ago

Leads All Scorers With 37 Points In Monday's Loss
Robbie Ray19 mins ago

Works Five Innings In No-Decision
Tobias Harris21 mins ago

Notches Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Cade Cunningham26 mins ago

Leads Pistons To Victory With 33 Points
Rob Dillingham36 mins ago

Out On Tuesday
Anthony Volpe37 mins ago

Still Hovering Around .200
Maxi Kleber43 mins ago

Remains Out For Game 2
Matt Olson46 mins ago

Extends Hitting Streak To Six Games
GG Jackson II49 mins ago

Available For Tuesday
Evan Bouchard58 mins ago

Dishes Out Three Assists In Postseason Opener
Connor McDavid1 hour ago

Racks Up Four Points In Losing Effort
Nick Taylor1 hour ago

Can Surprise Again In The Big Easy
Phillip Danault1 hour ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Adam Hadwin1 hour ago

Expects To Contend At Zurich Classic
Mark Scheifele1 hour ago

Bags Two Points In Monday's Win
Alejandro Tosti1 hour ago

Could Get Hot Again In New Orleans
Lane Hutson1 hour ago

Posts Two Assists In Playoff Debut
Joe Highsmith1 hour ago

Struggling As New Orleans Approaches
Dylan Strome2 hours ago

Registers Three Assists In Overtime Win
Karl Vilips2 hours ago

Steps Up To Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Alex Ovechkin2 hours ago

Scores First Playoff Overtime Goal
Michael Thorbjornsen2 hours ago

Ready To Make Waves In New Orleans
Braden Schneider2 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Tom Hoge2 hours ago

Ready To Make Some Birdies In New Orleans
Billy Horschel2 hours ago

Has Game To Win Third Zurich Classic
Texas Rangers2 hours ago

Kohl Drake Sharp In Latest Outing
José Castillo3 hours ago

Jose Castillo Makes Season Debut
Jordan Wicks3 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Termarr Johnson3 hours ago

Tallies Two Hits In Return
Zach Dezenzo3 hours ago

Busy In Monday's Victory
Craig Yoho3 hours ago

Allows One Run In MLB Debut
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

Singles In Loss To Giants
Caleb Durbin4 hours ago

Homers In Loss Monday
Edwin Díaz4 hours ago

Edwin Diaz Earns Save On Monday
Will Vest4 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Justin Slaten4 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Otto Lopez4 hours ago

Steals Two Bases Monday
Austin Riley4 hours ago

Drives In Two On Monday
Bryson Stott4 hours ago

Hits Three-Run Home Run On Monday
José Ramírez5 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Homers, Drives In Four On Monday
Spencer Schwellenbach5 hours ago

Notches Quality Start Vs. Cardinals
Camilo Doval7 hours ago

Earns Third Save
Hunter Brown8 hours ago

Hurls Gem Monday
Tennessee Titans10 hours ago

Titans Have Turned Down Offers For No. 1 Overall Pick
10 hours ago

Saints Targeting Jaxson Dart?
Kirk Cousins10 hours ago

Falcons Have Had Trade Discussions Regarding Kirk Cousins
Atlanta Falcons11 hours ago

Falcons Could Take A Tight End On Day 2 Of The Draft
11 hours ago

Steelers Very Interested In Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders
Sam Howell11 hours ago

Seahawks Open To Trading Sam Howell
Las Vegas Raiders11 hours ago

Raiders Not Afraid To Take A Running Back Early In The Draft
NFL11 hours ago

Shavon Revel Expected Back Around The Start Of Training Camp
Aaron Gordon12 hours ago

Cleared For Action
NFL14 hours ago

Josh Simmons May Not Be Cleared Until August
NFL14 hours ago

Jihaad Campbell A Candidate To Start On PUP List
NFL14 hours ago

Mykel Williams Still Hampered By Ankle Injury
NFL14 hours ago

Will Johnson Could Fall In Draft Due To Knee Injury
14 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Could Fall Out Of First Round
14 hours ago

Cam Skattebo Visiting With Lions, Titans
Dallas Cowboys14 hours ago

Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith's Fifth-Year Option
Philadelphia Eagles14 hours ago

Cam Jurgens, Eagles Agree On Four-Year Extension
C.J. Stroud15 hours ago

Expects To Be "Running The Show" In New Offense
J.J. McCarthy15 hours ago

"No Limitations" For J.J. McCarthy
San Francisco 49ers15 hours ago

Fred Warner Could Stay Away From Offseason Program
Ousmane Dieng15 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
George Kittle15 hours ago

May Not Take Part In Offseason Workouts
Kevin Love15 hours ago

Remains Away From Team
Brock Purdy15 hours ago

Might Not Participate In Voluntary Workouts
Terry Rozier15 hours ago

Hurts Ankle Monday
Damian Lillard16 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable For Game 2
Isaiah Stewart16 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Trent Frederic16 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Monday
Leon Draisaitl16 hours ago

Returns To Oilers Lineup For Postseason Opener
Jake Walman16 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Brett Kulak16 hours ago

Ready To Play Monday
Aliaksei Protas16 hours ago

Expected To Return During First-Round Series
Miro Heiskanen17 hours ago

Out On Monday
Ross Colton17 hours ago

Uncertain For Game 2
Gabriel Landeskog17 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Auston Matthews1 day ago

Finishes Game 1 With Two Assists
Mitchell Marner1 day ago

Totals Three Points In Postseason Opener
Matt Boldy1 day ago

Bags Two Goals In Losing Effort
Brett Howden1 day ago

Scores Twice In Sunday's Win
Logan Stankoven1 day ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Isaiah Stewart2 days ago

Iffy For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon2 days ago

Listed As Probable For Game 2
Jaylen Brown3 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Ja Morant4 days ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams4 days ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis4 days ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.4 days ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince4 days ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
Isaiah Stewart4 days ago

To Return For Game 1
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Lucas Glover6 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger6 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka6 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas6 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele6 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Austin Dillon6 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Maverick McNealy6 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry6 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF