Week 16 Defense (DST) Streamers: Target The Bills As The Top Streamer

Congratulations on making the semi-finals of your fantasy football league. It is easy to lose perspective, but in a 12-team league, only 33% of teams are still alive. Being part of that group is no small accomplishment, so you should be proud.

At the same time, you haven't been grinding all year just to make the semis. You are here to win a championship, and we are here to help you. The Fantasy Life team is still in full gear, cranking out projections, Week 16 fantasy rankings and content to make sure you have all the information you need for Week 16 ... including the best DST streamers for Week 16.

DST Streamers For Week 16 Fantasy Football Playoff Semi-Finals

As usual, I am only considering DSTs available in more than 50% of leagues, and I am looking for DSTs with the ability to create sacks and turnovers rather than minimizing points allowed to the other team, although those two things are correlated. I think this is one of the bigger mistakes fantasy managers make when thinking about fantasy defenses. As you will see in this article, I am generally focused on three things: offensive line play, QB turnover rates and game script.

A poor offensive line matched up against a strong defense line is one of the best signs for a fantasy defense. Putting the opposing QB under pressure increases the likelihood of sacks, fumbles, and interceptions. However, not all QBs are created equal, so we also want to target those who have a history of turning the ball over. Lastly, a defense on a team that is heavily favored is another good sign because it means the other team may be forced to call more pass plays as a result of a negative game script, and pass plays are more likely to lead to scoring opportunities for the defense than rush attempts are.

Hopefully, you don't have to face the Houston Texans defense as they get to take on the Raiders in an extremely lopsided matchup. Outside of that, it is a fairly muddled week for DST options with few standout matchups. Fortunately, your competition on waivers should be reduced, with many managers no longer paying attention.

With just four teams remaining in most leagues, I am going to slightly loosen the percentage rostered criteria for this article to include teams that are just over 50% rostered.

Buffalo Bills DST - 54% rostered

The Buffalo Bills are a great example of why points allowed is not the most important metric when evaluating a fantasy DST. Over their last six games, the Bills have given up just over 26 points per game and have allowed their opponents to score 30+ points in four of those matchups. Despite allowing plenty of points on the scoreboard, they have still averaged six fantasy points per game during that run, including two weeks with double-digit fantasy points.

The Bills now face off against the Browns in a game where Buffalo is currently favored by 10 points. Buffalo has been vulnerable to opposing rushing attacks this year, but the fact that they are heavy favorites, along with a Browns offense that ranks 26th in run block win rate, makes me confident the Bills defense can control this game.

Shedeur Sanders has shown flashes of playmaking ability, but he is still mistake-prone. In his four starts, the rookie has taken 11 sacks and thrown five interceptions. For their part, Buffalo has forced 13 turnovers in their last seven games, making them one of the most opportunistic defenses over the second half of the season. Everything lines up for the Bills defense to have multiple takeaways yet again in Week 16, which makes them my highest-confidence streaming option for the fantasy football semi-finals.

New Orleans Saints DST - 17% rostered

The Saints pulled off a nice upset over a Carolina Panthers team that is in playoff contention. This suggests they haven't fully checked out this season despite being eliminated from the playoffs. Motivation matters a lot at this time of year, and the Saints seem to still be playing for something, which is enough to keep them in streaming contention when they have a great matchup like this.

EPA isn't a perfect metric, but it was eye-opening to see the Saints defense plot directly on top of the Packers defense in this chart. Their reputations this season felt very different, but the numbers suggest their play has been about equal.

New Orleans now gets to pick on the Jets, easily the best matchup for DSTs right now. Regardless of who plays QB for the Jets, it is a favorable matchup for the opposing defense. Unless we hear differently, I am assuming it will be Brady Cook at QB as both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields are nursing injuries in a lost season for New York.

This game is in New Orleans, the Saints are favored, the game total is just 40.5 points and the Jets are likely to be starting a rookie who just took three sacks and threw three interceptions in his first start. This matchup checks all the boxes and I actually think the Saints have more upside than the Bills, but also a lower floor. If you need to swing for the fences in a matchup where you are the underdog, I would stream New Orleans if Brady Cook is named the starter for the Jets.

San Francisco 49ers DST - 50% rostered

San Francisco's defense has generally been disappointing this year after being ravaged by injuries. They let down fantasy managers in Week 15 after failing to record a sack or turnover against the Titans offense, but I am willing to roll them out again if I am unable to add one of the better streaming options discussed above.

We haven't had confirmation of who will start for Indy in Week 16, but my guess is that the Colts will roll with Rivers until they are officially eliminated from the playoffs and then see what they have with Riley Leonard.

Rivers wasn't a complete disaster last week, all things considered, but he did look like a 44-year-old who hasn't played in five years. He had very little velocity on his throws and was completely immobile in the pocket. With a week of film on Rivers, I expect San Francisco to play aggressively, knowing that he is unlikely to be able to beat them deep and not mobile enough to avoid pressure.

Rivers will also have an extra week of preparation, but I am skeptical of how much good that will do and I only expect his physical ability to decline as he takes more hits. The sportsbooks don't have a ton of optimism for the Indy offense either, with San Francisco currently favored by six points despite having to play on the road for this Monday Night Football matchup.

I'm not as confident in this recommendation as the first two because I expect Rivers to prioritize avoiding sacks and turnovers, but if he is forced to throw to keep pace with the 49ers offense, I think his floated passes could lead to a field day for a defense that gets aggressive jumping routes.

Week 16 Defense (DST) Streamers: Target The Bills As The Top Streamer

DST Streamers For Week 16 Fantasy Football Playoff Semi-Finals

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Buffalo Bills DST - 54% rostered

New Orleans Saints DST - 17% rostered

San Francisco 49ers DST - 50% rostered

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