Streaming Defenses: Week 10 Targets

Nov 09, 2021

Elsa/Getty Images

I’m old enough to remember a time in TV history when cable was a luxury and adjusting the “bunny-ears” antennae was a way of life. Whenever tuning the signal dial just wasn’t cutting it, you had to adjust the tin foil crunched around the end of the “ears”. Satellite TV back then sounded like a sci-fi fever dream. Even if you had the better services, there still weren’t that many channels to choose from.

Now, though, we are firmly in the era of streaming.

So many options are just a click away these days, and all on-demand. You don’t have to get tied down to one provider. Sure, not every choice is available all the time, and you don’t always know where to look among what’s available. Still, that’s what this column is for: to guide you through the world of streaming… defenses.

More Week 10 Streaming: QB | TE | K

I explained in my introductory article to the concept that streaming defenses is one of the most sound ways to approach the position in fantasy football, as well as how to do it, and what to look for from a statistical perspective in a defensive streamer.

This column will combine that approach with our own Sam Hoppen’s analytical model for streaming defenses. Sam’s model utilizes Vegas lines for predicting points scored by the opposing defense, opposing quarterback history for interception rates, and both the offense and defense’s history of allowing sacks – the most predictive parts of defensive scoring on a weekly basis.

With all that out of the way, let’s dim the lights and press play on the main feature. Here are four defenses to consider picking up ahead of Week 10.

Week 9 Review

Top Streamers

Miami Dolphins vs. HOU – 17 pts (t-DEF3)
Las Vegas Raiders at NYG– 6 pts (DEF16)

Deep Plays

Chicago Bears at PIT – 11 pts (t-DEF10)
Atlanta Falcons at NO – 3 pts (t-DEF20)

This week was pretty hit-or-miss, as I mentioned it would likely end up in last week’s column. The Dolphins crushed the Texans, just as planned, forcing five turnovers and four sacks while allowing just 17 points. The Raiders put up an admirable effort against the Giants, though that was only enough to make them a fringe DEF1 in deep leagues. Chicago forced four sacks and a fumble-six on Monday Night Football, making them a startable option, but Atlanta fell apart once again when facing a competent offense.

Hitting on a streaming defense requires the right mix of a good-enough defensive unit, an offense ready to hit a snag, contextual factors like weather and Vegas lines to help us indicate expectations, and of course all of that needs to be present for a unit that the majority of fantasy players haven’t identified as a smart start that week. When we’re in the thick of the byes, that gets tougher, but hopefully, you’re finding that you’re the only one streaming in your league so that those top options are available every week while others cling to their “good” defenses in non-ideal matchups. Flexibility is our goal, because – more often than not – it will pay off.