The final week of the fantasy football regular season is here. I hope your team is comfortably in the playoffs and you can turn your attention to Weeks 15-17, but for those of you still battling for a spot, we've got you covered with the top fantasy football defense streamers for Week 14.
With six teams on bye this week, waivers are pretty thin, but there are still a few streamable options you should feel comfortable starting.
To qualify for this list, the DST has to be rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues. I am primarily looking for teams with good matchups this week, but I will also consider their playoff schedule as a tie-breaker when considering who to pick up.
Best Defense To Stream For Fantasy Football Week 14
Tennessee Titans DST vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- 13.4% rostered in ESPN leagues
The Titans have a good defense, they are giving up the second-fewest yards per game across the entire NFL, but their offense is so bad that they are constantly being put in tough situations. As a result, they are giving up the sixth most points per game.
Tennessee is also coming off their worst performance of the year as a fantasy defense after giving up 42 points to the Washington Commanders. If they weren't already available in your league, there is a good chance they will be after waivers run. I think dropping them would be a mistake, though, as they have a great matchup against the Jaguars in Week 14. Jacksonville will likely have Mac Jones at QB after Trevor Lawrence suffered a scary concussion during the game on Sunday.
Despite starting just two games (and appearing in five), Jones has five turnovers (three INTs and two fumbles) for the season so far. The Jaguars haven't been great with Lawrence at QB, but it is a notable downgrade with Jones in his place. He did play decently in relief of Lawrence this week, but the larger sample size this season has been quite bad.
This game opened with a 39.5-point game total and the Titans favored by 3.5, so it's safe to say Vegas does not like the outlook for the Jaguars' offense. If Tennessee can get out to an early lead and force Jones to drop back and throw, this defense could have a field day with turnovers and sacks. If they manage to get a defensive TD, they could be a real difference-maker for fantasy managers needing a win to get into the fantasy playoffs. There are other decent streaming options that I'll get to next, but the Titans have the most upside of this group which makes them my preferred streaming target for Week 14.
More Fantasy DST Streamers For Week 14
Cincinnati Bengals DST vs Dallas Cowboys
- 24.3% rostered in ESPN leagues
The Bengals' defense hasn't been on anyone's streaming radar for a while. They have given up 34+ points in four of their five most recent games and also had their bye in Week 12, so they are probably on your waiver wire. The important thing to recognize is that they have been facing a really tough schedule, including games against the Eagles, Ravens, Chargers, and Steelers.
Cincinnati's next three games are all much more favorable for their defense. In Week 14 they get to take on Cooper Rush and the Dallas Cowboys. Rush hasn't exactly been a gift to opposing defenses as he doesn't turn the ball over often and generally avoids taking sacks. That plan only really works when Dallas has success running the ball and can keep things close as they have in their last two games. They might be able to pull it off again, but my money is on Cincinnati taking out their frustrations on Dallas in a blowout win.
Bengals Cam Taylor-Britt (29) intercepts the ball and runs it back for a Bengals touchdown during their game against the Steelers at Paycor Stadium on Sunday December 1, 2024. Steelers lead the game at halftime with a score of 27-21. Credit: Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If we're looking for a template of how things could break in Cincinnati's favor, look no further than the Cowboys vs. Texans game from Monday Night Football in Week 11. Houston never trailed and they shut down the Cowboys' rushing attack, which forced Cooper Rush to throw the ball 55 times! He actually had decent success, putting up 354 passing yards, but he also took five sacks and threw an interception.
Houston's defense is better than Cincinnati's, but a similar game script is possible thanks to the Bengals' offense. Joe Burrow and Co. are putting up points on everybody, so it is reasonable to expect them to score early and often in this game, too. After a few tough matchups where the defense ultimately didn't do enough for Cincinnati to beat some good teams, I'm sure they would love to make a statement in a primetime game in Dallas.
Another point in Cincinnati's favor is the fact that in the first two weeks of the fantasy playoffs, they have matchups against the Titans and the Browns, who are both led by turnover-prone QBs. In a world where Cincinnati puts on a good showing against Dallas, you could continue to start them into the fantasy playoffs. If your opponents are hoarding defenses heading into the playoffs, I like the Bengals as a sneaky DST that could be startable for the next three weeks.
Chicago Bears DST vs San Francisco 49ers
- 30.5% rostered in ESPN leagues
Streaming a defense against the San Francisco 49ers is not something I would have recommended often over the last few years. However, these are not the same 49ers we have been used to watching under Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco has lost their last two games by a combined score of 73-20 and their playoff hopes are rapidly disappearing.
Adding insult to injury (or vice-versa), both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason are injured and out for this game. Not only will the offense suffer from missing their top two ball carriers, but the vibes are truly horrendous, so it is easy to envision the team unraveling down the stretch.
For their part, the Bears' defense has been solid but not spectacular since their bye week. After starting the season on a strong run against weak opponents, things have flipped and they have played a much tougher schedule, which has produced mediocre results for fantasy. All things considered, I believe they are an average to slightly above-average defensive unit.
Even with the injuries to San Francisco's star players, this may not be an ideal matchup, but there are a few trends that make me think Chicago is startable in this game. First and foremost, Brock Purdy is having the worst season of his career. He has the lowest TD rate and the highest interception rate of his career so far. He has also been playing his worst football of the season in his last two games, with his two lowest yards per attempt performances of the season.
Most of that is likely due to the situation/injury rather than Purdy actually being worse, but the fact remains that this is the least efficient 49ers passing attack we have seen in years. It's also worth mentioning that Purdy has taken two or more sacks in each of his last four games. Meanwhile, Chicago's defense has forced at least one turnover in five straight games. In a tough week for waivers, that might be as good as you can do for a streaming defense.
