There's only one reason to be reading a Week 16 DST streamers article, so congratulations on still having at least one team in the hunt for a championship. There were a number of QBs benched and injured in Week 15, which creates a lot of uncertainty heading into the semifinals. Fortunately, for those that are streaming defenses this also creates opportunities to exploit matchups against inexperienced QBs.
Only defenses that are rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues qualify for this article. This week we've got one great option that may or may not be available in your league followed by two good DST streamers that are widely available, and one deep option for those with extremely thin waiver wires.
Best Defense To Stream For Fantasy Football Week 16
Green Bay Packers DST vs Saints (41.2% rostered)
The Green Bay defense is rostered in a decent amount of leagues, but it is worth double-checking to make sure they aren't available in yours. The Packers have a talented defense and they have really been coming into their own recently, scoring 9+ fantasy points in three of their last four games. They dominated Seattle on Sunday Night Football, accumulating seven sacks and two turnovers.
In Week 16, the Packers get to play at home against the Saints. New Orleans turned to Spencer Rattler partway through the game in Week 15, and the rookie figures to be under center again in Week 16. Despite leading a spirited comeback to nearly upset the Commanders last week, Rattler hasn't been particularly effective this season and has taken 14 sacks in his four appearances so far.
The matchup could get even better for Green Bay pending news on Alvin Kamara's injury. The Saints are already without many of their top playmakers, and Kamara exited Week 15 early with a groin injury. It's a good matchup either way, but if the Saints are without their best offensive weapon, it should only further tilt things in the Packers' favor, allowing their defense to tee off on the QB.
There are a handful of good streaming options this week, but Green Bay is the one I would feel most confident rolling into the semifinals with. It also doesn't hurt that this is the Monday Night Football game, so you'll still have some hope if your matchup is close following Sunday's games.
More Fantasy DST Streamers For Week 16
Atlanta Falcons DST vs Giants (15.0% rostered)
Atlanta's defense is nothing special, but they have one of the best matchups of Week 16 against a hapless New York Giants offense. At this point in the week, it is unclear who will be starting at QB for New York, but Tim Boyle is the most likely option after Tommy DeVito was ruled out with a concussion in Week 15.
Boyle has a career 5:13 TD-to-INT ratio and has yet to attempt 100 passes in any of his six seasons. The Falcons are also at home, and the early spread has Atlanta favored by 10.5, so this matchup is checking all the boxes for a positive DST game script. If Atlanta can get out to a lead, the Giants will have the lose-lose choice of just running out the clock to get out of there or letting Tim Boyle chuck it to try and come back. Both scenarios favor a solid score for the Falcons DST.
Dec 1, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Kentavius Street (93) sacks Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Giants' offense is averaging fewer than 14 points per game over their last four, and their assorted QBs have thrown at least one interception in three straight. For the season, the Giants are tied for the sixth-worst turnover differential in the NFL. They're the gift that keeps on giving to opposing defenses, which makes Atlanta my second favorite streaming option of Week 16.
Indianapolis Colts DST vs Titans(11.8% rostered)
The Colts defense has given up plenty of yards and points this season, but they also create sacks and turnovers at a high enough rate to be a decent fantasy option. Since Week 6, the Colts have offered a solid fantasy floor, scoring at least five fantasy points in eight of nine matchups, including three games in double figures.
The Colts' Week 16 opponent, the Tennessee Titans, turned the ball over six times in Week 15 and benched Will Levis midway through the game. Regardless of whether Tennessee starts Levis or Mason Rudolph in Week 16, they are a great opponent to start a fantasy defense against. Indy is at home for this matchup which is another positive, and this is a must-win game to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Similar to Green Bay, Indy could also benefit from the opposing offense being without one of their best weapons after Tony Pollard aggravated his ankle injury. Even if Pollard doesn't end up missing time, the Bengals' defense scored 20 fantasy points against this Titans' offense last week, and Cincinnati has had one of the worst defenses all season.
Another reason to prioritize adding the Colts' defense is the ability to play them this week and next, as they get to face the New York Giants in Week 17. As we just covered above, the Giants are also a soft matchup for opposing defenses due to their QB woes, so you could feel confident starting the Colts the rest of the way if no better options present themselves.
Honorable Mentions - Deep DST Streamers For Week 16
Los Angeles Rams DST vs Jets (5.8% rostered)
This is the deep sleeper streaming option of the week. If you fail to get any of the teams mentioned above, you can pivot to the Rams as an option that is available almost everywhere and should give you a usable score.
The Rams' offense is the unit grabbing headlines in LA, but their defense has also played an important role in their recent winning streak. They haven't always held opponents to low scores, but they have been creating turnovers and defensive/special teams scores, which have produced some nice fantasy finishes. Since their Week 6 bye, the Rams' DST has scored double-digit fantasy points in five of nine games.
Having played the 49ers on Thursday, the Rams get a few extra days of rest and preparation heading into their Week 16 tilt with the Jets. This isn't quite as clean of a matchup as the others considering that Los Angeles has to travel across the country for a noon kickoff, and New York is coming off of an emphatic win in which they put up 32 points on the Jaguars. That being said, I do expect the Rams' offense to be able to score which will put pressure on Aaron Rodgers and Co. to keep up. This will give the Rams' defense plenty of opportunities to rack up fantasy points via sacks and turnovers.
