Top Fantasy Football Playoffs D/ST Rankings (Weeks 16, 17) - Defense Streamers and Starts (2025)

December 21, 2025

Joey's best fantasy football playoffs defense streamers and D/ST rankings for Weeks 16, 17 in 2025. NFL team defense streamers and starts based on strength of schedule.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football playoffs D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2025 season. Each week, we will go through the best defensive streaming options that fantasy managers should pick up for the coming weeks. 

Only two weeks remain in most fantasy leagues, meaning now is the time to plan out your defenses for the final two weeks. Making sure that you have a defense for both Week 16 and Week 17 is vital at this point in the season.

So, let's look at the best defensive targets for the final two rounds of the fantasy football playoffs (Weeks 16, 17). If you want our D/ST fantasy football rankings, be sure to check that out. So, let's dive in and look at the best defensive streamers and starts for Week 16 and beyond.

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Weeks 16-17

This weekly series will focus on defenses fantasy managers should consider picking up for the coming weeks. We will look at defenses fantasy managers should pick up for Week 16 and some defenses to pick up for the fantasy football championship. Rostering two defenses at this point in the season is a smart strategy.

So, we will break down the best defensive streamers into a few categories (Temporary, Part-Time, Recruit, and Fool's Gold) in this article below. You can see the description of each of those streamer types down below:

• “Temporary” Streamer: D/ST with a good matchup in Week 16
• “Part-Time” Streamer: D/ST with multiple nice matchups in a row
• “Recruit” Streamer: D/ST with an easy upcoming schedule that you pick up earlier to stash on your bench
• “Fool’s Gold” Streamer: D/ST that on paper looks like a good option, but should be avoided 

Week 16 D/ST Streamers

Since this is a streamer D/ST article, we will only look at defenses that are rostered in under 60% of ESPN leagues. There are other fantastic D/ST matchups as well for this week, so check out our Week 16 defense streamers and tiered rankings article to see the full list:

Buffalo Bills D/ST (Week 16 Target)

• Week 16 Opponent: Cleveland Browns
• ESPN Rostership: 43.8%
• Over-Under: 42 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 16

The Buffalo Bills are one of the best defensive targets for the second round of the fantasy football playoffs. Although this Buffalo defense has struggled in recent weeks, this matchup is a prime opportunity for this unit to bounce back. Shedeur Sanders has been inconsistent as Cleveland's quarterback and didn't look great last week against the Chicago Bears. Sanders threw three interceptions and was sacked five times in that loss.

The first 2 sack game for Milano in his NFL career. 😤 pic.twitter.com/PS28v1CocK

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 15, 2025

As a result, Buffalo's D/ST will be a top-3 play in Week 16. Cleveland ranks 20th in pass block win rate through 15 weeks and could be without most of its offensive line due to injuries again this weekend. The Bills have also done a solid job of forcing turnovers recently, as they have forced 13 turnovers over their last nine games.

Kansas City Chiefs D/ST (Week 16 Target)

• Week 16 Opponent: Tennessee Titans
• ESPN Rostership: 30.3%
• Over-Under: 36 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 16.5

The Kansas City Chiefs will be a strong defensive target for fantasy managers in Week 16. With a matchup against the Tennessee Titans on the horizon, this D/ST will be a top-5 play in most formats. The Chiefs have totaled seven sacks over the past two games and currently rank fifth in points allowed per game (19.1).

Both those things should come into play against the Titans, considering that offense ranks 29th in sacks allowed and 31st in points scored per game this season. Given that Cam Ward has been sacked at least three times in seven of his last nine starts, the Chiefs' D/ST is a fantastic start in most leagues. Kansas City also ranks seventh in pass rush win rate this season.

New Orleans Saints D/ST (Week 16 and Week 17 Target)

• Week 16 Opponent: New York Jets
• Week 17 Opponent: Tennessee Titans
• ESPN Rostership: 4.8%
• Over-Under: 38.5 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 18.5

If you are looking for a defense to start in both Week 16 and Week 17, the New Orleans Saints are one of the best D/ST options. This group will play the New York Jets in Week 16 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 17. Both of those matchups certainly work in New Orleans' favor.

The Jets could turn to rookie Brady Cook again in Week 16, with both Justin Fields (knee) and Tyrod Taylor (groin) dealing with injuries. In Cook's first career start last week, he threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. If he starts again, the Saints would be a top-5 play in all formats. New York's offensive line has also given up the third-most sacks in the NFL (50).

4TH DOWN STOP 😤#Saints | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/2JrlBJpkJu

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 14, 2025

Then, fantasy managers can start this Saints' D/ST again in Week 17. The Titans have struggled offensively for most of the year, and the offensive line has given up the fourth-most sacks in the NFL (49). For that reason, this New Orleans defense is a sneaky fantasy target for both Week 16 and Week 17 of the fantasy football playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings D/ST (Week 16 Target)

• Week 16 Opponent: New York Giants
• ESPN Rostership: 38.2%
• Over-Under: 45 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 20.5

The Minnesota Vikings' D/ST has some fantasy appeal in some leagues this week against the New York Giants. If defenses like the Bills, Chiefs, and Saints are all unavailable in your leagues, the Vikings aren't necessarily a bad pivot in most cases. Minnesota has tallied multiple sacks in 12 of 14 games this season and currently ranks second in pressure rate.

Considering the Vikings blitz more than any defense in the NFL, that pressure could lead to some trouble for rookie Jaxson Dart. Dart has been solid under center for the Giants, but the team has scored 21 points or fewer in four of his last five starts. He has also been sacked multiple times in six of his previous seven starts. That all makes this Minnesota D/ST a potential option.

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (Week 17 Target)

• Week 17 Opponent: Houston Texans
• ESPN Rostership: 39.2%
• Over-Under: N/A
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: N/A

The Los Angeles Chargers have sneakily been one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past two months. They have allowed 19 points or fewer in six of their last seven games and have totaled 23 sacks during this span. While fantasy managers can't use this D/ST in Week 16 against the Cowboys, this Chargers' defense is worth a look for Week 17.

rt to #probowlvote daiyan henley

📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/GEMqpLGfEM

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 14, 2025

The Chargers will play the Texans in the fantasy football championship. Houston has been an inconsistent offense for most of the season, and the offensive line ranks 31st in pass block win rate. With the Chargers playing extremely well on that side of the ball, they are a sneaky option for Week 17. This D/ST is still available in over 60% of ESPN leagues.

Fool’s Gold D/ST Streamers

New York Giants D/ST vs. Minnesota Vikings

• Week 16 Opponent: Minnesota Vikings
• ESPN Rostership: 6.2%

Some fantasy managers might be looking to add the New York Giants' D/ST for Week 16. This matchup against the Vikings is a favorable one, considering Minnesota has allowed 47 sacks (tied for the fifth-most), and J.J. McCarthy hasn't proved much in his first season under center. However, it's best to avoid this New York defense in all formats.

This unit has allowed at least 29 points in six of its last eight games and currently ranks 32nd in fantasy points scored. So, this D/ST is just too risky to trust in the second round of the fantasy football playoffs.

D/ST Streamers for Week 17 (Recruit Streamers)

If you have Week 16 already figured out, let's look ahead at some defensive options that you could start in Week 17:

• Detroit Lions (60.5% rostership) - Week 17 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
• Los Angeles Chargers (39.2% rostership) - Week 17 Opponent: Houston Texans (highlighted above)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (34.1% rostership) - Week 17 Opponent: Miami Dolphins

D/ST Streaming Action Plan: Next Two Weeks

Planning out your fantasy D/ST might require some work, but it might be necessary to target the best matchups every single week. Here is how I would line up my defensive streams over the next two weeks. 

Option 1: 

• Week 16: Stream the Bills versus the Browns
• Week 17: Stream the Lions versus the Vikings

Option 2: 

• Week 16: Stream the Saints versus the Jets
• Week 17: Stream the Saints versus the Titans

Option 3: 

• Week 16: Stream the Chiefs versus the Titans
• Week 17: Stream the Chargers versus the Texans

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