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Week 16 defense streamers with upside. Our favorite fantasy football D/ST streamers, pickups and starts for 2025. Read our updated D/ST rankings for Week 16.
If you're reading this article, then congrats on making it to the next round of the fantasy football playoffs -- which in most leagues is the semi-finals. It may be late in the week, but there's always an opportunity to tweak your lineup and improve your changes of winning.
We all know the importance of a strong performance from your D/ST position, and Week 16 still presents some opportunity for defense streamers to pickup and start off the waiver wire.
The defenses listed below are still available in many formats, and have upside based on their matchups to help fantasy managers win their Week 16 matchups. You will also find our updated D/ST rankings. Good luck RotoBallers!
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Top Week 16 Defense Streamers (D/ST)
Only defenses rostered in fewer than 70% of fantasy football leagues are considered potential streamers.
New Orleans Saints D/ST vs. NYJ
62% Rostered
The New Orleans Saints D/ST allowed 17 points, recording one sack and one fumble recovery in the Week 15 victory against the Panthers. The Saints defense has been surprisingly solid all season, allowing 23.7 points per game (19th), 311.2 yards per game (11th), and ranking 19th in takeaways.
They draw an ideal matchup in Week 16 against the Jets, who have turned the ball over three times in each of their last two games and have allowed 50 sacks on the year, the third-highest total in the league. New York will also start rookie quarterback Brady Cook, who threw three interceptions and was sacked three times against the Jaguars. The Saints D/ST is a top-tier fantasy option this week.
Minnesota Vikings D/ST @ NYG
43% Rostered
The Minnesota Vikings' defense/special teams can be considered a startable fantasy option in Week 16 when taking on the last-place New York Giants. Minnesota will be without edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (shoulder) and do-it-all safety Joshua Metellus (shoulder), both of whom opted for surgery with the team out of playoff contention, but the Vikings have been an overall good defense that ranks seventh in yards per play allowed and fourth in pressure percentage.
The Giants have had some enjoyable moments with quarterback Jaxson Dart at the helm, but are ultimately a 2-12 team playing out the string with an interim head coach, a rookie quarterback, and a host of injuries.
Through 15 weeks, New York ranks in the bottom 10 in completion percentage (28th), penalties (27th), passing touchdowns (23rd), and red-zone touchdown percentage (27th). Rookies typically haven't fared well against defensive coordinator Brian Flores' exotic blitzes, which gives the Vikings starting potential this week.
Kansas City Chiefs @ TEN
69% Rostered
The Kansas City Chiefs defense will take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 16. The Chiefs defense has struggled mightily over the last six games, losing five of six and allowing 20 or more points in five of six. The Kansas City defense was able to hold the Los Angeles Chargers to 16 points in Week 15, but they were unable to come away with the win.
The Chiefs should have an easier time this week against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are tied for the second-fewest points per game this season, averaging 16.1 points per game. The Chiefs have also gotten a takeaway in two of their last three games and have three or more sacks in back-to-back games.
The Kansas City defensive unit is ranked as the third-best defense in our RotoBaller rankings, making them one of the best options at the position this week.
San Francisco 49ers @ IND
37% Rostered
This one is a bit riskier, but may be viable based on the other options available to you. The San Francisco 49ers D/ST allowed 24 points to the Titans in Week 15 and failed to record a turnover or a sack, even though Cam Ward is tied with two others as the most-sacked quarterback in the league. The 49ers have now recorded an interception in only three games, have 16 sacks on the season, and own the league's second-lowest pressure rate.
In Week 16, San Francisco will take on the Colts, led by 44-year-old Philip Rivers. The rust was evident in Rivers' first game in five years when he faced the Seahawks last week, so the 49ers defense may have a chance to limit the damage from Rivers and the Colts offense. The 49ers' track record in 2025 makes them hard to trust in the semi-final round of the fantasy football playoffs, but it's an inviting matchup due to the Colts' quarterback situation for those who need a streamer off the waiver wire with some upside.
Week 16 D/ST Rankings
Read more defense news and updates for Week 16
| D/ST Tier | D/ST Rank |
D/ST Name | Pos. |
| 1 | 1 | Houston Texans Defense | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Buffalo Bills Defense | DST |
| 1 | 3 | New Orleans Saints Defense | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Kansas City Chiefs Defense | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Philadelphia Eagles Defense | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Minnesota Vikings Defense | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Denver Broncos Defense | DST |
| 3 | 8 | San Francisco 49ers Defense | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Seattle Seahawks Defense | DST |
| 4 | 11 | Los Angeles Rams Defense | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Jacksonville Jaguars Defense | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Detroit Lions Defense | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys Defense | DST |
| 4 | 15 | New York Giants Defense | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Carolina Panthers Defense | DST |
| 5 | 17 | New England Patriots Defense | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Chicago Bears Defense | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Cincinnati Bengals Defense | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Green Bay Packers Defense | DST |
| 5 | 21 | Atlanta Falcons Defense | DST |
| 5 | 22 | Los Angeles Chargers Defense | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Tennessee Titans Defense | DST |
| 6 | 24 | New York Jets Defense | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Miami Dolphins Defense | DST |
| 6 | 26 | Cleveland Browns Defense | DST |
| 6 | 27 | Arizona Cardinals Defense | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Baltimore Ravens Defense | DST |
| 7 | 29 | Indianapolis Colts Defense | DST |
| 7 | 30 | Pittsburgh Steelers Defense | DST |
| 7 | 31 | Wash. Commanders Defense | DST |
| 7 | 32 | Las Vegas Raiders Defense | DST |
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 16 Defense Decisions. Today's focus is on specific team defenses - New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 16.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 16 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 16 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 16 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 16 for defenses like the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions:
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