Defenses (DEF) to Start in Week 16 (2025): Best Fantasy Playoffs Streaming Options

December 13, 2025

Frank analyzes which defenses (DEF) to sit or start in Week 16 (2025), and provides his best fantasy football playoffs D/ST streaming options and schedules.

The best way to get ahead of the waiver wire rush is to target defense/special teams (DST) streamers a week in advance. These DSTs are almost always easy to get, since your leaguemates are focused on the current week.

In this column, we'll dive into some of my favorite DST streamers for Week 16. If you're looking for this week's analysis, you can also check out our favorite Week 15 defense streamers and tiered rankings.

These picks are based on head-to-head matchups, potential game environments, and other factors. Each of the recommendations is rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo! formats.

Best DST Streaming Options For Week 16

New Orleans Saints DST vs. New York Jets

8% Rostered

The Saints are averaging 5.8 fantasy points per game, which ranks as DST20 on the season. However, we've seen this group show a reasonable ceiling at times, putting up 11, 12, and 18 as their three best fantasy games.

New Orleans has forced an interception in four consecutive games, while racking up three or more sacks in two of their last three.

Week 16 features a terrific matchup at home against the Jets. Whether it's Tyrod Taylor, Justin Fields, or Brady Cook under center, the Saints will have plenty of opportunities to rack up sacks and turnovers.

Remember, mediocre defenses can still put up big performances in the right matchup. When the Saints put up 18 back in Week 5, it was at home against the Giants in Jaxson Dart's second career start.

We could see them get back to double-digits against this abysmal Jets team.

New York Giants D/ST vs. Minnesota Vikings

2% Rostered

The Giants are putting up only 2.6 fantasy points per game, which ranks as DST32. The highest output of the season was only six points, back in Week 6 against the Eagles.

However, this is a group that has racked up three sacks in its last two games. They have the edge rushers to cause trouble to opposing quarterbacks, but we just haven't seen it all year.

With that said, things could change in Week 16 in a home game against J.J. McCarthy, who has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this season.

Don't be surprised if the Giants force McCarthy into a few turnovers in this one. Perhaps we'll see improvement out of this group as they come out of their Week 14 bye. We'll monitor them closely as they take on the Commanders.

If all goes well there, you can feel free to pick them up for their matchup vs the Vikings. The G-Men are a deep league play with a boom-or-bust range of outcomes.

Atlanta Falcons D/ST at Arizona Cardinals

24% Rostered

The Falcons are putting up 6.5 fantasy points per game, coming in at DST13 on the season. Unlike the Giants, the Falcons have shown a high ceiling this year, with games of 10, 10, 16, and 21 points.

It's a group that has racked up five or more sacks in four of its last six games. While they're on the road in Week 16, it could be a spot where they can get a ton of pressure on Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals.

James Pearce Jr. is pretty, pretty good. pic.twitter.com/oU5vsrM8p4

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) December 7, 2025

Arizona is going to be playing without left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. against the Texans in Week 15. He's currently week-to-week with a knee issue. That puts his status in serious doubt for Week 16 as well.

With that in mind, there's a legitimate chance that Brissett is under constant duress in this matchup, which could lead to turnovers. Don't be surprised if promising rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has an absolute field day in this one.

The Falcons are likely to go overlooked because they're on the road, but there's a lot to like here, especially with the high ceiling they've shown several times this season.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST vs. Los Angeles Chargers

11% Rostered

The Cowboys are putting up only 4.0 fantasy points per game, which ranks as DST29 on the season. However, they've been able to put up a decent output at times, including 15 in Week 7, 13 in Week 9, and 9 in Week 11.

While they've put up -1, 2, and 5 in the last three weeks, those were tough matchups against Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts. When Dallas faced the likes of Geno Smith, Jacoby Brissett, and Marcus Mariota, that's when they had their best fantasy games of the year.

True, Justin Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. However, it's a bad situation for him. The Chargers' offensive line is decimated with injuries, which has put Herbert under constant pressure lately.

Herbert just got sacked seven times in the Chargers' overtime win over the Eagles. In fact, Herbert has been sacked five or more times in three of his last five games.

That's the kind of situation that we want to target in the fantasy playoffs. Add in the fact that the Cowboys need to win out to make the postseason, and you can see why this looks appealing.

It's also worth noting that since the Cowboys acquired Quinnen Williams, teams have tried to air it out against them at a much higher rate, since their run defense has significantly improved. More dropbacks mean more opportunities for sacks and turnovers, which is what we're looking for here.

San Francisco 49ers D/ST at Indianapolis Colts

26% Rostered

My final pick is the 49ers, who are averaging 4.7 fantasy points per game, putting them at DST25 on the season. However, they've shown improvement as of late, going for 11 and 9 points in their last two games.

If this were earlier in the year, a matchup against the Colts would be one to avoid. However, with Daniel Jones out for the season due to a torn Achilles, it's time to start targeting this team in our search for fantasy points.

The Colts brought back Philip Rivers from retirement. The 44-year-old hasn't played since 2020. While I think he can provide what Joe Flacco did for the Bengals earlier this year, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to target him here.

Remember, Rivers is a statuesque quarterback with zero mobility, so we could be a sitting duck for this 49ers pass rush.

Perhaps we can start to see some improvement from the 49ers as they come out of the bye. Watch their matchup against the Titans closely in Week 15. If they look good, which is likely, considering Cam Ward's struggles, you can make the move for this spot vs the Colts.

Other Notable Matchups:

• Kansas City Chiefs (51% rostered) at Tennessee Titans
• Buffalo Bills (52% rostered) at Cleveland Browns
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (69% rostered) at Carolina Panthers

The Chiefs and Bills have smash spots against rookie quarterbacks in Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, while the Bucs can cause problems for Bryce Young. Even though these DSTs are heavily rostered, there's a chance that they'll be available in your league because their Week 15 matchups aren't noteworthy.

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