Must-Start Defenses (D/ST) for Week 15 Fantasy Football (2025)

Jorden's must-start fantasy football waiver wire defenses (D/ST) to stream and start for Week 15 of the 2025 season. His fantasy defense start 'em, sit 'em picks.

Most fantasy football leagues are beginning their playoffs in Week 15. With the postseason upon us, every decision is absolutely crucial! RotoBaller's Jorden Hill is here to help with his top Defense (D/ST) Must Starts for Week 15!

We've got you covered with Week 15 D/ST streamer options to give you the tools needed to set those winning lineups and dominate your matchups in the fantasy playoffs!

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• Running back (RB) rankings
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• Defense (D/ST) rankings
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2025 Fantasy Football: Week 15 Defenses To Start (D/ST)

Jorden Hill drops his top Defenses for Week 15 of the 2025 fantasy football season:

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Week 15 Fantasy Football Defense Outlooks

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs. LV

It remains to be seen if Geno Smith (hand) will be healthy enough to play after leaving last week's game early due to a hand injury. If he can't go, Kenny Pickett will likely draw his first start of the season. Whoever starts for the Raiders under center in Week 15, though, doesn't really matter. The Eagles' D/ST will be a must-start option this week.

The Raiders have given up the most sacks (50) in the NFL through 14 weeks, and the offensive line has allowed 29 sacks over the last five games. Considering the Eagles rank eighth in pressure rate, they should be in for a strong defensive performance. Philadelphia just sacked Justin Herbert seven times in last week’s game.

Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST vs. NYJ

At this point, the Jets quarterback situation remains a mystery. Justin Fields is dealing with a knee injury that caused him to miss last week's game, and Tyrod Taylor left last week's contest early due to a groin injury. That resulted in undrafted rookie Brady Cook seeing the majority of reps under center for the Jets in Week 14. He completed just 46% of his passes for 163 yards and two interceptions in his first career action.

While Fields or Taylor could be healthy enough to start in Week 15, the Jaguars' D/ST will be a top-5 play in all formats. Jacksonville has allowed under 20 points in four straight games and has totaled 13 sacks during this four-game span. As a result, this group could have a strong defensive day on Sunday. The Jets have also allowed 47 sacks this season (tied for the third-most in the NFL).

Houston Texans D/ST vs. ARI

The Houston Texans are the best defense in the NFL. They have held the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs to under 20 points in three consecutive games while totaling 11 sacks and forcing six turnovers during this span. Therefore, the Texans will come in as the overall No. 1 D/ST this week against the Arizona Cardinals.

Houston's defense has scored at least 10 fantasy points in three of its last four games and ranks in the top 10 in both total sacks (36) and pass rush win rate this season. So, the Texans' D/ST should be started in every format this week. Jacoby Brissett has been sacked at least three times in five of his last seven starts, and the Cardinals have scored more than 24 points once since Week 6.

San Francisco 49ers D/ST vs. TEN

The San Francisco 49ers' defense has played well against inconsistent offenses in recent weeks. This unit allowed nine points, totaled one sack, and forced two turnovers against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12 and then held the Cleveland Browns to only eight points in Week 13. So, fantasy managers can trust this 49ers' D/ST in all leagues this week.

Although the 49ers rank toward the bottom of the league in pressure rate, the Titans are a great matchup for them. Tennessee ranks 31st in sacks allowed (49), 32nd in yards per game (246.2), and 31st in points scored per game (15.5). That's enough reason to start this San Francisco D/ST in Week 15. Cam Ward has been sacked at least three times in seven of his last eight contests.

Carolina Panthers D/ST at NO

While the Panthers haven't been able to get a ton of pressure on quarterbacks this season, this defense has played better in recent weeks. Carolina forced Brock Purdy to throw three interceptions in Week 12 and then forced Matthew Stafford to have his worst game of the season in Week 13. The secondary forced three turnovers (including a pick-six) in that contest against the Rams.

Therefore, the Panthers' D/ST will come in at the top of Tier 3 this week. Tyler Shough has been sacked 12 times over the past three games, and the Saints' offensive line ranks 32nd in pass block win rate.

Week 15 D/ST Rankings

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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 15 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding defenses like the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 15. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.

Week 15 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific defenses like the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 15.

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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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, 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, enhanced search results with data to compare, and 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 circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.

Popular Week 15 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 15 (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 15 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons

Below are some popular Week 15 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for the compared to others:

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