X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 14 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts: 2017 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

It's Week 14, which is the playoffs for most leagues. If you haven't looked ahead with defenses, it's more important now than ever to stream effectively. Below are RotoBaller's Week 14 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream and start for Week 14 of the NFL and fantasy football season. Our tiered defense rankings are your guide to drafting defenses, making waiver wire pickups/adds to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 14.

Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker, so we have broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup. Some of these Week 14 defenses have good matchups and are not widely owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league's waiver wire for a Week 14 pickup or add.

Just as a heads-up, when I mention DST scores, I am referring to ESPN's default PPR scoring. Let me know what you think on Twitter (@Roto_Dubs). Good luck in Week 14 RotoBallers!

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

 

Week 14 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Tier 1 Defenses (The "Duh" DSTs)

1. New England Patriots (@ MIA)

Remember when we all used to make fun of the Patriots DST for being absolute booty? Those days are long gone. The Patriots DST is averaging 12.2 fantasy points per game over the last five weeks, and they'll draw a Miami Dolphins offense that ranks 29th in the NFL in total offense. This game should be a bloodbath, and there's almost no way the Pats don't pick off Cutler at least twice and toss in a handful of sacks. Ultra-high floor with plenty of ceiling is enough to take the one-spot this week.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BAL)

The Steelers will be without Ryan Shazier for the foreseeable future after a violent collision in their game on Monday night against the Bengals, and that definitely affects how vulnerable they'll be over the middle. However, the Ravens are still 30th in the NFL in total offense and will likely be playing from behind against the powerful Steelers offense. Add in the fact that the Steelers are at home and there is no reason not to love the Pittsburgh DST this weekend despite Shazier's absence.

3. Seattle Seahawks (@ JAX)

The Seahawks still boast a top-seven run defense and should have no problem neutralizing Leonard Fournette--or at the very least holding him in check. Forced to rely on the passing game, Jacksonville should struggle to put points on the board, despite Bortles coming off one of his best games of the season. He shredded the Indianapolis secondary for 300 yards and two scores--but the Seahawks ain't the Colts.

4. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. WAS)

The Chargers might be the most dangerous team in the NFL down the stretch thanks in large part to their resurgent defense. After a very slow start to the season, this unit has been unstoppable in every way. Since Week 7, this DST is averaging over 14 fantasy points per game, almost three sacks per game, and has tallied 15 total turnovers in that time frame (thanks Nathan Peterman). This week they get a Washington team that has allowed the eighth-most sacks in the NFL. Start this DST with confidence.

 
 
Tier 2 Defenses (Rock-Solid Starts)

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. SEA) 

There is still plenty of reason to like the Jaguars top-ranked DST despite what would appear to be a tough matchup against the Seahawks. Russell Wilson is still playing at an MVP level, but his offensive line will be hard-pressed to stop the Jags front seven led by Calais Campbell. I don't see any way the Jags finish with fewer than three sacks, and if any secondary is going to give Wilson fits it's the Seahawks, who allow the seventh-fewest yards per attempt to quarterbacks (6.6).

6. Green Bay Packers (@ CLE)

Stream against the Browns. They lead the league in turnovers, are third in sacks allowed, and are 24th in total offense. Green Bay has done nothing impressive this season, but you simply can't miss streaming against the Browns. Josh Gordon can only do so much by himself!

7. Buffalo Bills (vs. IND)

The Bills actually did a better job against the Patriots than the score would indicate. They pressured Tom Brady all game and got to him for three sacks and a pick, and actually kept him under 300 yards passing and out the end zone. Little victories, alright? They should have no trouble maintaining that pressure against the comically-bad Colts offensive line, which is currently nine sacks ahead of the next-closest team in sacks allowed for the season (51). High floor here in what should be a relatively low-scoring game.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. CHI)

The Bengals faltered against the Steelers (as most teams do), but they are still very much alive in the playoff race, and they'll be bringing everything they've got at home against the Bears. They'll be without George Iloka who was suspended one game this week, but the Bears simply don't have enough weapons to overcome the Bengals stingy secondary, which is currently eighth in the NFL in passing yards allowed. Mitch Trubisky has only surpassed 179 passing yards once this season, so there is almost no chance of a blow-up here. If you just need a solid outing from a DST in the playoffs, the Bengals are a nice streaming option.

9. Dallas Cowboys (@ NYG)

The Cowboys have been a hit-or-miss streaming option for 2017, but I think it's safe to bank on them being a "hit" this week against the dysfunctional Giants. The entire organization is in flux, and while Eli Manning will start once again his confidence is likely at an all-time low. The potential for turnovers is huge here, and Eli still has very little to work with outside of Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard (kinda). The Cowboys should be available everywhere, making them a true streaming option for those who haven't stashed away DSTs for the playoffs.

10. Chicago Bears (@ CIN)

Andy Dalton has quietly had a terrific second half, with a 9:0 TD-INT ratio over his last four games. He and A.J. Green are lighting it up like the days of old--but this Bears defense is trickier than most. They're 12th-best in preventing passing offense, and 10th in total sacks. Cincinnati isn't great at protecting Dalton, as they've given up the 12th-most sacks in the NFL this season. The big key here is that the Bengals could be without Joe Mixon, their dynamic rookie running back, due to a concussion. If Mixon plays, move the Bears to the top of Tier 3. If he doesn't, I like them as a streamer.

11. Detroit Lions (@ TB)

I'm not sure I'm ready to trust Jameis Winston yet, despite his impressive showing in his return from a shoulder injury in Week 13. The Lions DST has been particularly underwhelming in recent weeks, only producing usable point totals if and when they score a DST touchdown. It's impossible to count on touchdowns, and therefore the Lions are on the weaker side of streaming options this week. The possibility of a Jameis meltdown exists, but the Lions simply haven't been putting up points outside of the DST touchdowns.

 
 
Tier 3 Defenses (Decent Streamers)

12. Minnesota Vikings (@ CAR)
13. New Orleans Saints (@ ATL)

14. Philadelphia Eagles (@ LAR)
15. Houston Texans (vs. SF)
16. Los Angeles Rams (vs. PHI)

 

Tier 4 Defenses (Deep Streamers)

17. New York Jets (@ DEN)
18. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. OAK)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. DET)
20. New York Giants (vs. DAL)

 

Tier 5 Defenses (Desperation Plays)

21. Baltimore Ravens (@ PIT)
22. Tennessee Titans (@ ARI)
23. San Francisco 49ers (@ HOU)
24. Arizona Cardinals (vs. TEN)

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF