NFL

3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 16

Selecting a defense is never the most glamorous part of fantasy football. It often goes overlooked for the more fun positions that people want to watch and root for during the game. The good news is that if our opponents aren’t putting too much thought into their defense, we can gain an advantage with some research. So let’s dig in and try to identify some defenses that could be in a good position to score fantasy points this week.

Some defenses in Week 16 get a boost by playing in weather that will slow down offenses, so let's take a look at those ones that could be in better spots.

Buffalo Bills

FanDuel Salary: $4,800

The Buffalo Bills are closing to clinching the AFC East title for the third season in a row. The praise often goes to Josh Allen, but the defense definitely deserves recognition. They rank as the eighth-best defense by numberFire's metrics, and they are also good in fantasy.

The Buffalo D/ST ranks fifth in fantasy points per game. This is mostly because of takeaways, as they are tied for fourth in that category with 22. They also get a good amount of sacks, racking up 37, which is the 11th-most in the league. They'll have a matchup against a team that struggles in both areas.

The Bills are on the road this week against the Chicago Bears. Chicago has allowed the most sacks in the league and has turned the ball over the eighth-most times this season. They already rank 30th in passing offense, and if the weather is bad in this game, it could get ugly for Justin Fields and company.

Chicago has an implied team total of just 16 points, and the Bills should be able to shut them down in this spot.

Cleveland Browns

FanDuel Salary: $4,100

The Cleveland Browns are not having the season they hoped for, sitting at 6-8. They aren't totally out of the playoffs yet but would need a miracle. That could start this week in what looks like an ugly game.

The Cleveland D/ST has really come to life in the past three games. They have five sacks and seven takeaways in the last three weeks and were lucky enough to have three touchdowns in Week 13. With the talent they have on defense, they should be able to come to life in any game. That's especially true in this matchup.

The Browns are facing off against the New Orleans Saints at home on Saturday. This Saints' offense is not one to fear, especially with Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry unable to play this week. Their implied team total is just 15 points in this game.

The other big factor in this game is the weather. The forecast currently says there will be 28 mph winds, which will significantly hurt the passing game. The Saints' running attack is 27th in the league, and if they are forced to run because of the weather, they are likely to struggle to move the ball.

Atlanta Falcons

FanDuel Salary: $3,400

The Atlanta D/ST has not been one we've wanted to roster this season. They are dead last in pressure rate and also the worst team in adjusted sack rate. But their salary is low enough and the situation is good enough to put them in consideration this week.

The Atlanta defense hasn't been the worst in fantasy all season. They do have two games above double-digit fantasy points. At least we know they are capable of having good games despite not getting after the quarterback much.

The Atlanta Falcons are on the road this week against the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore has really struggled with Tyler Huntley at quarterback, scoring just 29 points in three games where he's taken the majority of the snaps. He has yet to throw a touchdown and has been picked off twice.

This game being outdoors also helps the Falcons' defense, as it's expected to be cold with 15 mph winds in Baltimore. The Falcons are the third-best value in our projections and can be considered in any format.


Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.