Fantasy Football Week 17 Defense Rankings and Streamers feat. Bears, Rams & Raiders

It's Week 17 of the fantasy football season, and for some, that means a chance to battle for the Super Bowl.

For most players still going, however, it's consolation brackets or the chance to finish one spot higher. For the unlucky masses that have been lowered by fate, fantasy football can be a cruel and cold place.

There were huge performances from unexpected areas in Week 16, with George Pickens and Amari Cooper putting up career numbers and for the latter, franchise records. There's simply nothing you can do when you draw the short straw in these situations, as close games get blown apart.

While the best defense in fantasy football is a great offense, that doesn't mean you can ignore the position entirely. There have been huge performances this season from defenses, and there will be more this weekend. Knowing which defense it will be is something of an inexact science.

Week 17 is a mess when it comes to defensive projections. Many of the highest-scoring defenses have bad matchups, meaning it's both a dream and a nightmare for streamers. As defenses and kickers can be the difference in close games, let's look at the best-projected defenses heading into Week 17:

---

Fantasy Football Week 17 Best Defenses

1. Los Angeles Rams (@ Giants) - 8.06
2. Cleveland Browns (vs. Jets) - 7.82
3. San Francisco 49ers (@ Commanders) - 7.65
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Panthers) - 7.48
5. Chicago Bears (vs. Falcons) - 7.46
6. Denver Broncos (vs. Chargers) - 7.19
7. Houston Texans (vs. Titans) - 7.17
8. Atlanta Falcons (@ Bears) - 6.98
9. Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cardinals) - 6.94
10. New York Jets (@ Browns) - 6.84
11. Green Bay Packers (@ Vikings) - 6.81
12. Tennessee Titans (@ Texans) - 6.77
13. Buffalo Bills (vs. Patriots) - 6.67
14. Seattle Seahawks (vs. Steelers) - 6.67
15. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Bengals) - 6.65
16. New Orleans Saints (@ Buccaneers) - 6.45
17. Indianapolis Colts (vs. Raiders) - 6.44
18. Dallas Cowboys (vs. Lions) - 6.37
19. Las Vegas Raiders (@ Colts) - 6.32
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (@ Seahawks) - 6.28
21. Miami Dolphins (@ Ravens) - 6.19
22. Minnesota Vikings (vs. Packers) - 6.15
23. Baltimore Ravens (vs. Dolphins) - 6.11
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Saints) - 6.01
25. Los Angeles Chargers (@ Broncos) - 5.92
26. New York Giants (vs. Rams) - 5.80
27. Carolina Panthers (@ Jaguars) - 5.80
28. Arizona Cardinals (@ Eagles) - 5.79
29. Detroit Lions (@ Cowboys) -5.65
30. New England Patriots (@ Bills) - 5.64
31. Cincinnati Bengals (@ Chiefs) - 5.33
32. Washington Commanders (vs. 49ers) - 5.26

What's really interesting is that this week, many of the highest-projected defenses are available to pick up on waivers. While this will likely not be the case for the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers or New York Jets, the rest of the top 10 could be available to you.

Let's take a look at three such defenses in more detail:

---

Fantasy Football Week 17 Streamers

#1 Los Angeles Rams (@ Giants) - 8.06 points projected

Fantasy Football Week 17 Streamers - LA Rams

The LA Rams top the list of best-projected defenses in Week 17, purely based on their opposition.

New York Giants fans must be sick of seeing this, but every week whoever the Giants play is projected the best defense. Chasing a poor offense is a good tactic in streaming defenses, and the Giants' offense has been an example as to why.

The Giants have scored 214 points in 16 games, which is the second-worst in the league (New England Patriots, 212). While they have been improving over the last month or so, there's no reason to not back Aaron Donald and Co. to bring the pain in Week 17.

Here are some of the biggest defensive displays against the Giants this season:

• 35.00, Week 1, Dallas Cowboys
• 30.00, Week 4, Seattle Seahawks
• 11.00, Week 5, Miami Dolphins
• 19.00, Week 9, Las Vegas Raiders
• 12.00, Week 12, New England Patriots
• 14.00, Week 15, New Orleans Saints

The Rams' defense has 67 points in fantasy football, stemming from 32 sacks, nine INTs, four fumble recoveries and two safeties on the season. While they haven't been elite, they could have a big day in Week 17 and are only rostered in 8.9% of leagues.

#2 Chicago Bears (vs. Falcons) - 7.46 points projected

Fantasy Football Week 17 Streamers - Chicago Bears

This is a bit more tricky, as the Atlanta Falcons can fluctuate from running hot to cold on a weekly basis. Inconsistency has been an issue for the team throughout HC Arthur Smith's tenure, and it can be difficult to tell which Falcons team turns up any given game day.

The Bears have 27 sacks, 18 INTs, five fumble recoveries and two TDs on the season, totaling 101.00 points in fantasy football. While it may not look that impressive (apart from the 18 INTs), Week 16 aside, Chicago's defense had been putting in a string of good performances (9, 14, 14, 17 points) and has looked strong since trading for Montez Sweat.

The Falcons offense has been in a giving mood this year, turning the ball over 21 times. Atlanta is yet to break the 300-point barrier on the season (287), so the Bears could be in for a big day on defense.

that depends on what Falcons team you see turning up in Week 17, but as the Bears' defense is only rostered in 14% of leagues, they are certainly a solid option.

#3 Las Vegas Raiders (@ Colts) - 6.32 points projected

Fantasy Football Week 17 Streamers - Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders defense has exploded into the limelight after a string of incredible performances.

They were set for historic numbers against the LA Chargers in Week 15 when the score was 49-0, but with a flurry of second-half TDs conceded, the Raiders D came away with 25 points.

Combine that with the two TDs and 21 points recorded against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, eyebrows are now raised. Looking farther back, LV's D put up 12.00 in Week 14, 19 in Week 9, 13 in Week 8 and 12 in Week 5.

On the season, they have 40 sacks, 12 INTs, nine fumble recoveries, one safety and five TDs for 135.00 points in fantasy football. This is a capable defense, to say the least.

Making matters more interesting is a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, who have been inconsistent on offense this season. The Colts have turned the ball over 21 times(on 10.3% of their offensive drives), and there's reason to believe that they will do so again.

With their offense starting to gel and their defense coming up when needed, the Raiders are developing into a good team. As such, their defense is a good waiver pickup and should be available, being rostered in 10.5% of fantasy football leagues.