NFL Fantasy Football Week 17: Defense rankings

Fantasy football players know the value of a strong defense, and with points coming at a premium in the closing weeks of the season, here are the best picks ahead of Week 17.

New England and Bill Belichick have built the best statistical defense in the NFL.

Their fantasy returns have been stupendous this year, far above even their nearest rival in the form of the Dallas Cowboys.

The third-ranked defense for 2022 is the San Francisco 49ers, with Nick Bosa having another Pro-Bowl level season. The franchise is looking for him to carry the NFC West winners to the NFC Championship at the very least.

Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys defense remain strong, and their rear-guard action against the Philadelphia Eagles turned the game in Dallas’ favor.

They have put up the second-highest number of fantasy football points for a defense in 2022 and remain a consistently solid pick for your teams.

When selecting your line-up ahead of Week 17, you know you’re playing for playoff glory now, but you must be aware that some teams could rest starting players.

Who are the best available fantasy football defenses for Week 17?

New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins

Matthew Judon's work has made the Patriots defense a huge success for fantasy football players

Few would have envisaged that the 2022 NFL season would end with the New England Patriots having the best fantasy defense, but that is exactly what is going to happen.

Another outstanding display in Week 16 has taken their total fantasy points return to 170. This is a mammoth 16 points ahead of the nearest-placed Cowboys.

Matthew Judon has been a sack machine in 2022, hitting a career-high 15.5 on the season. However, while his performances have been beyond reproach, it is the offense that has dragged the team down.

The Patriots have won just one of their last five games, losing the other four, which is a poor reflection of their offensive impotence.

Judon and co. face a difficult challenge in Week 17. The Miami Dolphins and Tyreek Hill are coming to town, although there are concussion doubts over Tua Tagovailoa.

You may need to make a game-time decision on selecting the Patriots defense, depending on whether Tua makes it or not.

With him on the team, the Patriots secondary will be tested with bombs over the top to Hill and Jaylen Waddle. However, the Patriots lead the league in defensive touchdowns and have the second-highest number of interceptions.

They are geared up to defend against Miami’s passing game, but they can be expected to be on the field for long periods.

Dallas Cowboys @ Tennessee Titans

Micah Parsons is a game-changing player on defense for Dallas

Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong have appeared in the dreams of fantasy football players throughout the 2022 NFL season.

The Dallas duo have a combined 21 sacks in a Cowboys defense that has dominated the line of scrimmage.

Week 17 will see the pairing take on the Tennessee Titans, who have been left stung by a shock defeat to the lowly Houston Texans.

With Dallas still having hopes of pipping the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC East title, they will continue to play their starters.

Parsons and Armstrong will make mincemeat of a Titans offense that has crumbled as of late. Derrick Henry isn’t as effective a rusher anymore, and this places their quarterback under extreme pressure to deliver.

The Cowboys’ defense is THE pick for Week 17.

San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders

Bosa and Armstead have been pillars on a hugely succesful 49ers defense

Nick Bosa coming off the edge is a cheat code, even in the NFL. He is so dominant and has such a good physical frame that it’s almost impossible for offensive lines to stop him.

The Las Vegas Raiders are in a mess right now. The team has had an awful 2022 season, and it’s been announced that Derek Carr will sit out the remaining two games of the season.

This brings Jarrett Stidham to the field, and his inexperience will be noted by Bosa. It will be like bringing a lamb to slaughter.

San Francisco, though, almost certainly can’t gain home-field advantage and have the best record in the NFC. It has been calculated that they have only a 3% chance of doing so.

Normally, teams would rest Bosa for these games, but he has 17.5 sacks in 2022, which is just two shy of the franchise record held by Aldon Smith.

These accolades motivate players, and Bosa will want to play and break that record. If he starts, then the Raiders will be in for a long night.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia's defense allowed 40 points in Week 16

New Orleans have been given a lifeline in their pursuit of a playoff spot and could surprise the Eagles in Week 17.

Philadelphia suffered only their second defeat of the entire season to the Cowboys over Christmas. They will hope not to fall into a run of poor form ahead of the postseason.

Their defense, though, continues to impress as they lead the league in sacks with 61, 11 more than the Patriots.

Philly’s defensive issues come against the run, and Alvin Kamara could cause them problems, especially if the visiting Saints utilize him to keep the ball out of Andy Dalton’s hands and limit the number of possible sacks.

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Buffalo Bills defense is playoff ready in 2022

Buffalo are ready for the playoffs. They are back to playing their best football and are the team with the greatest level of balance in the entire NFL.

Fantasy football players have looked on as the Bills’ defense has scored them crucial points all season long, with a grand tally of 129 points.

Von Miller won’t play again this season, and this has seen production against the pass decline slightly.

They are missing his presence off the edge, although the Bengals’ O-line struggles should encourage them ahead of Week 17.

Joe Burrow has been sacked 39 times in 2022, while the team itself has allowed 42 sacks in total.

That is too many. This remains the fundamental weakness of a team that narrowly missed out on Super Bowl glory in 2021.

Buffalo will be ready to go into Cincinnati and make life really uncomfortable for Burrow.

Fantasy football players may see the Bengals in a matchup and assume they will win… which is fine. However, it’s clear that Buffalo’s defense will score some valuable fantasy points in Week 17 and could be an ideal alternative to the Cowboys.

Top 15 Fantasy Football Defenses in Week 17

This list is ranked by fantasy points scored

1. New England Patriots – 170 points

2. Dallas Cowboys – 154 points

3. San Francisco 49ers – 145 points

4. Philadelphia Eagles – 138 points

5. Buffalo Bills – 129 points

6. Baltimore Ravens – 127 points

7. New York Jets – 109 points

8. Jacksonville Jaguars – 107 points

9. Indianapolis Colts – 102 points

10. Arizona Cardinals – 99 points

11. Kansas City Chiefs – 99 points

12. Minnesota Vikings – 98 points

13. Carolina Panthers – 97 points

14. Los Angeles Rams – 97 points

15. Houston Texans – 96 points