Should I pick the Falcons or Titans defense in Week 15? Exploring matchups for fantasy football

With Week 15 here, fantasy football managers are looking at streamer defenses with hope and both the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons could be masterstrokes. Both these defenses largely fly under the radar in fantasy football, but both are capable of putting up enough points to tip the scales of your matchup.

That certainly appears to be the case in Week 15, with favorable matchups seemingly being overlooked by many. These defenses are mostly unrostered, with the Falcons being taken in 28.4% of leagues and the Titans in just 2.4%.

This might seem too good to be true, so let's take a look at the fantasy outlooks of these defenses, starting with the Atlanta Falcons:

Falcons defense fantasy outlook for Week 15

Falcons defense fantasy outlook for Week 15

Atlanta has been a strange team this season and it's hard to say just how good they actually are due to their inconsistency. That is the same with the other teams in the NFC South, apart from the Carolina Panthers who are 1-12.

The Falcons are 6-7, second in the South and harbor hopes of winning their division in order to make the postseason. Up next for them is a favorable matchup against the Panthers, who are a team capable of multiple turnovers. If Atlanta can get out of its own way, a win and a good fantasy football performance could be on the cards.

The Panthers have turned the ball over 17 times thus far, so it is safe to assume they will do it at least once in Week 15. While Atlanta does not have a hugely high-scoring defense, they are capable of putting up some numbers and have broken the 10-point barrier four times, including a 17-point display against the New York Jets.

On the season they have recorded 27 sacks, 7 INTs, 8 fumble recoveries, 1 safety and 1 TD, good for 82.00 points and 24th in fantasy football scoring.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool projects Atlanta's defense to record 6.9 points, so it certainly agrees that there is a high chance of turnovers. In Week 15 you would pick this defense more because of the Panthers' weaknesses than the Falcons' strengths.

The Falcons are one of the top streamer defenses this week and look a good pick here. They can be started with some degree of hope, if not expectation, against the Panthers.

Titans defense fantasy outlook for Week 15

Titans defense fantasy outlook for Week 15

The Tennessee Titans' defense has quietly put in a string of good performances which have largely not been noted in fantasy football. While they will not appear on many lists of Week 15's best defenses, there is cause for optimism.

While Tennessee's D put up 7 points in the win against the Miami Dolphins, that is a credible number given the Dolphins' offense. Tennessee put up 9 against the Indianapolis Colts the week before and preceding that put up 10 against Carolina.

On the season, the Titans defense has recorded 37 sacks, 3 INTs, 8 fumble recoveries and scored a two-point conversion by taking the ball up the other end of the field. With 74.00 points they are the 26th-ranked defense in fantasy, but could be in for a good day in Week 15.

They face a Houston Texans that have so many injuries to their offense the word crisis seems light. With C.J. Stroud unlikely to play due to a concussion in Week 14, the Texans are set to start Davis Mills at QB.

With Nico Collins and Noah Brown questionable and Tank Dell out for the season, there are real issues at WR. Dalton Schultz should return at TE, but he too might not be 100%.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool has the Titans' defense recording 5.3 points in Week 15, which means they could be a good pick. A lot depends on the fitness of the Texans' weapons and while you should pick up Tennessee's D, you should evaluate the situation on game day.

Falcons vs. Titans defense: Which one's the right call in fantasy football Week 15?

Looking at the numbers, the Falcons' defense is the better pick in Week 15, purely due to the Panthers' issues in scoring and proclivity for turnovers. Those two factors spell big points for defenses so if you have Atlanta's D you should start them here.

Falcons vs. Titans defense: Which one's the right call in fantasy football Week 15?

That doesn't mean the Titans are a bad pickup, however, as given the issues in Houston they could go big in Week 15. It would be wise to pick them up and keep them on your bench and survey the landscape on game day.