Who wants to talk about quarterbacks and running backs when you can talk about defenses and special teams (D/ST) units! If you’re like me, you probably are changing your team defense on a weekly basis, looking for the optimal matchup to exploit. Well, that’s exactly what I am hoping to accomplish today. Today, let us take a look at Week 15 D/ST rankings!
I’ll go through my process of evaluating defenses, before getting into the specifics for the week! Who is going to be the 30-point defense this week? Let us find out!
More fantasy football fun for Week 15: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | D/ST Streamers
First, we need to analyze how effective each D/ST unit has been for fantasy purposes this year. However, this doesn’t come from looking at previous fantasy points. See, turnovers (interceptions and fumbles) can be rather unstable on a week-to-week basis, making them difficult to rely on. Thus, to identify who the top defenses have been, we need to take that out of the equation.
This leads me to my new implied points statistic for D/ST units. Based on the number of points they have allowed and the sacks they’ve totaled up, we can see how many points a D/ST unit SHOULD be averaging per week:
Implied Points (Weeks 1-14)
| Defense | Difference | Implied Points | Fantasy PPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| NE | 1.9048 | 9.0952 | 11.0 |
| DEN | -0.5814 | 8.2814 | 7.7 |
| ARI | 0.5103 | 7.9897 | 8.5 |
| LAR | -1.3360 | 7.5360 | 6.2 |
| CIN | -0.8776 | 7.4776 | 6.6 |
| BUF | 1.2896 | 7.4104 | 8.7 |
| CAR | -0.7343 | 7.2343 | 6.5 |
| TB | 1.4175 | 7.0825 | 8.5 |
| DAL | 3.4098 | 6.9902 | 10.4 |
| CLE | -0.4895 | 6.9895 | 6.5 |
| GB | 0.9212 | 6.9788 | 7.9 |
| NO | 0.2257 | 6.8743 | 7.1 |
| BAL | -1.8934 | 6.7934 | 4.9 |
| IND | 2.0188 | 6.7812 | 8.8 |
| MIA | 1.0656 | 6.7344 | 7.8 |
| KC | 1.0760 | 6.7240 | 7.8 |
| TEN | 0.5775 | 6.7225 | 7.3 |
| PIT | -1.4635 | 6.6635 | 5.2 |
| SF | -0.0944 | 6.5944 | 6.5 |
| SEA | -1.0803 | 6.4803 | 5.4 |
| MIN | 0.5466 | 6.4534 | 7.0 |
| CHI | -0.5100 | 6.2100 | 5.7 |
| PHI | 0.5082 | 5.9918 | 6.5 |
| NYG | -0.0283 | 5.8283 | 5.8 |
| WAS | -0.5928 | 5.7928 | 5.2 |
| LAC | -0.6880 | 5.6880 | 5.0 |
| LV | -1.2692 | 5.2692 | 4.0 |
| JAX | -1.4888 | 5.1888 | 3.7 |
| HOU | 0.1001 | 4.6999 | 4.8 |
| DET | -1.6382 | 4.5382 | 2.9 |
| ATL | -0.4761 | 4.3761 | 3.9 |
| NYJ | -1.3711 | 4.0711 | 2.7 |
The Cardinals defense hit the struggle bus against a strong Rams offense, vaulting the Broncos to the #2 spot on this list. Meanwhile, we have seen the Bills struggle as of late defensively against better offenses, though playing the Panthers this week will be a nice change of pace.
Another clear riser? The Dallas Cowboys, who possess a lethal pass rush and a much-improved secondary. They are starting to get back to full health and although they are not as stout as their actual fantasy points would indicate (turnovers), they are a great defense to stream in the right matchup. Also, keep an eye on the Dolphins, who have been among the best defensive teams over the past months.
FEWEST PROJECTED POINTS ALLOWED
- Bills
- Cardinals
- Dolphins
- Cowboys
- Bucs
- Browns
- Jaguars
- Eagles
Meanwhile, these defenses will face opposing quarterbacks with the highest pressure rate:
HIGHEST OPPOSING QB PRESSURE RATE
- Vikings
- Rams
- Dolphins
- Bengals
- Packers
- 49ers
- Washington
- Patriots
Lastly, these defenses will face opposing quarterbacks with the highest turnover-worthy play rate:
HIGHEST OPPOSING QB TURNOVER-WORTHY PLAY RATE
- Titans
- Dolphins
- Jaguars
- Falcons
- Eagles
- Vikings
- Texans
- Raiders
Hopefully, this helps explain my thought process with regards to the D/ST rankings. Speaking of which, here they are:
Week 15 D/ST Rankings
More Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex
| Rnk | Defense | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF | CAR |
| 2 | MIA | NYJ |
| 3 | ARI | DET |
| 4 | DAL | NYG |
| 5 | TB | NO |
| 6 | MIN | CHI |
| 7 | JAX | HOU |
| 8 | SF | ATL |
| 9 | PHI | WSH |
| 10 | CLE | LV |
| 11 | HOU | JAX |
| 12 | TEN | PIT |
| 13 | LAR | SEA |
| 14 | GB | BAL |
| 15 | NE | IND |
| 16 | PIT | TEN |
| 17 | DEN | CIN |
| 18 | CIN | DEN |
| 19 | LV | CLE |
| 20 | IND | NE |
| 21 | WSH | PHI |
| 22 | NYJ | MIA |
| 23 | CHI | MIN |
| 24 | KC | LAC |
| 25 | CAR | BUF |
| 26 | ATL | SF |
| 27 | SEA | LAR |
| 28 | NYG | DAL |
| 29 | BAL | GB |
| 30 | LAC | KC |
| 31 | NO | TB |
| 32 | DET | ARI |
What!? Your league isn’t hosted on Fantrax!? Once you see how Fantrax stacks up to the competition, we think you’ll be singing a different tune next season.
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2020, and we’re not stopping now. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.