https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/football/news/getting-defensive-week-10-plays-led-by-broncos-seahawks-top-streaming-defenses
Even by the standards of the NFL, where “weird” is most assuredly a relative concept, Week 9 was, well, weird.
How weird was it?
If that reference makes sense to you, congratulations. You’re a geezer. See you at Denny’s for dinner at 4:00 PM.
The top two defenses for the week were the Pittsburgh Steelers (who were facing the NFL’s hottest team and worst fantasy matchup for the position entering the week) and the Tennessee Titans.
That is not a misprint. The dumpster fire that is the Tennessee defense scored on an interception return and a punt return. And they weren’t alone. The Baltimore Ravens were 31st in fantasy points among defenses before jackstomping the Miami Dolphins. The Carolina Panthers finished well inside the top-10 after stunning the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Most of those defenses were nowhere near starting lineups. But it was yet another reminder of how unpredictable team defenses are in fantasy football. So was the highest-scoring defense entering the week (the New England Patriots) laying a big fat egg at home against the Atlanta Falcons.
Some weeks you’re the windshield. Other weeks you’re the bug.
THE NO-DOUBTERS
Denver Broncos (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)
Among the highly-drafted fantasy defenses in 2025, the Broncos are returning the best value, although that’s relative—the team ranks outside the top-five in fantasy points at the position. But Denver’s an easy “yes” against a floundering Raiders team that just had its still-beating heart ripped from its chest in overtime last week. By their own quarterback. No NFL team that’s playing in Week 10 has surrendered more fantasy points per game to defenses this season than the Raiders. Commitment to excrement.
Seattle Seahawks (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
Frankly, it might be better if this game was in Glendale—Seattle has peeled off 10 straight road wins after walloping the Washington Commanders on Sunday night. Outside of a wild shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Seahawks have played excellent defense this season—the team is fifth in scoring defense and sits just outside the top-10 in yards allowed. Arizona’s offense may well be better with Jacoby Brissett under center. But that doesn’t make them especially good.
Houston Texans (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
If the Texans offense could hold up their end of the deal, Houston would be the playoff contender it was supposed to be—because the team is playing lights-out defensively. The Texans lead the league in total defense and scoring defense, rank fourth against the pass and sixth against the run and have amassed the third-most fantasy points at the position. The Jaguars have been a middling matchup for fantasy defenses this season, but the Texans are essentially an every-week play at this point.
Los Angeles Rams (at San Francisco 49ers)
This isn’t a start without risk—the 49ers already beat the Rams at SoFi Stadium back in Week 5 and despite being devastated by injuries on both sides of the ball the Niners somehow just keep winning. However, San Francisco has actually been fairly generous to opposing fantasy defenses, checking in seventh in points per game allowed to the position. Oh, and the Rams rank 10th in total defense, lead the NFC in scoring defense and rank sixth at the position in fantasy points. There’s that, too.
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Atlanta Falcons)
It’s understandable if fantasy managers who have been riding with the NFL’s hottest team are a tad unnerved after the Colts unraveled last week in Pittsburgh. There’s also the uncertainty of the game’s venue, with this contest taking place in Berlin. But the Atlanta offense has been inconsistent, overseas games have been known to get sloppy and even after their Steel City debacle the Colts are still a top-10 scoring defense that ranks inside the top-five in fantasy points.
Buffalo Bills (at Miami Dolphins)
The Bills have actually struggled defensively this season, especially against the run. But you wouldn’t know it from the show the team put on last week against Kansas City, limiting Patrick Mahomes to the worst completion percentage of his career, sacking him three times and picking Mahomes off once. This week Buffalo travels to face a Dolphins offense that sits 27th in total offense and 26th in scoring. Miami has also given up the ninth-most fantasy points per game to defenses.
Eric Samulski breaks down his fantasy football defense rankings for Week 10 of the NFL season
STREAMERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!
Detroit Lions (at Washington Commanders)
After three double-digit fantasy performances in four weeks prior to their Week 8 bye, the Lions backslid a little in last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, although five sacks and a takeaway salvaged an OK outing for fantasy’s ninth-ranked defense. Week 10 sets up well for a “rebound”—the Washington Commanders were just waxed by the Seattle Seahawks at home, the wide receivers have been decimated by injuries and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is out indefinitely after dislocating his elbow Sunday night.
Baltimore Ravens (at Minnesota Vikings)
The Ravens looked the part of a “No-Doubter” start this past week against the Miami Dolphins—Baltimore is finally getting healthy on both sides of the ball, and a healthy Ravens team is a dangerous Ravens team, regardless of their record. The Vikings are at home and coming off their biggest win of the season to date, but Minnesota has allowed an NFC-high 33 sacks, are tied for the third-most giveaways and have given up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to defenses.
Cleveland Browns (at New York Jets)
Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett needs a hug. He has more sacks before his 30th birthday than any player in NFL history, but his career is being wasted on a series of pathetic teams, because Cleveland. With that said, the Browns should have a good day defensively coming out of the bye week—the Jets have been just as miserable defensively as Cleveland, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to defenses in 2025. Just don’t watch the game—no one needs that kind of trauma.
New York Jets (vs. Cleveland Browns)
Who’s up for the flip side of a very depressing coin? The Jets aren’t a good team by any stretch, and the team ranks 20th in total defense and 27th in points allowed. But Gang Green isn’t without talent on defense, whether it’s Quinnen Williams up front, Jamien Sherwood at linebacker or Sauce Gardner in the secondary. Now the Jets host a Browns team that is 31st in total offense, 30th in scoring offense and who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to defenses this year.
Carolina Panthers (vs. New Orleans Saints)
In what may be a sign of the Apocalypse, the Carolina Panthers are quietly 5-4 nine games in, and a Panthers defense that is short on big names deserves a lot of the credit for last week’s stunning upset of the Packers. Those same Panthers get a slightly easier matchup Sunday at Bank of America Stadium—the Saints were just flattened by the Rams in Los Angeles, Tyler Shough had a predictably uneven first NFL start and the Saints have surrendered the most fantasy points per game in the NFC to defenses this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars (at Houston Texans)
After coming roaring out of the gate with a flurry of takeaways, the Jacksonville defense has cooled way off of late—including a so-so fantasy outing against the Raiders in Week 9. However, the team could be a decent dart-throw start against the Texans in Week 10. Houston hasn’t been an especially favorable fantasy matchup for defenses this season, but with quarterback C.J. Stroud in the concussion protocol and no run game to speak of, the Texans could be hard-pressed to move the ball.
CAVEAT EMPTOR, FOLKS!
New England Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
This is one of those matchups where most of what is said about one team also applies to the other. The Patriots and Buccaneers are two of the hottest teams in the league. New England and Tampa Bay are the two highest-scoring fantasy defenses in the league. But both of those defenses face offenses capable of lighting up the scoreboard who haven’t been kind to opposing fantasy defenses in 2025. The matchup(s) may not be bad enough to advocate sitting them outright, but both teams (especially New England) have much higher bust potential than usual.
Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.
https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/football/news/getting-defensive-week-10-plays-led-by-broncos-seahawks-top-streaming-defenses
