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For some leagues, the playoffs are upon us. So it’s important to check out our start-and-sit running backs, and the same for quarterbacks. Also, don’t get caught sleeping on defense. We’ve got help with our fantasy football defense rankings for Week 14.
At the top of the list, you can plant your flag in one state and never leave. The Pittsburgh Steelers stand at the top while the Eagles are close behind at No. 2. The Steelers meet a capable offense, but the Steelers have a great chance at a defensive touchdown against pick-six friendly Brownss QB Jameis Winston.
As for the Eagles, they have a home date with one of the NFL’s worst teams, the Panthers. However, the Panthers have shown offensive life of late.
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It’s important to understand the rankings here. If your league penalizes heavily for yards allowed, the Steelers might be a dicey roll. Cleveland is good enough on offense to move the football. But the key to the Steelers’ ranking is their ability to pressure the quarterback and create mistakes. Coming off a four-sack performance against the Bengals, while creating three turnovers, is the same type of fantasy football effort the Steelers might deliver this week.
Pittsburgh needed almost all of its 44 points last week to beat the Bengals, a fact not lost on head coach Mike Tomlin, according to post-gazette.com..
“I don’t know that I’m ever comfortable playing in a shootout,” Tomlin said. “It’s just my background and expertise. I have certain expectations because of my professional journey on defense that I expect us to slow those things down and minimize some of that.”
The Browns had 552 yards of offense against the NFL’s No. 2-ranked defense in their 41-32 loss in Denver on Monday night.
“If you watched that game, you saw what they’re capable of,” Tomlin said. “It was some explosive playmaking. They went up and down the field. That’s what I meant when I described (Winston) as a gunslinger a couple weeks ago. He’s got unbelievable arm talent. You’re not the first pick in the draft for no reason.”
Tomlin said he also respects Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, according to the Steelers YouTube page via steelerswire.com.
“Obviously, we’ve seen Ken in the past from his time in Buffalo,” Tomlin said before the Steelers played the Browns two weeks ago. “But these last three games weigh a heck of a lot more than the ones that proceed because of the significance of him as a central play-caller.”
The Steelers also have to be aware of Nick Chubb, who still hasn’t found his usual gear after returning a few weeks ago from a 2023 injury.
“Mr. Chubb, first and foremost, just got so much respect for his game and his body of work and his capabilities,” Tomlin said. “From an appreciative football standpoint, man, it’s really good to see him back, but from a guy that competes against him this week, obviously, he has our attention.”
As for the Eagles, their opponent has scored 27 and 23 points over the last two weeks in close losses.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he has seen a lot of improvement from Panthers QB Bryce Young, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Just in the full operation of their offense,” Fangio said. “I think they've done a good job of coaching him. They have a really good running back in (Chuba) Hubbard. They feature him. They're running play-action and boots off of that run game.”
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Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi will have to make sure he’s focused on his team stopping the New York Giants and not the surroundings. Rizzi grew up in Hillsdale, New Jersey, and attended Bergen Catholic High in Oradell, according to neworleanssaints.com.
“I'm going to have to shut my phone off at the end of the week; a lot of people reaching out, family and friends,” Rizzi said. “It's a little bit surreal, quite frankly.”
Rizzi’s defense will take on Drew Lock at quarterback for the Giants. It’s a good chance for fantasy football success, although Lock hurt the Cowboys last week with 57 yards rushing.
To use the 49ers this week, a fantasy football manager must have a short memory. The 49ers have been horrible over the last two weeks. They finished No. 25 in Week 12 and dead last in Week 13. But the Bears aren’t the Packers and they certainly aren’t the Bills.
Look for the 49ers to get back on the sack train and keep pressure on Bears’ QB Caleb Williams.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
Wait. Pick a 2-10 team for your fantasy football defense? The same Jaguars team that finished No. 28 and No. 26 over the last two weeks?
Well, yes, because the Jaguars are facing the Titans, who don’t scare people with their offense. Plus, the Jaguars played well against good offenses like the Eagles and Vikings in Weeks 8-9, posting top-10 finishes for the first two times this season.
It’s a gamble, but that’s why the Jaguars are a sleeper fantasy football unit.
Also available to grab from a nap are the Chargers. Yes, they face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but look what they did to poor Kirk Cousins. They picked the veteran off four times. The Chargers will need to get maximum pressure on Mahomes to have a chance to win, so look for a few blitzes that could pay off with sacks and maybe some big turnovers.
NFL Fantasy Football Week 15 defense rankings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) vs. CLE
2. Philadelphia Eagles (PHI) vs. CAR
3. New Orleans Saints (NO) @ NYG
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TB) vs. LV
5. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) vs. ATL
6. San Francisco 49ers (SF) vs. CHI
7. Arizona Cardinals (ARI) vs. SEA
8. Miami Dolphins (MIA) vs. NYJ
9. Kansas City Chiefs (KC) vs. LAC
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (JAC) @ TEN
11. Buffalo Bills (BUF) @ LAR
12. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) @ KC
