If you've reached the pinnacle of your fantasy football league, the journey has likely been fueled by a roster of standout players. Moreover, strategic moves such as timely D/ST stream selections may have played a pivotal role in your success. As you approach the climax of the season, our Week 17 fantasy football defense rankings offer valuable insights to ensure a strong finish.
Gone are the days of hoarding defenses for future matchups or enduring a challenging D/ST showdown because you're hesitant to make a roster move. Now, the focus is solely on identifying the top defense in the most favorable matchup for the immediate week. This week holds crucial significance. Your priority is securing the most advantageous defensive play for the here and now. Just because you've relied on a team like the Dallas Cowboys for the majority of the season, doesn't mean you're bound to stick with them in Week 17. The landscape is rich with alternatives. These include enticing options like the Ravens, Patriots, and Dolphins. Before finalizing your decisions, you must thoroughly assess all available choices to maximize your chances of success.
Here we will look at our NFL Fantasy Football Defense rankings entering Week 17 of the 2023 regular season.
Top Fantasy Football Picks
This week's top fantasy football defensive picks feature the Browns, 49ers, Bills, Jaguars, and Jets as our standout choices. Each of these defenses squares off against opponents who, as of Week 16, ranked in the top six in fantasy football points allowed to D/STs. Additionally, their consistent high-level performances throughout the season make them compelling options. Despite the Jaguars being perceived as the least formidable among this group, they entered the previous week tied with the 49ers for the most takeaways in the league. This highlights their potential for big plays.
We'll exclude the Browns and Jets from detailed analysis as they've already competed in Week 17. In case you didn't see it, the Browns secured a playoff berth by defeating the Jets at home.
The 49ers' D/ST faced a tough outing against the Ravens last week. They allowed 33 points on 343 total yards with two sacks. Although the offense's five interceptions exacerbated their challenges, the 49ers' defense showed resilience and will be a strong play in the upcoming match against the Commanders.
Moving on to the Bills, their D/ST recorded five sacks but allowed 22 points in a narrow 24-22 win over the Chargers. Sure, the performance fell short of Week 16 expectations. However, the Bills remain a viable choice for Week 17. They face a struggling Patriots offense that they lost to earlier in the season.
Other Top Picks
The Jaguars have had a decline in defensive fantasy football scoring since Week 10. That said, they still present an appealing matchup against the Panthers. Carolina has conceded the fourth-most fantasy football points to opposing defenses. Panthers' QB Bryce Young has also been sacked 53 times and has thrown nine interceptions.
Completing the top 10, the Bears, Broncos, Eagles, Chiefs, and Ravens all enjoy favorable matchups against offenses prone to sacks and turnovers. The Bears, in particular, have excelled defensively since Week 11. They rank third in fantasy football scoring. The Broncos, coming off a loss to the Patriots, aim to capitalize on a matchup against rookie quarterback Easton Stick in Week 17. The Eagles, fresh off a win over the Giants, prepare to face the Cardinals in their final regular-season game.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
For fantasy football sleepers in Week 17, consider the Jaguars, Rams, Colts, and Falcons. All are owned in fewer than 50 percent of PPR leagues. As such, these defenses represent potential steals for the week.
Travon Walker is only 23 and consistently getting better. His 6th sack.
Late off the snap but great bull rush. #Jaguars #Jags #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/chQ9SRqXee
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) December 18, 2023
If you're seeking deeper sleeper options, keep an eye on the quietly improving Bears, Seahawks, and Texans. All are set to face shaky or banged-up quarterbacks. The Chiefs and Packers also enter the sleeper conversation. They face backup quarterbacks with varying degrees of talent.
Notably, we favor the above sleeper defenses over more prominent units such as Dallas, Miami, Pittsburgh, and New England. Yes, these well-known defenses can make impactful plays. However, the sleepers offer more enticing matchups against teams with limited stakes in the late-season contests.
Now, let's dive into our NFL Fantasy Football Defense rankings for Week 17 of the 2023 regular season. Standard rankings are indicated in parentheses.
NFL Fantasy Football Week 17 Defense Rankings
1. Cleveland Browns, CLE vs. NYJ (1)
2. Buffalo Bills, BUF vs. NE (3)
3. San Francisco 49ers, SF @ WAS (2)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars, JAC vs. CAR (4)
5. New York Jets, NYJ @ CLE (5)
6. Chicago Bears, CHI vs. ATL (12)
7. Denver Broncos, DEN vs. LAC (10)
8. Philadelphia Eagles, PHI vs. ARI (7)
9. Kansas City Chiefs, KC vs. CIN (16)
10. Baltimore Ravens, BAL vs. MIA (18)
11. Indianapolis Colts, IND vs. LV (8)
12. Los Angeles Rams, LAR @ NYG (6)
Follow Us
Subscribe