It’s getting closer to the fantasy football playoffs, so decisions are important at every position. That includes tough choices at wide receiver. And it's time for the 2025 NFL Week 11 rankings for defenses and special teams.
It may not be easy to jump on the Houston Texans’ bandwagon, but this is the week to do it. They got it done against the Jaguars despite giving up 29 points. That’s because they had five sacks, nine passes defended, a pick, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown.
Now, they get the hapless Titans. This could be a great week to roll with the Texans.
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The Texans' defense came up with big plays against the Jaguars. It was a matter of persistence, according to houstonchronicle.com.
“We just stayed at it, stayed on their neck,” Texans safety Calen Bullock said. “Get off the field and give the offense the ball.”
And they finished the game, too.
“If we’re the best, then close it up,” Azeez Al-Shaair said. “As soon as the offense scored … we all looked at each other on the defense and were like this is exactly what we wanted, exactly what we asked for, so let’s go show them.
“The message to us was just keep swinging. So all day that’s just what we just kept thinking about, like bro, our shoulder was dislocated early, first quarter come out the gate, they’re up 10-0 and feeling good about themselves, 17-0 at one point. Yeah, they’re feeling good about themselves and rightfully so, you made plays, but you’ve got to finish the game.”
If they put together the same type of effort this week, the Titans will likely surrender a few turnovers. They are easily the NFL’s least-effective offense with 244 yards per game. They’re also, by a full point at 14.4, last in the league in scoring points.
So, the Titans will try a little vanilla, according to ESPN.
“As the Titans prepare for the debut of interim head coach Mike McCoy, they also are expected to simplify their offense for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, league sources told ESPN,” Adam Schefter wrote.
Another choice is the Baltimore Ravens. They have a good matchup against the Browns. After totaling only three turnovers through six games, they’ve forced six in their last three contests. So this is a defense on the turnaround.
Also, like the Titans, the Browns aren’t good on offense. They rank No. 31 with 265.1 yards per contest.
And the Ravens’ defenders are gaining confidence, according to ESPN.
“That's been a big key — the mindset shift of, even though we have Lamar Jackson, let's give him a smoke break, let's give him an off day,” said cornerback Marlon Humphrey. “He's bailed it out so many times. How about we do it.”
Other standouts
It’s a good week to grab the Falcons as a streaming defense. They have turned it on in the sack department lately, getting 13 sacks over the last two weeks. And consider that they have done that against very good offenses in the Patriots and Colts.
This week, they get the Panthers, who have a shaky and unreliable offense. And that matters, according to Fantasy Pros.
“Atlanta is a middle-of-the-pack defense with a decent pass rush, but as you know by now, defensive fantasy scoring is often more about the opposing offense than about the defense itself,” Pat Fitzmaurice wrote. “The Panthers, Saints, and Jets ranked 26th, 28th, and 27th, respectively, in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) entering Week 10.”
There is a caveat here. The Falcons need to play from ahead because they just got torched by Jonathan Taylor on the ground. And the Panthers can run the football, too, with Rico Dowdle. If they force the Panthers into pass situations, they will dominate.
Another good option is New England. The Patriots get the quirky Thursday night matchup, but it’s against the Jets. One negative thing is that the Patriots haven’t had much of a sack presence this season. That’s why they’re a pretender when it comes to true Super Bowl hopefuls.
Part of the reason the Patriots haven’t been dominant on defense from a fantasy perspective is a designed lack of aggressiveness, according to Patriots.com.
“I think a lot of it is based on game situation, down and distance, coverage,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “We want to challenge. Sometimes, if you're in a different coverage or at the end of the game, I think maybe sometimes that plays into it. So, I think there's a fine balance of that.”
Fantasy Football sleepers
The Chiefs deserve a long look this week. Broncos QB Bo Nix has been inconsistent this season. And he’s been yucky over the last two weeks. The Chiefs might even have a pick-six in their pocket.
It’s hard to recommend the Chicago Bears, but this is one of those weeks where you may have to try. On the road against the Vikings, it’s even more dicey. But sleepers are sleepers for a reason.
Fantasy Football Week 11 Defense Rankings
1. Houston Texans (HOU) at TEN
2. Baltimore Ravens (BAL) at CLE
3. Atlanta Falcons (ATL) vs. CAR
4. New England Patriots (NE) vs. NYJ
5. Kansas City Chiefs (KC) at DEN
6. Chicago Bears (CHI) vs. NYG
7. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) at JAC
8. Green Bay Packers (GB) at NYG
9. Denver Broncos (DEN) vs. KC
10. San Francisco 49ers (SF) at ARI
11. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) vs. LAR
12. Carolina Panthers (CAR) at ATL
13. Dallas Cowboys (DAL) at LV
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) vs. CIN
15. Detroit Lions (DET) at PHI
