Four teams are on bye again in Week 11, requiring fantasy football managers to dip back into the waiver wire for bye-week replacements. Below, we look at the defense/special teams rankings for Week 11, with insights into particularly strong streaming units.
All stats are courtesy TruMedia unless otherwise stated.
1) Minnesota Vikings (at TEN)
The Minnesota Vikings are the clear-cut top D/ST in Week 11 in the biggest mismatch of the week. Brian Flores’ unit should feast on negative plays — the Vikings rank first in takeaways per drive, while the Tennessee Titans rank 26th in turnovers per drive.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOVIE@cambeezy_
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/M22E4eU8aC
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 10, 2024
With Will Levis back as Tennessee’s starter, Minnesota’s defense is a decent threat to score, as they already lead the NFL in defensive touchdowns this season.
2) Detroit Lions (at JAX)
The Detroit Lions have quietly been one of the best defenses since losing their best player in Aidan Hutchinson. Since Hutchinson suffered his gruesome leg injury in Week 6, the Lions rank second in defensive EPA per play. Despite a rough start vs. the Houston Texans on Sunday, Detroit shut out Houston the second half and picked off C.J. Stroud twice in its 16-point comeback win.
It’s unclear who the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting quarterback will be, but Trevor Lawrence’s left shoulder injury sounds like a potential multi-week absence, given the ominous tenor around the reporting.
This ranking assumes it’s Mac Jones under center again for the Jags, but Detroit is a top-five unit regardless of Jacksonville’s quarterback situation.
3) New York Jets (vs. IND)
So much for the idea that Joe Flacco was the panacea to the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive problems. The Colts have averaged -0.33 EPA per play in two games since benching Anthony Richardson for Flacco, which would be the worst in the NFL over a full season.
The New York Jets pass rush continues to boost this unit’s fantasy value. New York ranks second in sack rate and now gets to face the immobile Flacco. That means the Jets are an elite fantasy play in Week 11 despite a listless showing in the Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
4) Miami Dolphins (vs. LV)
The Miami Dolphins don’t profile as an especially impressive D/ST. They have the fourth-lowest sack rate and they’re a bottom-10 unit in takeaways as well.
But any team playing at home against the hapless Las Vegas Raiders is an elite start. Even without the negative plays, the Dolphins rank as an above-average defense by EPA per play and success rate.
Facing a Raiders offense that turns the ball over at the highest rate on a per-drive basis, the Dolphins are a must-start. That makes Miami one of the better waiver claims this week, as the unit is rostered in fewer than 30% of both ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
5) Green Bay Packers (at CHI)
The Green Bay Packers could be available on your waiver wire after coming off a Week 10 bye. If so, they’re worth adding, given their elite takeaway production for this week’s matchup against the Chicago Bears.
After a promising upward trajectory, Caleb Williams and Chicago’s offense has flatlined in recent weeks. The Bears are a sack magnet, ranking last in sack rate and 21st in pressure rate allowed.
Green Bay is a below-average pressure defense, but the Packers continue to lead the NFL with 19 takeaways. Expect enough splash plays to make the Packers a must-start.
6) Los Angeles Rams (at NE)
Ranking the Rams defense this high would have been unfathomable weeks ago, let alone in a 1 p.m. Eastern kickoff game. But even after their three-game win streak ended in Week 10, LA’s defense has decisively turned a corner.
Since returning from bye in Week 7, the Rams’ defense ranks second in EPA per play and third in success rate. While the Raiders matchup was a freebie, the unit has also impressed against Minnesota and Seattle as well in that span.
Most importantly, Los Angeles has a nine takeaways during this stretch, tied for third-most since Week 7. Now facing the boom-or-bust Drake Maye, the Rams should be able to exploit the rookie quarterback for a few splash plays.
7) Chicago Bears (vs. GB)
The Bears rank sixth in takeaways per drive, making them a strong start against the error-prone Jordan Love.
Takeaway T.J. 🙌
📺: #NEvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/XsCUVZ5DT1
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 10, 2024
Chicago does rank first in EPA per dropback and seventh in pass defense success rate, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that Love’s explosive plays will be present in this matchup, either. Much of this depends on the health of the Packers’ quarterback following the team’s Week 10 bye.
Still, the likelihood of generating multiple takeaways makes the Bears D/ST a good start in this matchup.
8) Denver Broncos (vs. ATL)
The Denver Broncos are typically one of the stronger plays in fantasy, but even at home, this is a tricky matchup. After an uneven start, the Atlanta Falcons have been a top-five EPA offense per play since Week 4.
That includes the highest rushing success rate, which could determine the viability of Denver’s D/ST in this matchup. The Broncos rank sixth in yards per rush allowed for the season, thanks to a recent surge that has seen them allow fewer than 4.0 yards per rush in three consecutive games.
The Broncos are still worth keeping if you have their D/ST with juicy matchups the next two weeks against the Raiders and Cleveland Browns. However, given the matchup, they’re not quite a top-five unit this week.
9) Cleveland Browns (at NO)
The Browns aren’t quite the same defense that allowed the fewest yards per play last season, but they can still get after the quarterback. Cleveland ranks first in pressure rate and sixth in sack rate, giving them a decent floor in favorable matchups.
With the New Orleans Saints’ pass-catching corps depleted, this represents one of those favorable matchups. Even on the road, the Browns are one of the better streaming options. Many dropped them during Cleveland’s Week 10 bye, so the Browns are owned in roughly 40% of both ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
10) Houston Texans (at DAL)
The Dallas Cowboys have been an offense in decline for weeks, and now they’re starting Cooper Rush at quarterback. While Dallas wasn’t operating at a very high level anyways, their touchdown-less performance in Rush’s first start of the season was a new low.
The Houston Texans continue to be a top-10 defense by sack rate despite pressuring at a below-average rate. And while they picked off Jared Goff five times on Sunday night, Houston only had eight picks their first nine games of the season.
The health of Will Anderson Jr. could swing Houston’s rank here by a couple spots. If the Texans’ top pass rusher remains out with an ankle injury, that considerably saps their upside.
11) Tennessee Titans (vs. MIN)
The Tennessee Titans proved they could exploit a turnover-prone quarterback last week when they had three takeaways off Maye. Unfortunately, that total matches their total in every other game combined this season.
Sam Darnold will give the Titans opportunities, as the Vikings’ quarterback has a league-high 13 turnovers this season. Apart from the Week 8 calamity against the Lions, the Titans have played at a high enough level to represent a borderline start at home.
12) San Francisco 49ers (vs. SEA)
Most of the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive fantasy value this season revolves around the unit’s ability to force takeaways. The Niners rank eighth in takeaways per drive and face a Seattle Seahawks unit that ranks 22nd in turnovers per drive.
In the first matchup between these teams in Week 6, San Francisco matched its season-high with three takeaways. They’ll be a tougher play in leagues that penalize for yardage allowed, but the splash plays should give the 49ers a reasonable ceiling in Week 11.
13) New Orleans Saints (vs. CLE)
The Browns are a tough offense to read with Jameis Winston. The Saints do rank eighth in takeaways, which gives them some upside given Winston’s well-renowned interception habit.
However, with Cleveland on bye in Week 10, it’s possible that a week off leads to a vintage Nick Chubb performance. Chubb has averaged a woeful 2.7 yards per carry in three games since returning from his major knee injury. However, he might get going against a Saints defense allowing the third-highest ypc average.
New Orleans is still an above-average play this week, but the Saints are a risky streaming option given their very low defensive floor.
14) Los Angeles Chargers (vs. CIN)
The Los Angeles Chargers defense is extremely difficult to bench most weeks. If you don’t have the roster spot to stream a second defense, you can still play the Chargers. Just know that they’re not as likely to deliver a top-10 performance facing the Cincinnati Bengals.
For all their defensive excellence, the Chargers don’t get much pressure on the quarterback, ranking 19th in pressure rate (albeit third in sack rate). That’s trouble against Joe Burrow, who has 16 passing touchdowns when not pressured this year. His total is tied with Lamar Jackson for second-most behind only Baker Mayfield.
15) Buffalo Bills (vs. KC)
While the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t quite the juggernaut offense they were from 2018-22, they still represent a difficult matchup for a mediocre Buffalo Bills defense. The Chiefs rank fifth in offensive success rate, driven by their league-best third-down conversion rate.
That could lead to several long drives for the Bills’ defense, which ranks only 21st in third-down conversion rate. Buffalo does rank second in takeaways and generated a season-high four takeaways in Week 10 vs. the Colts. Still, don’t expect Patrick Mahomes to be nearly as generous as Joe Flacco.
16) Kansas City Chiefs (at BUF)
Josh Allen has been much more patient and has largely limited his turnovers this season (Week 10’s two-interception game notwithstanding), making this a difficult matchup for Kansas City. The Chiefs rank 25th in pass defense success rate but second in explosive pass play rate.
In past seasons, that could have been a successful formula against Allen, whose home-run-or-bust style could have played into Steve Spagnuolo’s hands. But in 2024, Buffalo is averaging the fourth-fewest turnovers per drive, making this a tough draw for Kansas City.
17) Dallas Cowboys (vs. HOU)
The Cowboys have been an extremely unreliable defense this season, ranking 29th in EPA per play. But Micah Parsons’ return gives this unit a decent chance against a Texans offense that has been totally unable to protect C.J. Stroud in recent weeks.
Micah Parsons is back to wrecking plays 😤@DallasCowboys ball!
📺: #PHIvsDAL on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/gFDkvd3TO4— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024
Houston has allowed the second-highest pressure rate since Week 6, ahead of only Chicago. That’s not just a random cut-off either, as it coincides with Nico Collins’ absence from the lineup. Stroud has an extraordinary 1.83 EPA per play when targeting Collins under pressure but -0.48 EPA per play targeting anyone else when pressured.
Parsons’ return gives Dallas just enough pass-rushing upside to keep them from the bottom quarter of these rankings.
18) Atlanta Falcons (at DEN)
Any unit that ranks last in sack rate is going to be a tough play in fantasy. For all his various foibles, Bo Nix has done a good job avoiding sacks, with the eighth-lowest sack rate of any quarterback this season.
The Falcons should be able to limit Denver’s offensive upside, as the Broncos rank 21st in red-zone efficiency. But without the ability to generate many negative plays, Atlanta will always rank in the bottom third of these rankings on a weekly basis.
19) Indianapolis Colts (at NYJ)
The Colts subsist off big plays, ranking fourth in takeaways but 15th in points allowed per drive. The Jets are an above-average offense at ball protection, ranking 13th in turnovers per drive.
New York’s offense is a difficult one to read, particularly after a lifeless loss in Week 10 vs. the Arizona Cardinals. Still, the Jets have enough game-breaking talent and have performed a little better at home (0.04 EPA per play compared to -0.09 on the road). Thus, Indy is a relatively uninspiring play on the road in Week 11.
20) Cincinnati Bengals (at LAC)
The Bengals have delivered a couple of surprisingly strong performances against weak offenses. However, Justin Herbert and the Chargers have ascended since the team’s Week 5 bye, making this another tough spot for Cincy.
One data point potentially in Cincinnati’s favor, though: Since the Chargers returned from bye in Week 6, they rank fourth in explosive play rate (percentage of plays gaining 20+ yards) but only 22nd in success rate. The Bengals’ defense is the exact opposite — they rank 29th in success rate this season but second-best in explosive play rate allowed.
The bet is still that the Chargers will exploit a toothless Bengals defense that cannot rush the passer, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BAL)
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive viability usually boils down to its ability to force takeaways. Pittsburgh has the fifth-highest takeaways per drive mark in the league, which has papered over a surprisingly mediocre pass rush.
However, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens offense have done a tremendous job taking care of the ball. The Ravens average the third-lowest turnovers per drive this season. Moreover, Baltimore is the best red-zone offense in the league, a strength-on-strength matchup against a Pittsburgh defense that ranks fourth in red-zone efficiency themselves.
Ultimately, Baltimore’s offense is playing at too high a level to trust any defense against it in fantasy. Bench the Steelers D/ST for the week and revisit in Week 12 when they get the Browns.
22) Baltimore Ravens (at PIT)
The Ravens have shockingly become an unplayable fantasy unit this season. Although the Steelers are not a daunting matchup in a vacuum, Russell Wilson’s deep-ball prowess could doom Baltimore.
Since becoming Pittsburgh’s starter in Week 7, Wilson has completed 11 of 19 passes for an absurd 347 yards and three touchdowns on passes of 15+ air yards. The Ravens have been an awful deep-ball defense all season, allowing a league-high 50 completions and nine touchdowns on passes of 15+ air yards.
23) New England Patriots (vs. LAR)
The New England Patriots harassed Caleb Williams and the hapless Chicago Bears offense for five sacks in Week 10. Despite that showing, the Patriots still rank bottom-10 in pressure rate this season (and was bottom-five before facing the depleted Bears).
That spells trouble against Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Stafford has the second-worst EPA per dropback when pressured this season, ahead of only Will Levis. However, he rockets up to 10th-best when not pressured, as Stafford can still shred defenses when kept clean.
With New England’s inability to pressure the quarterback, expect Stafford to enjoy a strong afternoon in Foxboro.
24) Seattle Seahawks (at SF)
The Seahawks rank 28th in points per drive allowed since Week 4 as the defense’s steady disintegration continues. Seattle bought at the trade deadline, adding front-seven defenders Ernest Jones IV and Roy Robertson-Harris to the lineup.
Still, against a 49ers offense that returned Christian McCaffrey, this isn’t the matchup to play them. With CMC’s first game out of the way, expect the Niners to look even more dangerous against a woeful Seahawks unit.
25) Las Vegas Raiders (at MIA)
The Raiders continue to rank last in takeaways and are a bottom-10 unit in points allowed per drive as a result. Facing a Dolphins offense that looks much stronger with Tua Tagovailoa under center (first in points per drive since Tua returned in Week 8), the Raiders are an unplayable defense in fantasy as usual.
26) Jacksonville Jaguars (at DET)
The Carolina Panthers are the worst defense in football, but they’re on bye this week. The Jaguars are a strong contender for runner-up in that category, and now they face a top-five offense by EPA per play and points per drive.
That makes the Jags a clear choice for the basement in Week 11.