Streaming Defenses: Picking a Week 15 Team D

Even without Jason Pierre-Paul, who was lost to an injury, this red-hot defense kept rolling against the Cowboys and their all-world offensive line and look like a fantastic streaming option this week at home against the Lions. Matthew Stafford has been sacked 10 times in his last four games and could be running for his life against a defense that's registered 16 sacks the last four weeks. Stafford is also dealing with a finger injury, and after Detroit didn't turn the ball over in two games, he threw a pair of picks last week, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Giants are trying to extend a streak of three consecutive games with multiple takeaways, and they've forced eight in that span.

Miami Dolphins (at New York Jets)
55% Yahoo ownership – 41.8% ESPN ownership

The Dolphins come into this matchup with the Jets having forced multiple takeaways in three straight games, totaling eight in that span. That matches up well with a New York offense that's turned the ball over six times in its last three games. The Miami pass rush has gotten to the quarterback multiple times in six of its last eight games, and the Dolphins will look to get after Bryce Petty, who was sacked a whopping six times by the 49ers last week. In addition, this could be a low-scoring game, so owners in leagues that reward defenses for points against might be wise to stream the Dolphins this week.

Houston Texans (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
44% Yahoo ownership – 44.3% ESPN ownership

Granted, the Texans are a better NFL defense than they are a fantasy unit, but with Blake Bortles coming to town, that makes them an appealing streamer option this week. The Jaguars have turned the ball over multiple times in eight games this year while allowing multiple sacks in five of their last seven, including four times last week. Meanwhile, the Texans haven't exactly been a sack machine, but they recorded two last week, and they've gotten at least one in each of their last three games. In addition, this easily could be a low-scoring game, as both offenses have significant issues, so that makes the Texans a favorable option in leagues that reward defenses for points against.

Atlanta Falcons (vs. San Francisco 49ers)
42% Yahoo ownership – 48.8% ESPN ownership

Obviously, the Falcons won't have a game like they had against the Rams last week anytime soon, but they have another outstanding matchup against the 49ers, and this time, they're on their home field. It's extremely likely that they'll play with a lead, which will allow them to get after Colin Kaepernick, which should lead to a fair number of sacks with the chance for some takeaways, as well. The good news is that this defense can get to the quarterback with its front four, so it doesn't have sacrifice playmaking potential on the back end to create pressure. Overall, the Falcons have forced at least one takeaway in five consecutive games while recording multiple sacks in six of their last seven games. This matches up well with a 49ers offense that's coughed up 15 sacks over its last four games.

Green Bay Packers (at Chicago Bears)
32% Yahoo ownership – 48.1% ESPN ownership

The Packers have been coming on lately, registering 11 sacks and eight takeaways over their last three games. It should be noted that six of those takeaways came in last week's game against the Seahawks, but this has been a useful defense the last few weeks. They'll be on the road at the Bears, and although Matt Barkley has been playing fairly mistake-free football, he hasn't faced a big-time defense yet. Obviously, the Packers aren't an elite unit, but defensive coordinator Dom Capers will be sure to throw many looks at the young quarterback to confuse him, and the end result should be another successful day for this emerging defense.