These fantasy football streaming defenses for Week 10 are ones to look for as potential waiver wire pickups or free agent adds, not only for this week but for future matchups.
G.O.A.T.: Last week, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, Aaron Rodgers, took the field in one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. As expected, he lost. But he can’t be blamed, after all, he was facing the best quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
Over the past week, many have debated over who is the best, Brady or Rodgers. Those who support Brady are great analyzers, most likely Harvard and Stanford graduates. Those who support Rodgers probably like pineapple on their pizza. Look, I’m not saying that Rodgers is not the most talented quarterback to ever throw the pigskin, but that doesn’t equal the best. It represents potential but potential is not a positive term. It means you could be great but are not.
To prove the point, just look at basketball. When talking about the greatest basketball player, most people would say Michael Jordan (LeBron James is next in line). But was Michael Jordan the most physically talented? Not necessarily. Many would argue it was Wilt Chamberlain, but he is usually not mentioned when discussing the best of all time. He only won two NBA titles and four MVP titles whereas Jordan won six NBA titles and five MVP titles. So why are Michael Jordan and Tom Brady the best? Simple, they win when it matters. They find a way to win over and over again on the biggest stages.
Winning the title is what separates Rodgers and Brady. Although it is easy to say that Brady has had the luxury of having the best coaching staff and players surrounding him, couldn’t the same be said about Jordan? He was coached by Phil Jackson who has won the most NBA championships in history (11) and was teammates with future Hall of Famers (Scottie Pippin, Dennis Rodman). Although it is possible that Aaron Rodgers could have done the same thing that Brady did if their situation was reversed, it isn’t and we will never know. For now, until Rodgers starts finding ways to win when it matters, he is still no Tom Brady.
Patriots Bandwagon: New England Patriots
Might as well stay on the Patriot train. With Brady leading the explosive offense, this streaming option is appealing based on the game script. The Patriots have averaged over 35 points since Week 3 while the Tennessee Titans have only scored over 20 points twice the entire season. Since Tennessee is still in the hunt for the division title, only two games behind the Texans, they cannot afford to lose many more games. To beat the Patriots, they will need to put points on the board, and a lot of them. Unfortunately, to do this, they’ll need playmakers who can gain huge chunks of yards and turn seemingly dead plays into positive gains (something even Rodgers couldn’t do last week).
The Titans do not have those players. Both running backs have failed to break out on the ground, having mediocre rushing games at best (Dion Lewis has yet to break 100 yards and Derrick Henry has never even broken 60 yards in a game). Through the air, it gets worse. Marcus Mariota has had a disappointing season so far, failing to throw over 250 yards in all but one game and averaging more turnovers than touchdowns (less than one per game). So unless someone steps up on that offense, it will be very tough to keep up with the Patriots.
Although allowing over half of their opponents to score 24+ points, the defense is starting to find its own and create big plays. Just over the last three weeks, the Patriots have scored three defensive/special teams touchdowns. The offense is putting a lot of pressure on opposing offenses to keep up, creating opportunities for the defense to make those big plays. Expect this trend to continue as the season progresses.
Verdict: With the Titans giving up the 4th most fantasy points to opposing defenses and their need to make plays, I’m predicting a lot of turnovers and sacks. Mariota is a quality quarterback but just hasn’t got his legs underneath him this year, making him a third tier quarterback at best. With the terrible turnover to touchdown ratio that Mariota has, I believe if he does manage to throw more than two touchdowns, one of them will be to the opposing team.
Prediction: PA: 20-25, Total Yards: 250-300, Sacks: 2-3, Fumbles: 0, Interceptions: 2, TD: 1, Fantasy Points: 10-15
Monday Night Special: New York Giants/San Francisco 49ers
Both these teams could potentially have a great day while the other team gives up four turnovers and six sacks. But which one do you choose?
In San Francisco’s defense (pun intended), you still have the lackluster offense of Eli Manning, who might have been benched (still might), had his backup not got arrested. Manning just doesn’t put up points or gain huge chunks of yards at a time. Every long play the Giants have had this year has come from someone breaking a few tackles and getting out in space, or Odell Beckham Jr. throwing the ball. This year, opposing defenses have scored less than 9 points only three times against the Giants, mainly due to the lack of yards/points this offense produces. Plus, most of their points/yards are usually earned during the end of the game when they cannot win and the defenses are just trying to run the clock out.
When it comes to the New York Giants, the only thing to really consider is how many points do you need? San Francisco has either blown up, allowing opposing defenses to score a lot (17+ points in three of their worst games) or they have decimated a defense (less than 5 points in four of their best games) while the Giants have not allowed an opposing defense to score more than 14 points. San Francisco has the boom or bust quality about it that could either reward or punish their owners. In addition to that risk, you also have an unknown quarterback, Nick Mullens, who put up three touchdowns and zero interceptions his first NFL start last week. Usually rookie quarterbacks are prone to mistakes, but this year has been different. Still, it was only one game. With the small sample size, it is tough to judge how he is going to perform each week. There is a good chance that Mullens regresses and looks more like a rookie against the Giants.
Verdict: Both of these teams could be a good streaming defense, but it’s tough to predict which one will end up better. It all comes down to what you need. The Giants have a more steady record of being friendly to defenses whereas the 49ers have given up huge points in a few games. With the game being on Monday, it is possible to pick up one of the teams early and come Monday night, potentially switch based on your need (if the other team is still available).
Prediction (Giants): PA: 20-24, Total Yards: 300-350, Sacks: 4, Fumbles: 0, Interceptions: 3, TD: 0.5, Fantasy Points: 5-20
Prediction (San Francisco): PA: 10-18, Total Yards: 250-300, Sacks: 4, Fumbles: 1, Interceptions: 0, TD: 0, Fantasy Points: 6-10
Future Picks
Here are two potential stash options for next week.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: They have been an average defense all year, having respectable numbers and only having two poor outings. Coming up in Week 11, the Steelers face Jacksonville. The Jaguars have given up 10+ points on average over the past six weeks. Unless Jacksonville gets back on track, the Steelers could be a sneaky stash option.
- Carolina Panthers: Although owned in a fair amount of leagues, with their Thursday game against the Steelers approaching, many owners will drop them. Pick them up if they do because although they do not post amazing numbers, they are very consistent. Since Week 3, they have scored between 5-9 points every week. Although not great, their next opponent (Lions) have been a mess over the last two weeks (averaging 16 points to opposing defenses). With Golden Tate being traded, their offense just isn’t what it used to be. Carolina should put up another decent outing next week and potentially score double digits.
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