This article first appeared on RotoBaller.com

[sc name=”Author – Bill Dubiel”]

With the playoff push in full swing, streaming knowledge is essential now more than ever! Below are RotoBaller’s Week 10 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream and start for Week 10 of the NFL and fantasy football season. Our tiered defense rankings are your guide to drafting defenses, making waiver wire pickups/adds to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 10.

Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker, so we have broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup. Some of these Week 10 defenses have good matchups and are not widely owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league’s waiver wire for a Week 10 pickup or add.

I’ve been trying out a new format lately, touching briefly on each team that I have ranked instead of picking just a few to analyze in depth. Let me know what you think on Twitter (@Roto_Dubs). Good luck in Week 10 RotoBallers!

[sc name=”Google Inline Ad”]

Week 10 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Teams on bye: Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

Tier 1 Defenses (The “Duh” DSTs)

1. Los Angeles Rams (vs. HOU)

The Texans are supposedly going back to Tom Savage in Week 10, which should be all you need to hear. If you watched the Texans game in Week 9, you don’t need me to elaborate on Savage’s heinous stat line to get excited about the Rams.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. LAC)

The Jaguars DST continued to savage the rest of the NFL, hanging 14 more fantasy points on the Bengals on Sunday thanks to only seven points allowed and a special teams touchdown. Come hell or high water, this unit is putting up points, and Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon don’t scare me enough to knock them out of the top tier.

3. Detroit Lions (vs. CLE)

Any team against the Browns is a good fantasy matchup, and the Lions have been scoring in bunches. You’ve got the team with the third-highest takeaway total up against the team with the most giveaways–this is a no-brainer.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (@ IND)

Steelers are coming off the bye and will face a Colts team that ranks 22nd in scoring offense. Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton connecting on a big play is really the only major threat here, and Pittsburgh boasts the second-best passing defense in the league. For the fourth time in a row, let’s not overthink it.

5. Seattle Seahawks (@ ARI)

The Seahawks DST is averaging 12.8 fantasy points per game over its last five contests, and this week they’ll draw a David Johnson and Carson Palmer-less Cardinals team that only put up 20 points on the 49ers in Week 9. The Legion of Boom should feast here.

Tier 2 Defenses (Rock-Solid Starts)

6. Carolina Panthers (@ MIA)

The Dolphins offense really didn’t miss a beat in Week 9 even with the departure of Jay Ajayi—Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams filled in admirably, and Jay Cutler was able to put up some points on the Raiders. The Panthers are not the Raiders. They are second only to #Sacksonville with 29 sacks on the year, and while Miami does a decent enough job of protecting the quarterback, they should yield three or four to the Panthers front seven. Add in Smokin’ Jay’s inconsistency and you can feel great about the Panthers in Week 10.

7. New England Patriots (@ DEN)

After an abysmal start to the season, the Patriots DST has bounced back a bit, posting 6, 6 and 10 points in their last three games. This week they get whatever mook is under center for the Broncos though (and it really, truly doesn’t matter which mook). This is all about the matchup, as I believe the Pats will be gifted a few turnovers in what should quickly devolve into a rout.

8. Chicago Bears (vs. GB)

The Bears are coming off of the bye and will have a great matchup at home against Brett Hundley‘s Packers, which is why I really like them as a streaming option this week. The Bears forced eight turnovers in the three games prior to their Week 9 bye, and Brett Hundley has thrown four interceptions since being named the starter (Monday night against DET pending, although I see him adding to that total there). There is plenty of upside for this unit and they will almost certainly be available to stream.

9. New Orleans Saints (@ BUF)

These ain’t yer momma’s Saints, boychik. They run, they play defense…they’re legit. The Bills are coming off an ugly Thursday night game against the Jets, but I have them bouncing back at home a bit, which leaves my expectations for the Saints DST tempered. Tyrod Taylor does surrender plenty of sacks though, so there is certainly some upside here.

Tier 3 Defenses (Decent Streamers)

10. New York Jets (@ TB)

With Jameis Winston sidelined for the foreseeable future, the reeling Buccaneers will need to turn to veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. No, I don’t believe in revenge games. The Jets just pasted the Bills for three quarters of football and they should have no trouble blowing up the Buccaneers offensive line at least three times, and lord knows Fitzmagic is capable of an interception or three.

11. Green Bay Packers (@ CHI)

The Packers picked up four turnovers against the Bears last time around (Week 4) and they should be able to get to Mitchell Trubisky for at least two more. This game will likely remain close without Aaron Rodgers in it, but as long as they can contain Jordan Howard the Packers should make for a fine streaming option in deeper league.

12. Minnesota Vikings (@ WAS)

The Vikings defense hasn’t allowed more than 17 points to an opponent since Week 2. They are just plain GOOD, both up front and in the secondary. The problem is they don’t have the counting stats to make them an elite fantasy play–they rank just 21st in takeaways (10). They are eighth in sacks (24) and will find some success against the Redskins, who allow 2.75 sacks per game on average. Kirk Cousins only has four picks on the year though, so the Vikings will be just a slightly above-average play in Week 10.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (@ TEN)

The Bengals DST had a decent game against the Colts in Week 8 (14 fantasy points), but that was sandwiched between two poor showings against the Steelers (-4) and the Jaguars (-1). The Titans offense lies somewhere in the middle of the pack, which is about what I expect from the Bengals. Between 6-8 points–enough to be usable, but limited potential for fireworks.

14. San Diego Chargers (@ JAX)

Prior to their Week 9 bye, the Chargers defense seven was heating up. They logged 14 sacks in their previous four contests, and forced seven turnovers in that time frame as well. They should come back down to Earth a bit against the Jaguars stout o-line and a hungry/angry Leonard Fournette, but Blake Bortles‘ ability to meltdown at any time leaves the door open for some slight upside fantasy-wise.

Tier 4 Defenses (Deep Streamers)

15. Washington Redskins (vs. MIN)
16. Houston Texans (@ LAR)
17. Buffalo Bills (vs. NO)
18. New York Giants (@ SF)
19. Dallas Cowboys (@ ATL)
20. Denver Broncos (vs. NE)

Tier 5 Defenses (Desperation Plays)

21. Tennessee Titans (vs. CIN)
22. Cleveland Browns (@ DET)
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYJ)
24. Miami Dolphins (@ CAR)