Best Fantasy Football Week 7 Defense/Special Teams Streamers
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Every fantasy football manager knows the stress of weekly lineup decisions, but defense and special teams (D/ST) remain one of the trickiest positions to navigate.
Outside of a few elite units, most defenses are volatile, leaving managers searching the waiver wire for favorable matchups. Streaming defenses — a strategy built around rotating D/ST based on opponent, game script and injuries — has become one of the most reliable ways to maximize production. Rather than settling for a middling unit, managers can often squeeze out higher weekly scores by targeting vulnerable offenses.
Week 7 offers another slate of streamable defenses worth considering, with several options available in the majority of leagues. Below are three D/ST units with exploitable matchups that could provide fantasy managers with a short-term boost.
*Percentage denotes roster rate on ESPN and Yahoo*
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders (ESPN: 52% Yahoo: 80%)
The Chiefs project as a top-three play this week vs. a Raiders team that surrenders the third-most fantasy points to D/STs on a per-game basis. There are two major reasons for that: Las Vegas is tied for the NFL lead in giveaways (11), and its offensive line has allowed the fifth-most sacks (18) through six games. Geno Smith also leads the NFL in interceptions (10). Kansas City’s unit, which is more than solid, should have a field day getting after Smith and turning him over in this AFC West clash. Creating turnovers and manufacturing sacks will always be a formula for a high-scoring D/ST in fantasy football.
Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints (ESPN: 9% Yahoo: 28%)
The Bears’ defense has been much better than the numbers may indicate, both on the field and in fantasy football. Their statistics are deflated because they gave up 52 points and 511 total yards to the Lions in Week 2. Outside of that, the Bears have been a solid defensive unit. They even rank second in the NFL in takeaways (12). Chicago matches up at home against the Saints, who have the fifth-lowest scoring offense on a per-game basis (18.5). They also rank inside the bottom 10 of the NFL in yards per game (305.3). Managers in deeper leagues should look at the Bears’ D/ST as a potential streamer for all these reasons in Week 7.
Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets (ESPN: 5% Yahoo: 5%)
The Panthers D/ST might be the sneakiest play of the week. Contrary to many beliefs, their defense has been very solid this season. They rank among the top 10 in fewest yards allowed per game (308.3), and have done a formidable job at stopping the run. The Jets will be without their star wide receiver, Garrett Wilson. Through six games, Wilson has over four times as many targets (56) as the Jets’ second-leading wide receiver, Josh Reynolds (12). The Panthers can virtually sell out against the run and force Fields to beat them with his arm while throwing to an insufficient group of pass-catchers. This strategy should net a low-scoring Jets offense that’s bound to make a few blunders.
Check out our Week 7 defense and special teams rankings and D/ST’s to target on the waiver wire.
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.