Fantasy football managers are constantly searching for that perfect waiver wire pickup that could make or break their week. Defensive units often fly under the radar, but savvy players know that streaming the proper defense can be the difference between victory and defeat.
This week presents some intriguing options that could provide significant value for your lineup. Smart fantasy football decisions aren’t always about the most prominent names, but rather about identifying favorable matchups and emerging opportunities.
These rankings were last updated at 7:00 AM ET on Thursday, December 25, 2025.
Week 17 Defense Rankings
1) Denver Broncos (at KC)
2) New England Patriots (at NYJ)
3) Detroit Lions (at MIN)
4) Pittsburgh Steelers (at CLE)
5) Houston Texans (at LAC)
6) Seattle Seahawks (at CAR)
7) Green Bay Packers (vs. BAL)
8) Dallas Cowboys (at WAS)
9) New Orleans Saints (at TEN)
10) Jacksonville Jaguars (at IND)
11) Minnesota Vikings (vs. DET)
12) New York Giants (at LV)
13) Buffalo Bills (vs. PHI)
14) Los Angeles Chargers (vs. HOU)
15) Cincinnati Bengals (vs. ARI)
16) Baltimore Ravens (at GB)
17) San Francisco 49ers (vs. CHI)
18) Philadelphia Eagles (at BUF)
19) Chicago Bears (at SF)
20) Kansas City Chiefs (vs. DEN)
21) Atlanta Falcons (vs. LAR)
22) Miami Dolphins (vs. TB)
23) Cleveland Browns (vs. PIT)
24) Carolina Panthers (vs. SEA)
25) Las Vegas Raiders (vs. NYG)
26) New York Jets (vs. NE)
27) Arizona Cardinals (at CIN)
28) Indianapolis Colts (vs. JAX)
Dallas Cowboys (at WAS)
Some teams play out the remainder of lost seasons with an eye toward evaluation for the future or just because they want to finish strong. The Commanders are very much just trying to get to next year.
Jayden Daniels is healthy enough to play, but the team wisely shut him down to not risk long-term damage in games that don’t matter. Marcus Mariota was doing his best to prove he deserves a shot to compete for a starting job next season. I think he does. But now he’s dealing with a hand injury, and it seems likely he won’t be able to go, either.
The Cowboys may also be going through the motions, but these are still starting defensive players about to face 39-year-old Josh Johnson, making his first start since 2021.
In 22 snaps last week, Johnson managed to throw a pick and take a sack. It’s hard to imagine the Commanders doing much of anything on offense.
Detroit Lions (at MIN)
For the first time all season, the Lions lost two in a row, putting their playoff chances on life support. They can be mathematically eliminated from the postseason this week, which would undoubtedly impact their motivation. Fortunately, since they play on Thursday, it can’t happen before their game.
We are going to get a heavily motivated Lions team eager to rebound after two disappointing losses. This is also a revenge spot after the Lions dropped one at home in their first meeting earlier this season.
As if that isn’t reason enough, the Vikings will almost certainly be starting rookie UDFA Max Brosmer at quarterback again. He made one start earlier this season and threw for 126 scoreless yards with four interceptions, while taking four sacks. The Vikings didn’t score any points. The Lions are suddenly a very strong streaming option.
New England Patriots DEF (at NYJ)
It may be a surprise to see Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots defense available on waivers this week, but after a bye in Week 14, two down weeks followed. This week, though, the Patriots face a divisional matchup with the New York Jets and rookie quarterback Brady Cook.
Despite Cook being healthy, Jets HC Aaron Glenn has informed the media that the rookie will start in Week 17, which gives you a good idea of how well he has played so far. In three games (two starts), Cook has totaled one touchdown, five interceptions, and three fumbles.
The Patriots’ defense is far better than it has shown in recent weeks, and it won’t get a better opportunity to prove it than this week.
Detroit Lions DEF (at MIN)
Like Schultz, the Detroit Lions defense is a little over 50% rostered (56%) but is a must-add if available in your league. Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has announced that J.J. McCarthy is out for Week 17 and that Max Brosmer will get his second NFL start.
In his first start, albeit against a very strong Seattle Seahawks defense, Brosmer was sacked four times, threw four picks, and had zero touchdowns. Seattle’s defense finished that game with a massive 30 fantasy points, exactly double the points of second place (Buffalo Bills, 15 points).
The rookie’s debut start ranks 492nd out of 495 quarterback performances this season, according to PFSN’s QB Impact metric, making Detroit a great bet this week.
