It’s championship week for most fantasy football leagues! I want to start this off by saying those of you who are not on your league’s championship, do not participate on the fantasy football waiver wire during Week 17. After waivers are processed, you can pick someone up if there is any value to winning your matchup. It will help your fantasy football karma and your future self will thank you.
The most streamed position in fantasy football is the D/ST position. If you watching any of our fantasy football shows, I have already told you to look ahead and plan. If you are late to the party, zero worries. Let’s go over the top fantasy football waiver wire adds for the D/ST position.
To be considered for this article, the D/ST must be owned in less than 67% of Sleeper Fantasy leagues. So, let’s get into the three best defenses to add for NFL Week 17 that are available in at least a third of leagues.
3 Best D/ST Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds
New England Patriots vs JAX (66%)
The New England Patriots just made the cut, as they are owned in 66% of Sleeper Fantasy leagues. It makes sense, since they had a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills last week. However, they get to play at home against a Jacksonville Jaguars team that won’t even have James Robinson. In other words, even more pressure will be put on the shoulders of Trevor Lawrence. We all know Bill Belichick’s track record against rookie quarterbacks. This is a no-brainer if they are sitting there on the fantasy football waiver wire for you.
RELATED | NFL Power Rankings for Week 17
San Francisco 49ers vs HOU (53%)
Yes, the Houston Texans just upset the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers isn’t a big, dumb doofus. The 49ers defense is very good in reality and fantasy football. Since Week 10, they average 9.1 fantasy points per game, which ranks 10th in the league.
This is also a situation in which the offense can help out the defense, which is something teams like the Chargers and Cardinals have zero concept of. Jimmy Garoppolo looks like he will miss this game. In comes Trey Lance, and the 49ers should run their offense to his strengths. This means they will pound the rock in a variety of ways. Since Houston surrenders 4.7 yards per carry, which is tied for the third-most in the NFL, they should have success. The Texans have been even worse lately, giving up 5.2 yards per carry over their past three games. This leads to the 49ers controlling the clock, limiting the Texans’ offensive possessions and keeping their own defense rested.
New Orleans Saints vs CAR (44%)
After a Monday Night Football loss, the New Orleans Saints are in must-win mode. Luckily, they get to play at home against a bad Carolina Panthers team. The old saying is if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterback. Not only will Cam Newton likely be benched for the 18th time this season, but the second quarterback is Sam Darnold, who came in and played better than Newton last week. Better is a relative term, considering he went 15/32 for 190 yards.
The Saints have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and their home crowd should help keep their energy high, even if their offense stinks once again. The current projected total for this game is 38.5, which is the second-lowest of the week, which may be too high.
