Best D/ST schedules in the fantasy football playoffs and waiver wire players to consider

Defense and special teams tends to be a dice roll when it comes to fantasy football. Depending on the scoring system in your league, defensive points only really matter when the unit gets into the endzone. It’s impossible to predict which defense will score in a given week, but it is possible to find the best possible matchup given the opponent. Here are the top defensive options that are widely available in most leagues for the fantasy playoffs, which are from Week 15 to Week 17.

Fantasy football playoffs: Best D/ST schedules

Cincinnati Bengals D/ST (Week 15 at Broncos, Week 16 vs. Ravens, Week 17 vs. Chiefs)

The Bengals get some good matchups with the Broncos and Ravens, the latter being a team they dominated in the previous matchup. The Chiefs may scare some managers off, but Kansas City’s recent resurgence has come from its defense rather than Patrick Mahomes.

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (Week 15 vs. Chiefs, Week 16 at Texans, Week 17 vs. Broncos)

After the opening playoff week against Kansas City, the Chargers get two excellent contests. Los Angeles got smacked in the mouth by Denver the last time the teams met, so there’s definitely some motivation to get even. The Texans are a mess and should offer the Chargers a great chance to wreak havoc on the defensive side of the ball.

Detroit Lions D/ST (Week 15 vs. Cardinals, Week 16 at Falcons, Week 17 at Seahawks)

No, this is not a joke. When looking at defensive units that are widely available, the Lions do rate favorably. The Arizona matchup is not likely to be any good, but the Falcons and Seahawks have both been inconsistent offensively. Detroit does have some good individual defenders, and there’s a chance the Lions catch some teams off guard at the end of the season. This shouldn’t be the top choice for any manager, but it’s a sneaky pickup that can be used if there are no other options available.