Best, Worst value D/STs in Week 15 daily fantasy football

Week 15 is filled with D/ST land mines as the best defenses get good matchups and aren’t of great value in making a balanced DFS lineup. It may be the week to pay up for your D/ST but I loathe to do so, which means I will give you my best and worst value options.

BEST: Detroit Lions ($2,300) vs. Buccaneers

The Lions don’t have a good defense, so let’s not kid ourselves. But Jameis Winston, he has thrown 23 interceptions this season. Even when he puts up huge numbers, he will still hand over D/ST points to the opposition. When the Bucs scored 55 points against the Rams in Week 4, L.A. still got double-digit fantasy points. Detroit has upside against Winston.

WORST: Los Angeles Rams ($2,900) at Cowboys

The Rams defense ranks fifth in the league in fantasy points and face a scuffling Cowboys team in Dallas. This isn’t an awful play, but Dallas has been much better at home and they haven’t given up double-digit fantasy points all season, as they don’t give up many sacks and they have a strong running game to keep teams from pinning their ears back and going after the quarterback.

BEST: New York Giants ($2,700) vs. Dolphins

Miami has given up the second-most fantasy points to D/STs this season. Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t give up huge numbers each game, but he is a reliable source for turnovers and hasn’t forced any D/ST into negative points this year.

WORST: Buffalo Bills ($2,900) at Steelers

Playing your D/ST against a rookie quarterback is often a good idea but the Steelers defense has allowed space for Devlin Hodges not to need to do too much and when he has needed to pass, he’s been careful with the ball. The Steelers have a good offensive line and a conservative attack, which is the opposite of what you want to target for your D/ST.

I am an avid fan and user (my username is cogresha) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.