Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Defenses (Week 11)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top fantasy football waiver wire defenses to target for the week below. And also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 11.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Defenses

Defenses

Written by Pat Fitzmaurice

Atlanta Falcons: 11% Rostered

• Next Opponents: CAR, @NO, @NYJ
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Get a load of those recommended bids. Normally, we wouldn’t advise such spendy bidding on a defense. But this is one of the toughest weeks for streaming defenses that we’ve had all season, and the Falcons have a great stretch of schedule coming up, with games against the offensively challenged Panthers, Saints and Jets. Atlanta is a middle-of-the-pack defense with a decent pass rush, but as you know by now, defensive fantasy scoring is often more about the opposing offense than about the defense itself. The Panthers, Saints and Jets ranked 26th, 28th and 27th, respectively, in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) entering Week 10. These are good offenses to target with a streaming defense. Spend a couple of extra bucks on the Falcons this week; you won’t have to worry about grabbing another defense until Week 14.

Chicago Bears: 28% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @MIN, PIT, @PHI
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: This is not an endorsement of the Chicago defense. The Bears’ pass defense has been playing without its two best cornerbacks, Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, who are both on IR. Chicago’s defense entered Week 10 ranked 25th in pressure rate and tied for 22nd in sacks. This is all about targeting Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In four starts this season, McCarthy has thrown six interceptions, fumbled four times and taken 15 sacks.

Minnesota Vikings: 38% Rostered

• Next Opponents: CHI, @GB, SEA
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: The Vikings entered Week 10 ranked ninth in defensive fantasy scoring. They were only able to sack Lamar Jackson once on Sunday and weren’t able to force a turnover, but the Ravens are typically a bad matchup for fantasy defenses. The Minnesota defense became more dangerous two weeks ago with the return of EDGE rusher Andrew Van Ginkel from a neck injury. Van Ginkel is the queen in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ chess set — a versatile piece who gives Flores tactical flexibility. The Vikings get a good but not great Week 11 matchup against Chicago. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie in 2024 but has been sacked only 14 times in nine starts this season.

Kansas City Chiefs: 44% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @DEN, IND, @DAL
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: The Chiefs’ defense is averaging only 6.7 fantasy points per game, but the last time Kansas City didn’t finish in the top half of the league in defensive fantasy scoring was 2014. This week, the Chiefs face a struggling Broncos offense that has produced 28 points in its last two games. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has thrown eight interceptions in 10 starts this year.

San Francisco 49ers: 28% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @ARI, CAR, @CLE
• True Value: $0
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: As noted above, it’s a tough week for defensive streaming. On the surface, the injury-riddled 49ers defense doesn’t have much appeal. But the Niners get a playable matchup this week against a Cardinals offense that gave up five sacks to the Seahawks on Sunday and let Seattle EDGE rusher DeMarcus Lawrence score not one but two defensive touchdowns on fumble recoveries. Then, the 49ers get favorable matchups against the Panthers and Browns in Weeks 12-13. The San Francisco defense has been bitten hard by injuries, so by no means is this defense a must-have. But if you squint hard enough, you can see a path to fantasy value for the San Francisco defense over the next three weeks.