Week 12 Fantasy Football Defensive Streaming: Firing Up the Saints

New Orleans Saints

Owned: ESPN 3.7%, Yahoo 5%
numberFire Projected Rank: 5th

This may sound strange as the Saints' defense has been historically bad in recent years, but this week, New Orleans is one of the best streaming options on the schedule as they host the Los Angeles Rams.

On the season, the Saints defense has been bad -- they rank 27th in our schedule-adjusted metrics -- but over the past four weeks, they've been productive from a fantasy standpoint. In three of the Saints past four games, the Saints defense has posted a top-12 defensive performance.

Over those past four games, the Saints have 10 sacks, and they've forced seven turnovers. While the Saints have only generated the 22nd-most sacks on the year (19), they have been getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, ranking third in quarterback hits (70).

As an added bonus, top corner Delvin Breaux is expected to make his return in Week 12.

On the other side, the Rams, now led by rookie Jared Goff, have given up the 11th most sacks on the year.

On the season, the Rams have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses in standard scoring leagues. Each of the past three teams to face the Rams have finished with a top-11 defensive performance on the week.

Vegas has listed the Saints as a 7-point home favorite in this matchup, and with New Orleans averaging 31 points per game at home, Goff may be forced to play catch up -- giving putting the Saints' defense in a great spot.