3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 16

Pittsburgh Steelers

FanDuel Price: $4,500
Projections: 19.38 points allowed, 2.30 sacks, 1.84 turnovers, 0.30 touchdowns

The Pittsburgh D/ST sits eighth in our projections this week, but there are reasons to believe that they can be one of the top units in Week 16. The Steelers are 5.5-point home favorites this weekend, and the Ravens have an implied team total of 19.5 points, which is right in line with our projection (19.38).

When Baltimore has been an underdog, they haven’t fared well in recent years. Over the last three seasons, opposing defenses have averaged 10.1 FanDuel points per game when they are favored against the Ravens.

The most likely explanation is that in games where the Ravens are expected to lose, they are likely attempting more passes in a comeback attempt. The more times a team drops back to pass, the more opportunities there are for the opposing defense to generate sacks and turnovers. In losses this season, Joe Flacco is averaging 46.1 pass attempts compared to just 37.8 attempts in wins.

Pittsburgh has reached cash game value just twice this season, so we know they won’t be highly owned in tournaments. At only $4,500, they’re a great cheap option if you can’t afford the services of New England or Seattle.