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Unless most of the teams in your league carry a backup defense, more than half of the league should be available to you every week. Perhaps instead of playing one above average defense every week, regardless of matchup, we should instead target the widely available waiver wire defenses with the best matchups in any particular week? You can always make exceptions if your rent-a-defense gets hot - heck, you might find a team worth starting all year by accident. Even if you don't, good matchups will continue to get greater in number as more QBs get injured or yanked as the season goes on. You can steal some points from bad weather come December. Each week I'll list the startable fantasy defenses on most waiver wires and rank them.
Week 3 Results
New Orleans (vs Minnesota) - 2 sacks, 9 points allowed
No points for knocking a quarterback out of the game, and Teddy Bridgewater was not overwhelmed when he had to take the field in a frenzied Superdome. This one started out like a Saints blowout as they jumped out to a 13-0 early lead, but they seemed more inclined to coast to the victory in the second half.
A Look Ahead - @DAL TB BYE - The Cowboys are always prone to turnover sprees, but it’s probably better to pass
Miami (vs Kansas City) - 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 safety
It’s a testament to the Dolphins defensive line that they can put up a good D/ST day while getting blown out by a very limited Chiefs team.
A Look Ahead - @OAK BYE GB - Worth a look in London, but probably not your best choice.
Arizona (vs San Francisco) - 1 sack
The Cardinals team effort was excellent and they contained Colin Kaepernick as the center of the offensive game plan. Arizona only forced one sack, but they are playing spirited winning football and we’ll revisit them as an option later this year.
A Look Ahead - BYE @DEN WAS - Throw em back for the bye and Peyton Manning waiting on the other side.
St. Louis (vs Dallas) - 1 fumble receovery, 1 interception, 1 DEF TD
Tony Romo giveth, although in leagues where you get penalized for points allowed, Tony Romo taketh away
A Look Ahead - BYE @PHI SF - No reason to go back to this defanged defense right now.
Indianapolis (at Jacksonville) - 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble receovery, 1 DEF TD
Perhaps we won’t have the Jaguars offense to kick around any longer, but Blake Bortles is a freewheeling quarterback, so we won’t go away from their opponents just yet. Don’t draw any conclusions about the Colts defensive quality on this one.
A Look Ahead - TEN BAL @HOU - Jake Locker is banged up and the Titans are ice cold. You’ll want to hold for this one.
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Atlanta (vs Tampa Bay) - 3 sacks, 1 interception, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 DEF TD, 1 ST TD
You’ll want to make note of how good Devin Hester looks when giving the Falcons consideration in future weeks. The Buccaneers had one of the worst performance by a team in recent memory, but Mike Glennon made them respectable last year.
Chicago (at NY Jets) - 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
Geno Smith is one of those QBs who can pay off like a rigged slot machine for opposing D/ST’s, even with no Charles Tillman on the field for the Bears.
Tampa Bay (at Atlanta) - 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 DEF TD
Give up 56 points and still have a good D/ST week. That’s what happens when a game gets blown wide open
Detroit (vs Green Bay) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD, 1 safety
The Lions might be an everyweek starting D/ST at this point.
Pittsburgh (at Carolina) - 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 ST TD
The Panthers laid a huge egg, but the Steelers defense also suffered three key injuries, so you might not want to chase these points.
Dallas (at St. Louis) - 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
Even the Cowboys can have a good D/ST day every now and then.
Week 4 Candidates
Indianapolis (vs Tennessee)
I’m not sure if you’re rooting for Jake Locker to start or sit here, but either way, the Colts offense can build a lead and expose whoever is starting for the Titans at quarterback. The Colts aren’t a talented defense, but they showed last week that they can pile on a vastly inferior opponent. The Titans qualify.
A Look Ahead: BAL @HOU CIN - End of the line until they play the Jags again in November
San Diego (vs Jacksonville)
The Chargers haven’t had a D/ST outburst yet, but with Blake Bortles first NFL start on tap, this could be it. The Jags opponent has had double-digit points in every game so far.
A Look Ahead: NYJ @OAK KC - The chance to get a Jets team coming off of a QB change is another reason to like picking up the SD D/ST this week.
Detroit (at NY Jets)
The bullies on the Lions defensive line have made them a tough draw no matter the opponent. Geno Smith has to punch his way out of the corner, and that could result in another nice day for the Lions, maybe even some of Michael Vick.
A Look Ahead: BUF @MIN NO - This is going to be a “ride em as long as they’re hot” situation
Houston (vs Buffalo)
The Texans morphed back into a very ordinary defense at the Giants, but they should feast on a teetering EJ Manuel this week.
A Look Ahead: @DAL IND @PIT - If Tony Romo is still generously giving away the ball and the Texans defense hit their stride again this week, we might be onto something here.
Pittsburgh (vs Tampa)
It’s hard to recommend a defense that just lost three starters, but the Steelers can get hot at home, and they are facing a Buccaneers team that looks like they should be relegated to the SEC (or worse) right now. The bonus here is that the Steelers get the Jaguars next week, although that matchup could get less exciting if Blake Bortles is a formidable rookie QB.
A Look Ahead: @JAX @CLE HOU
Week 5 Pre-emptive Pickups
If you like to devote two roster spots to a D/ST, or you suspect other teams are going to stream defenses this year, you might want to grab a top option for the following week to stash away. Here are the best ones to target:
Detroit (vs Buffalo)
Pittsburgh (at Jacksonville)
San Diego (vs NY Jets)
