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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.
**Seattle and Cincinnati should be owned and started in every league this week**
Week 4 Results
Indianapolis (vs Tennessee) - 3 sacks, 2 INT, 1 fumble recovery
It wasn’t a complete nightmare for Charlie Whitehurst, but it wasn’t a good dream, either. He played like a backup quarterback in a bad offense, and the mediocre Colts defense took advantage of the blowout game script.
A Look Ahead: BAL @HOU CIN - The Ravens offense is clicking right now, so you’ll want to throw them back
San Diego (vs Jacksonville) - 3 sacks, 2 INT, 1 fumble recovery
Blake Bortles was a lot more functional than Chad Henne, but the bad plays still came for the Jaguars offense in enough abundance to make the Chargers a good play.
A Look Ahead: NYJ @OAK KC - Geno Smith is on the ropes, so San Diego is an appealing hold this week
Detroit (at NY Jets) - 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery
The Lions didn’t make the huge defensive play to get an early edge like they did in Week 3, but they were still strong for most of the game and contributed a few points to your lineup
A Look Ahead: BUF @MIN NO - Perhaps one more week of EJ Manuel would have been welcomed here, but a disastrous first start from Orton would also not shock us.
Houston (vs Buffalo) - 2 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
J.J. Watt!!!!!!!!!!!
A Look Ahead: @DAL IND @PIT - If you have JJ Watt, you always have the chance of a good D/ST week on one play
Pittsburgh (vs Tampa) - 1 sack, 1 INT
Should have known better than to expect a good game from my Steelers coming off of a great game.
A Look Ahead: @JAX @CLE HOU - The half-hearted defensive performance against Tampa makes it difficult to endorse keeping the Steelers in your lineup this week.
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Philadelphia (at San Francisco) - 4 sacks, 1 INT, 2 ST TD, 1 DEF TD
Darren Sproles and Brad Smith have made a living off of special teams contributions over the course of their careers and if you happened to have the Eagles in your Week 4 lineup, they helped you make a living this week in fantasy football
Kansas City (vs New England) - 3 sacks, 2 INT, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
In hindsight, I should have given this one more consideration. A rabid home crowd at Arrowhead, a great pass rush against a reeling offensive line and quarterback… we saw the Chiefs become an excellent play for the entire first half of 2013, so they are worth a look this week
Miami (vs Oakland) - 2 sacks, 3 INT, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins answered the bell in London. The Raiders were still on pacific time.
New York Giants (at Washington) - 2 sacks, 4 INT, 2 fumble recoveries
Kirk Cousins took one week to turn back into a pumpkin this time. The Giants might be a decent team after all.
Week 5 Candidates
**Note: If Christian Ponder starts on Thursday night against Green Bay, they become a viable play this week**
Denver (vs Arizona)
Signs are starting to point to Drew Stanton starting again versus a rested Broncos defense. If they can open up a lead and get Stanton winging it out there, big plays could ensue.
A Look Ahead: @NYJ SF SD - We’ll stick with the Broncos as long as they score for us, so they are our top pickup this week coming off of a bye.
Detroit (vs Buffalo)
The Lions have the fierce front line to harass Kyle Orton and they have given us at least 4-6 points in every start this year. Jeremy Ross is also a decent return threat. The Ford Field crowd should be hyped up with the Tigers in the MLB playoffs and the Lions in first place
A Look Ahead: @MIN NO @ATL - Unless Teddy Bridgewater looks like a one-week wonder or is out for Week 6, it’ll probably be time to drop Detroit on Tuesday.
San Diego (vs New York Jets)
Like the Lions, the Chargers have at least given us 4-6 points in every game this year, and we know Geno Smith could go out with a bang if he is about to lose his job.
A Look Ahead: @OAK KC DEN - Matt McGloin was a mess in London, so the Chargers could be a hot hand to stick with if they come through this week.
Philadelphia (vs St. Louis)
The Eagles are the #1 D/ST in most leagues through four weeks. Shaun Hill will likely start for the Rams on the road, and while the Eagles aren’t a top defense, they are opportunistic and also have Darren Sproles explosiveness on returns.
A Look Ahead: NYG BYE @ARI - All of the sudden Eli Manning doesn’t look like a target for our rent-a-defenses
Week 6 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:
Denver (at New York Jets)
Arizona (vs Washington)
St. Louis (vs San Francisco MNF)