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.
**Note: Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, and San Francisco have good matchups this week, but they are presumed to be owned in most, if not all leagues**
Week 14 Results
New England (vs Cleveland) - 1 sack
As advised in this column last week, Jason Campbell starting made this a much less attractive matchup.
A Look Ahead: @MIA @BAL - You won’t want to use the Patriots again.
Arizona (vs St. Louis) - 4 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD, 1 safety
Yahtzee! The Cardinals at home have been reliable this year, and Kellen Clemens combined with the Rams being beat up after a loss to the 49ers to make this a romp for the Cardinals defense.
A Look Ahead: @TEN @SEA - Even without the Honey Badger, the Cardinals deserve consideration this week
Philadelphia (vs Detroit) - 3 fumble recoveries
You’ll take it, but this one ended up being mostly a dud. The heavy snow changed the entire flow of the game and kept both defenses on their heels and playing it safe.
A Look Ahead: @MIN CHI - The Eagles are a good “safe” play this week as long as Adrian Peterson is out
New Orleans (vs Carolina) - 5 sacks
No turnovers, but the Saints harassed and frustrated Cam Newton as expected.
A Look Ahead: @STL @CAR - The Saints are lacking playmakers and they’ll be on the road, but if they can open up a lead on the Rams, this could be a solid play with Kellen Clemens hopelessly chucking it.
Oakland (at New York Jets) - 1 sack, 1 INT
Geno Smith was not in a giving mood this week even though it is the holiday season.
A Look Ahead: KC @SD - You don’t want to play a D/ST facing the Chiefs right now.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
Tampa Bay (vs Buffalo) - 7 sacks, 4 INT, 1 fumble recovery, 6 pts allowed
EJ Manuel is playing the worst football of his rookie year by far. We’ll file that away when evaluating rent-a-defenses for the next two weeks.
Atlanta (at Green Bay) - 5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
A flukish kicked ball interception that was returned for a touchdown right before the half turned Atlanta from a solid to a great play in Week 15.
Detroit (at Philadelphia) - 1 INT, 2 ST TD
All bets are off in the snow. Jeremy Ross looked like LeSean McCoy on returns and scored â…” of the Lions points. Why didn’t Jim Schwartz use him on offense in the second half?
Pittsburgh (vs Miami) - 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
This might be the last go-round for Troy Polamalu as a Steeler, and his patented zig-zag interception return with a flying finish rewarded anyone who took a chance on the Steelers D/ST in Week 14.
**Note: Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, and San Francisco have good matchups this week, but they are presumed to be owned in most, if not all leagues**
Week 15 Candidates
Jacksonville (vs Buffalo)
EJ Manuel is playing badly, the Jaguars are playing with a ton of fight, winning four of their last five, and their defense is coming on. The Jaguars have three sacks in three of the last four games, and they have multiple takeaways in each of the last two. The Bucs were a big hit against the Bills last week, let’s see if the Jags can make it two in a row.
A Look Ahead: TEN - Not a terrible matchup if they come through this week and stay hot
Philadelphia (at Minnesota)
The Eagles have been amazingly steady as a D/ST, with multiple takeaways in five straight games. They also have multiple sacks in three of those five games, and there’s always DeSean Jackson lurking on punt returns, as Jacoby Jones broke a kick return for a score against the Vikings last week. With Adrian Peterson likely out, this one becomes even better.
A Look Ahead: CHI - Tough to like this one.
Arizona (at Tennessee)
It’s really hard to bet against a Cardinals defense that has only fallen below five points in typical D/ST scoring once all season. They have defensive touchdowns in three of the last five games, and 15 sacks over the same spot. Most importantly, they are playing for something, while the Titans are playing for Mike Munchak’s job at best.
A Look Ahead: @SEA - No Thanks.
Pittsburgh (vs Cincinnati)
The Steelers a fearsome D/ST again? Well, they have defensive scores in two of the last three games, and multiple sacks in each of the last seven games. After forcing only two takeaways in the first six games of the year, they have 13 takeaways in the last seven games. Add in a prime time game at home against Andy Dalton outdoors and a chance to give a rival a black eye, and you might have a good recipe for a one-week D/ST play.
A Look Ahead: @GB - Only a consideration if Matt Flynn is starting.
Playoffs Preemptive 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 final next week to stash away. Here are the best ones to target:
Detroit (vs New York Giants)
Cincinnati (vs Minnesota)
Cleveland (at New York Jets)
Miami (at Buffalo)