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.
**Chicago has a good matchup in Week 8 and should be played over rent-a-defenses but is assumed to be rostered**
Week 7 Results
Indianapolis (vs Buffalo) - 2 sacks, 3 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 points allowed
I regret pushing this one down the list a bit after Derek Anderson was announced as the starter, as the Bills offense paid off for the opposing D/ST once again. The Bills defense was actually the culprit more than Anderson, as they allowed the Colts to build a huge lead and then Anderson self-destructed in a last-ditch effort to make the game closer.
A Look Ahead: @OAK BYE JAX - The Raiders are in disarray, but it is a road game. Still worth consideration
Kansas City (vs Cincinnati) - 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
This could have been even better if the Bengals hadn’t basically folded up shop in the second half. The Chiefs are starting to generate more pass rush and take advantage of offenses that can’t keep up with Patrick Mahomes II
A Look Ahead: DEN @CLE ARI - Chiefs are in our lineup until further notice.
Los Angeles Chargers (vs Tennessee) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
The good Marcus Mariota and Titans offense showed up in this one. We’re still trying to figure out if the Titans offense is one to target as they go into their bye.
A Look Ahead: BYE @SEA @OAK - We won’t be coming back to the Chargers until at least Week 10
New York Jets (vs Minnesota) - 1 sack
ZONK. It was the Vikings on the other side of this matchup that hit as the Jets D/ST had their first dud of the season.
A Look Ahead: @CHI @MIA BUF - Circle Week 10 when Buffalo comes to East Rutherford
Arizona (vs Denver) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
Another one where the road team with the superior defense against the rookie quarterback ruled despite the home team’s inferior defense being hotter for fantasy purposes coming in.
A Look Ahead: SF BYE @KC - The Rams got a ton of pressure on CJ Beathard last week, so this could work out, but we probably won’t go in that direction
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Denver (at Arizona) - 6 sacks, 3 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 DEF TD
Poor, poor Josh Rosen. Von Miller did warn us. Too bad the Broncos are going to Kansas City this week or we could use them.
New England (at Chicago) - 2 sacks, 2 INT, 2 ST TD
The defense was okay against Mitchell Trubisky, but the kicking and return games (a blocked punt and Cordarrelle Patterson kick off return) fueled the big week. A huge bonus if you started the Patriots just so you could have them against the Bills this week.
Cleveland (at Tampa Bay) - 4 sacks, 2 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 safety
The Browns D/ST is back! Or at least D/ST’s facing Jameis Winston, no matter the venue.
Washington (vs Dallas) - 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 DEF TD
Congrats if you zeroed in on Washington this week. They were just outside of the candidate list last week, but a Dak Prescott gaffe at his own goal line put them over the top.
Houston (at Jacksonville) - 4 sacks, 1 INT, 2 fumble recoveries
Remember when playing the D/ST facing Blake Bortles was a Plan A for rent-a-defense? Perhaps we should revisit that while we still have Bortles starting.
Minnesota (at New York Jets) - 3 sacks, 3 INT, 1 fumble recovery
The Vikings defense made the rookie look like a rookie, but Sam Darnold was also playing with a limited group of wide receivers and running backs because of injuries.
Week 8 Candidates
**Chicago has a good matchup in Week 8 and should be played over rent-a-defenses but is assumed to be rostered**
New England (at Buffalo)
The Patriots D/ST let us down time and time again last year in good matchups, but the Bills matchup is too good to pass up.
A Look Ahead: GB @TEN BYE - We might come back to the Patriots if Marcus Mariota is cold in Week 9 coming out of his bye
Houston (vs Miami) **Thursday**
JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney are creating havoc and they are facing the surprisingly effective but still Brock Osweiler.
A Look Ahead: @DEN BYE @WAS - If the Texans have their fourth good week in the last five, they will be a strong consideration for Week 9.
Kansas City (vs Denver)
The Chiefs D/ST is heating up and creating more mistakes by opposing quarterbacks. Maybe they could even get Justin Houston back this week. Case Keenum should be ready to oblige with some errors if he falls behind early.
A Look Ahead: @CLE ARI @LAR - We’ll roll with the Chiefs for two more weeks
Pittsburgh (vs Cleveland)
The rested Steelers defense gets Baker Mayfield and a Browns team that played yet another extra period last week.
A Look Ahead: @BAL CAR @JAX - We may come back to the Steelers in the playoff rematch at Jacksonville in Week 11
Cincinnati (vs Tampa Bay)
Jameis Winston is back to his turnover machine form against a Bengals defense that had very strong days against Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill at home this year.
A Look Ahead: BYE NO @BAL - The Bengals still have the Browns twice and Oakland once so we may come back to them later.
Arizona (vs San Francisco)
Do we dare go back to the Cardinals this week? The 49ers offensive line was a sieve last week, the Cardinals had four sacks, five takeaways and a defensive touchdown against them in Week 5, and Chandler Jones still plays for Arizona. If the waiver wire is picked clean they could be a hit.
A Look Ahead: BYE @KC OAK - Week 11 could be another useful week for Arizona’s D/ST
Week 9 Preemptive Pickups
**Chicago has a good matchup in Week 9 but is assumed to be rostered**
Houston (at Denver)
Kansas City (at Cleveland)
Dallas (vs Tennessee)
