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.
**Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Dallas are assumed to be rostered**
Week 5 Results
New England (vs Houston) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
Maybe we won’t give Bill Belichick the benefit of the doubt against rookie quarterbacks. Davis Mills executed a Tim Kelly game plan well and with a better kicker, the Texans might have won.
A Look Ahead: DAL NYJ @LAC - Eh who am I kidding, we will still consider the Patriots in two weeks.
Los Angeles Chargers (vs Cleveland) - 1 sack
So much for Brandon Staley’s defensive genius and holding opponents to their lowest point total of the year.
A Look Ahead: @BAL BYE NE - We’re dodging Lamar Jackson, but coming back to the Chargers after their bye.
Dallas (vs New York Giants) - 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Anthony Brown’s pick six clinched the win for the Cowboys and maybe a few fantasy teams. Dallas D/ST is a top three scorer at the position to date
A Look Ahead: @NE BYE @MIN - No way we are going away from the Cowboys D/ST now
Tampa Bay (vs Miami) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
The Bucs D/ST had a very good result in a quiet week for defenses.
A Look Ahead: @PHI CHI @NO - Don’t see us going away from them any time soon despite the injury issues
Minnesota (vs Detroit) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
The Vikings defense wasn’t the problem, but the conservative approach on offense still almost cost the team the game. This was a top five result in most formats
A Look Ahead: @CAR BYE DAL - Sam Darnold threw three picks and was sacked three times last week so we have to at least consider Minnesota this week.
Pittsburgh (vs Denver) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
Once Teddy Bridgewater cleared concussion protocol, you knew this one was going to underperform expectations.
A Look Ahead: SEA BYE @CLE - We will take a second look at any D/ST facing Geno Smith, but he looked pretty good last week.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Tennessee (at Jacksonville) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Kevin Byard returned a fumble for a score in a sign that the Jacksonville offense is worse than the Tennessee defense. They easily could have been a rent-a-defense, but coming up small vs. the Jets scared us off of them.
Philadelphia (vs Carolina) - 3 sacks, 3 INT
The Eagles D/ST has been good two of the last three weeks, so we might have to look into playing them when they aren’t facing Tom Brady like they are on Thursday.
Week 6 Candidates
Los Angeles Rams (at New York Giants)
Has the Rams D/ST been dropped in your league despite high expectations coming into the season? If so, you might be able to pick them up for a potential date with Mike Glennon. Check Daniel Jones status this week.
A Look Ahead: DET @HOU TEN - If you dropped the Rams D/ST, you might have made a huge mistake
Miami (vs Jacksonville - London)
It’s just this easy - after the Titans D/ST had their first good result of the year against the Jaguars, we will start any defense against them
A Look Ahead: ATL @BUF HOU - We may come back to them in Week 9
Cincinnati (at Detroit)
The Lions have been playing better than expected, but they are still a good target for D/ST’s. The Bengals defied the play every D/ST against Jacksonville rule in Week 4, but we’ll give them another chance.
A Look Ahead: @BAL @NYJ CLE - If Cincinnati comes through for us this week, we will surely target them for Week 8.
Indianapolis (vs Houston)
The Colts defense was run ragged by Lamar Jackson on Monday night, but they should still be a consideration against Davis Mills even though Bill Belichick couldn’t solve him. The Colts defense has had multiple sacks and a takeaway or multiple takeaways in every game so far this season.
A Look Ahead: @SF TEN NYJ - There are the Jets again inviting us to use these rent-a-defenses again soon
Pittsburgh (vs Seattle)
Just when we think we are out on the Steelers, here comes Geno Smith to pull us right back in. Devin Bush being healthy enough to play would help.
A Look Ahead: BYE @CLE CHI - No reason to hold them through the bye.
Week 7 Preemptive Pickups
New England (vs New York Jets)
Arizona (vs Houston)
New Orleans (at Seattle)