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.
**Philadelphia, Baltimore, New England, Dallas, and Buffalo are assumed to be rostered**
Week 13 Results
Seattle (at Los Angeles Rams) - 4 sacks, 2 INT
John Wolford looked like a limited backup quarterback in a limited offense. This one was a success and included another Tariq Woolen interception.
A Look Ahead: CAR SF @KC - We’ll leave the Seahawks D/ST in
Kansas City (at Cincinnati) - 1 sack
This was a dud, but not unexpected. Joe Burrow is surging, and the Bengals also got back JaMarr Chase.
A Look Ahead: @DEN @HOU SEA - We used the Chiefs last week so we could have them for the next two weeks without sacrificing an extra roster spot.
Minnesota (vs New York Jets) - 1 sack, 2 INT
Not a disaster, but what the Vikings did best in this game was hold the Jets to field goals
A Look Ahead: @DET IND NYG - We could come back to the Vikings in Week 15
Tampa Bay (vs New Orleans) - 2 sacks
Despite the final score, the Saints controlled this game, Andy Dalton was solid under the lights, and we would have been better off trusting their track record vs. Tom Brady
A Look Ahead: @SF CIN @ARI - Even though the 49ers backup quarterback is in, we’re dropping the Bucs
Cleveland (at Houston) - 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT, 2 DEF TD, 1 ST TD
Here’s your yahtzee, courtesy of Kyle Allen with an assist from Donovan Peoples-Jones on a punt return
A Look Ahead: @CIN BAL NO - One and done
San Francisco (vs Miami) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 INT, 1 DEF TD
This was going to be an acceptable but not great result until Tua Tagovailoa gave up two turnovers in garbage time, including one for a Dre Greenlaw defensive score.
A Look Ahead: TB @SEA WAS - If you have the 49ers, you’ll play them from here on out.
Pittsburgh (at Atlanta) - 1 sack, 1 INT
Marcus Mariota with another loss, but not because he didn’t take care of the ball
A Look Ahead: BAL @CAR LV - Tyler Huntley isn’t a bad D/ST matchup, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Steelers have a good week
