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: New England, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and Denver have good matchups this week, but they are presumed to be owned in most, if not all leagues**
Week 2 Results
Philadelphia (vs San Diego) - 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries
The Chargers offense is better than we thought they would be, but the Eagles defense is as bad as we thought they would be. We’ll come back to Philly as a rent-a-defense play when they are playing a weak offensive opponent.
A look ahead: KC, @DEN, @NYG - None of these are weak offensive opponents
Oakland (vs Jacksonville) - 5 sacks, 9 pts allowed
This one could have been a little better if Jacksonville hadn’t scored a garbage time touchdown. Five sacks against is the floor of a defense playing Jacksonville this year.
A look ahead: @DEN, WAS, SD - Unless you get points for more points against, you don’t want your D/ST in against Denver.
Arizona (vs Detroit) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
The Cardinals played pretty well, but it didn’t result in big plays. We might have to take them out of the potential rent-a-defense column until Daryl Washington is back.
A look ahead: @NO, @TB, CAR - NO thanks this week, but we could come back to them next week if Josh Freeman is further out on the plank.
Dallas (at Kansas City) - 4 sacks
The pass rush was there, but Alex Smith was very safe with the ball and the Cowboys couldn’t recreate their week 1 takeaway fest.
A look ahead: STL, @SD, DEN - The Rams have done a good job protecting Sam Bradford, so the Cowboys aren’t going to take our candidates list this week.
Kansas City (vs Dallas) - 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
The Chiefs did end up being a better play than the Cowboys, but still not a great play.
A Look Ahead: @PHI, NYG, @TEN - Michael Vick has been very safe with the ball this year, but Andy Reid does know him well...
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
Minnesota (at Chicago) - 1 sack, 2 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 DEF TD, 1 ST TD
Cordarrelle Patterson, y’all, and a couple of tipped balls made this day for the Vikings D/ST in this weird game.
Tampa Bay (vs New Orleans) - 4 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Drew Brees threw two right to Bucs defenders, Mason Foster made like James Harrison in the Super Bowl, and the Bucs have a pass rush*! (*-but not a quarterback)
Tennessee (at Houston) - 2 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Just like last year, this is an opportunistic defense that can come up big in any given week, even on the round at the division favorite.
Week 3 Candidates
Minnesota (vs Cleveland)
Your clear #1 option. The Vikings defense will face a banged up Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell, or Brian Hoyer. The Cordarrelle Patterson factor only helps.
A Look Ahead: PIT CAR @NYG - Another reason the Vikings are the clear #1. If they get hot, a few possibly good matchups are home are ahead.
Miami (vs Atlanta)
The Falcons offensive line is still coming together, Roddy White is still hurt, and the team will likely be without Steven Jackson this week. Few pass rushes are better than the Dolphins, and they are getting the Falcons outdoors in the Florida humidity. Matt Ryan had a couple of meltdown games last year. This could be another one.
A Look Ahead: @NO BAL BUF - One and done, but this is a good unit and we will use them again multiple times this year.
Buffalo (at New York Jets)
The Bills defense is as feisty as ever, and the Jets have a quarterback who is coming off of a three-interception quarter. The Jets ambushed the Bills in a similar game to open the season last year, but I would still bet on the ineptitude of their offense if you can’t land Minnesota or Miami.
A Look Ahead: BAL @CLE CIN - The Ravens are going to play it close to the vest, and they’re at home, so the Bills aren’t a great pick.
Kansas City (vs Philadelphia)
Michael Vick is flourishing in the Chip Kelly offense, and the offensive line is doing an amazing job of protecting him. Still, Andy Reid has been in the quarterback’s head for three years, so he might know some special hacks to induce turnovers. I don’t love this play, but it could be brilliant given the benefit of hindsight.
A Look Ahead: NYG @TEN OAK - We’ll revisit this group in Week 6
Dallas (vs St. Louis)
The Cowboys are a talented and aggressive defense, and they’re at home. That’s enough to get them on this list.
A Look Ahead: @SD DEN WAS - The Chargers aren’t the cream puff offense that we expected. If Cowboys really come through, maybe you keep them for another week, but chances are that there will be better plays.
Week 4 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 following week to stash away. Here are the best ones to target:
Tennessee (vs NY Jets)
Kansas City (vs NY Giants)
Pittsburgh (at Minnesota)
