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.
Week 15 Results
New Orleans (vs Indianapolis) - 1 sack
Well this went as planned and yet didn’t. The Saints shut out the Colts until garbage time but didn’t force any turnovers and only sacked Jacoby Brissett once
A Look Ahead: @TEN - The Titans offense is not one to target in Week 16
Tennessee (vs Houston) - 1 sack, 2 INT
Two interceptions at the goal line kept the Titans in this game, but their defense did not have a good afternoon against the Texans.
A Look Ahead: NO - No thanks
Minnesota (at Los Angeles Chargers) - 3 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 INT, 1 DEF TD
Your hit of the week. Philip Rivers turned back into a quarterback in the December of his career against the Vikings
A Look Ahead: GB - Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been playing his best football, but that’s still not enough reason to start the Vikings in Week 16
Seattle (at Carolina) - 1 sack, 3 INT
Not a dud, but not as good as it could have been, in part because Jadeveon Clowney missed this one
A Look Ahead: ARI - Kyler Murray is coming on and the luster is off of this matchup
Tampa Bay (at Detroit) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Another hit as Todd Bowles has turned this defense around for the second time this year and David Blough continues to look like a third string quarterback
A Look Ahead: HOU - Deshaun Watson is no David Blough
Kansas City (vs Denver) - 2 sacks, 1 INT, 3 pts allowed
The Chiefs defense is coming together and they performed better than their bottom line fantasy stats indicate
A Look Ahead: @CHI - Definitely a top consideration this week
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Buffalo (at Pittsburgh) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 4 INT
My Steelers optimism clouded my judgment. Duck was a zonk and the Steelers need a new offensive coordinator
Atlanta (at San Francisco) - 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 ST TD
The Falcons continue to be one of the most surprising D/ST plays of the second half of the season. This time it was another unlikely touchdown from Olamide Zaccheaus, on a desperation kickoff returnlateral recovery in the end zone at the end of the game.
Week 16 Candidates
**San Francisco, New England, Pittsburgh and Baltimore are assumed to be rostered**
Kansas City (at Chicago)
The Chiefs defense has come on as of late. They have multiple sacks and at least one takeaway in each of the last four games. Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears have been playing better recently, but the wind may be out of their sails after being eliminated from playoff contention.
Denver (vs Detroit)
The Broncos have at least three sacks and a takeaway in each of the last three games, and they didn’t have the benefit of facing a third-string quarterback in any of them. They should bring it at home.
Indianapolis (vs Carolina)
The Colts just had their season effectively ended, but they are facing Will Grier, a rookie quarterback that the Panthers have been very reluctant to play this year. This could be a Nathan Peterman moment.
Atlanta (vs Jacksonville)
The Falcons defense has been spirited and deployed well in the second half of the season since Dan Quinn took a step back, and they are facing a Jaguars offense that has been doing the thorazine shuffle in the second half of the season. Atlanta has multiple takeaways in four of the last five games.
Washington (vs New York Giants)
Washington has multiple sacks and at least one takeaway in each of the last five games and they had four takeaways in the first matchup with the Giants. They have a chance to get Chase Young if they lose this game, so count on them to win.
Buffalo (at New England)
The Bills have been an excellent D/ST over the last five games, with four that included at least four sacks and a takeaway, and they were blitz happy against the Steelers with great success. Even though they are on the road, they have a chance to hit against a limited Patriots offense.
Preemptive Pickups Week 17
New Orleans (at Carolina)
Kansas City (vs Los Angeles Chargers)
Buffalo (vs New York Jets)
Tennessee (at Houston) **If Houston wins or Tennessee loses in Week 16
Green Bay (at Detroit) **If Minnesota wins in Week 16**