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, San Francisco and New England should be played in Week 8 but are assumed to be rostered**
Week 7 Results
Buffalo (vs Miami) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 ST TD
This one worked out because an onsides kick was returned for a score. We’ll still prefer any D/ST facing the Dolphins, although it’s better when Josh Rosen is in.
A Look Ahead: PHI WAS @CLE - Carson Wentz was under pressure a lot last week, but can Buffalo match Dallas’s pass rush? We’ll still consider them if only to have them for Washington next week.
New Orleans (at Chicago) - 1 safety, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
The Saints defense was very good in this one, but Mitchell Trubisky’s particular way of failing doesn’t seem to include many turnover fests.
A Look Ahead: ARI BYE ATL - Kyler Murray in the Superdome could be a stiff test for the rookie and the Saints are rolling, so this will be a consideration.
Tennessee (vs Los Angeles Chargers) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Philip Rivers didn’t play well, but the Titans defense didn’t harvest the results of that statistically.
A Look Ahead: TB @CAR KC - The lukewarm results from this week will be palatable if they come through against Jameis Winston, which was the main draw of trying them last week, along with the state of the Chargers offensive line.
Green Bay (vs Oakland) - 1 sack
The Packers defense was a speed bump for the Raiders offense. This was their worst game to date by far and one that undermines our confidence in them going forward after a hot start has worn off.
A Look Ahead: @KC @LAC CAR - Matt Moore isn’t a disaster of a backup quarterback and this one is on the road. If Aaron Rodgers is dealing, they could face a quarterback trying to do too much, but this isn’t a preferred pick.
Minnesota (at Detroit) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
Both pass defenses caved in at times during this game, so it was a miss if you tried the Vikings in Week 7.
A Look Ahead: WAS @KC @DAL - The main reason to pick them up was to get the Thursday matchup against Washington, so you still got that going for you.
Los Angeles Rams (at Atlanta) - 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 1 ST TD
This was a good game for the Rams D/ST but it was capped off by a fluke score on a fumbled punt in the last thirty seconds.
A Look Ahead: CIN BYE @PIT - We’ll roll the Rams out again coming off of their best D/ST performance of the year.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Kansas City (at Denver) - 9 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD, 6 pts allowed
Will the loss of the starting quarterback awaken the defense in Kansas City like it did for the Saints? Probably not against Aaron Rodgers this week, while the Colts get to scare Joe Flacco in Week 8.
Baltimore (at Seattle) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 2 DEF TD
The Ravens D/ST finally showed up the week they acquired Marcus Peters. They made both takeaways count, turning them into touchdowns.
Jacksonville (at Cincinnati) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 INT, 1 DEF TD
The Jaguars trade away their best defensive player and have their best D/ST week of the season. Andy Dalton’s ill-fated screen pass right to Yannick Ngakoue fueled the outburst
Arizona (at New York Giants) - 8 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT
The Cardinals pass rush and defense came alive in the rain with the return of Patrick Peterson
Dallas (vs Philadelphia) - 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 INT
The Eagles vaunted offensive line failed at key moments along with Carson Wentz’s ball security
Week 8 Candidates
**Chicago, San Francisco and New England should be played in Week 8 but are assumed to be rostered**
Pittsburgh (vs Miami)
The chalk play, especially with the quarterback pressure and takeaways the Steelers have created to date. The Steelers aren’t playing down to their competition anymore!
A Look Ahead: IND LAR @CLE - We’ll come back to the Steelers later this year.
Minnesota (vs Washington) **Thursday**
If there wasn’t Miami, then this would be the chalk, and maybe it should be. Also in prime time on national television at home, the Vikings should feast on Case Keenum and whoever Washington marched out there at running back.
A Look Ahead: @KC @DAL DEN - The Vikings haven’t peaked as a D/ST yet, so it’s tough to trust them again until the Denver game.
Los Angeles Rams (vs Cincinnati)
The Rams came through last week and have a matchup that is just as easy, and at home to boot. The Bengals set up the Jacksonville D/ST for a big day last week
A Look Ahead: BYE @PIT CHI - The Rams might be worth holding through the bye if Aaron Donald stays hot. They added Jalen Ramsey and Clay Matthews should be back soon.
Tennessee (vs Tampa Bay)
The Titans pass rush has slowed down in recent weeks, but Ryan Tannehill has reinvigorated the team and Jameis Winston is coming to town
A Look Ahead: @CAR KC BYE - That’s probably the last time we’ll consider Tennessee this year
Indianapolis (vs Denver)
The Colts have five sacks+takeaways in each of the last two weeks and their defense is getting healthier. Malik Hooker could be back this week and Darius Leonard sealed last week’s win with an interception. Joe Flacco saw those same ghosts that haunted Sam Darnold and could be spooked again this week on the road.
A Look Ahead: @PIT MIA JAX - We will keep the Colts through Week 10 if Mason Rudolph is a dud against Miami, and maybe even if he is ok, just so we can get the Miami matchup
New Orleans (vs Arizona)
The Saints defense has been stifling and steady since Drew Brees went out. Kyler Murray hasn’t played in an NFL atmosphere like the Superdome yet and the offense could take a step back in its fascinating development.
A Look Ahead: BYE ATL @TB - The Saints might an everyweek D/ST if they come through against the Cardinals
Week 9 Preemptive Pickups
**New England, Chicago and San Francisco are assumed to be rostered**
Buffalo (vs Washington)
New York Jets (at Miami)
Seattle (vs Tampa Bay)