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, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore have great matchups but assumed to be rostered**
One note - this year could be even more challenging for rent-a-defense than typical years because of the lack of a home field advantage - at least for the time being. Taking (what we believe will be) an elite defense like Pittsburgh or San Francisco and just playing them every week may end up being more viable than in years past because of the lack of a home field crowd to fuel a defense’s energy level and create confusion with noise… we’ll see.
Indianapolis (at Jacksonville)
This is by far the easiest choice this week. They should have been drafted in every league, but just in case they weren’t, the Jaguars are up first. The Colts added DeForest Buckner via trade and have youth and quality at every level of the defense. They are also the best candidate to become a set it and forget defense in the vein of Pittsburgh and New England last year.
A Look Ahead: MIN NYJ @CHI - This looks like good eatin’. Unless they fail miserably Week 1, we’re riding the Colts
Tennessee (at Denver)
The injury to Von Miller and uncertainty around Bradley Chubb changes the range of possibilities for this game. If the Broncos defense can't slow down Derrick Henry or generate a pass rush, it could get out of hand and allow Jadeveon Clowney and Harold Landry to tee off on Drew Lock.
A Look Ahead: JAX @MIN PIT - You wanted them for next week anyway so...
Green Bay (at Minnesota)
The Packers easily handed the Vikings twice last year and the defense was strong in both contests. Green Bay’s pass rush was revived by the addition of Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, and now it sounds like 2019 first round pick Rashan Gary is ready to add another dynamic element to this group. The Vikings offense is unlikely to get better by losing Stefon Diggs since last year…
A Look Ahead: DET @NO ATL - If Green Bay starts hot, they’ll be viable no matter the opponent
Detroit (vs Chicago)
The Bears quarterback competition was “won” by Mitchell Trubisky, who will undoubtedly feel pressure after the decision was widely questioned, or even mocked in some circles. The Lions aren’t a fierce defense, but Trubisky could make enough unforced errors to fuel the “this is fine” fire around the Bears quarterback situation.
A Look Ahead: @GB @ARI NO - Pump and dump, nothing good coming up
Philadelphia (at Washington)
How will Dwayne Haskins adjust to the new offense? Is Antonio Gibson ready for prime time? What about the Washington offensive line? The Eagles are still strong up front and they added Darius Slay to a suspect secondary, so they could come out strong in this one, although they failed us last year against Case Keenum under similar circumstances.
A Look Ahead: LAR CIN @SF - Let’s watch the Rams and Eagles this week and reevaluate
Los Angeles Chargers (at Cincinnati)
The Chargers were drafted in a lot of leagues, but perhaps the loss of Derwin James put them closer to the bubble. I’m smitten with Joe Burrow and can’t wait to watch him in the NFL, but you might think the rookie is going to get a rude welcome to the NFL courtesy of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram III with some assistance from new addition Chris Harris. The Bengals offensive line could be an issue and force Burrow’s internal clock to tick faster than it did at LSU.
A Look Ahead: KC CAR @TB - No thanks
Las Vegas (at Carolina)
The Raiders have some excellent young talents on defense - Maxx Crosby first and foremost - but also 2019 first round picks Jonathan Abram, Clelin Ferrell, 2020 first pick Damon Arnette, and free agent additions Maliek Collins, Cory Littleton, and Nick Kwiatkowski. They’ll face a Panthers offense that has a new scheme and new quarterback and could take advantage of the transition.
A Look Ahead: NO @NE BUF - They’ll be lucky if they win one of these games
Week 2 Preemptive Pickups
Tennessee (vs Jacksonville)
Arizona (vs Washington)
Tampa Bay (vs Carolina)
Cleveland (vs Cincinnati)
