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 13 Results
Kansas City (vs Denver) - 2 INT
Don’t throw at Tyrann Mathieu. If Drew Lock had followed that rule, this would have been a bitterly disappointing zero for the Chiefs D/ST in a very competitive game
A Look Ahead: @MIA @NO ATL - They’ll still have Tua Tagovailoa to pick on this week, but Drew Brees is due back in Week 15, so the Chiefs are a questionable long term hold
Seattle (vs NY Giants) - 1 safety, 2 sacks, 1 INT
The ultra-safe offense with Colt McCoy didn’t yield much in terms of D/ST scoring for the Seahawks because the Giants led down the stretch
A Look Ahead: NYJ @WAS LAR - We’ll still happily play the Seahawks this week
Green Bay (vs Philadelphia) - 7 sacks, 1 INT
The Packers were a medium hit for Week 13, and they might have landed the final blow to end Carson Wentz’s tenure with the Eagles
A Look Ahead: @DET CAR TEN - The Lions offense came alive in Darrell Bevell’s first week as head coach so this isn’t looking as attractive
Miami (vs Cincinnati) - 6 sacks, 2 INT, 7 pts allowed
This was the hit we all expected as the Dolphins defense had no trouble with Brandon Allen.
A Look Ahead: KC NE @LV - Patrick Mahomes II is not Brandon Allen. We’re probably done with the Dolphins for this year
San Francisco (vs Buffalo) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Josh Allen was magnificent and only a Zack Moss fumble kept this from being a turnover-free game for the Bills offense.
A Look Ahead: WAS @DAL @ARI - Alex Smith is playing better so the 49ers aren’t a preferred play this week.
LA Chargers (vs New England) - 1 sack
Ooops. Forgive me for ignoring the Belichick vs. rookie quarterback trend and picking the wrong side here.
A Look Ahead: ATL @LV DEN - We won’t use the Chargers again this year
Chicago (vs Detroit) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
The Bears gifted a game back to the Lions in exchange for the one the Lions gave them in Week 1.
A Look Ahead: HOU @MIN @JAX - Maybe Week 16 against Jacksonville. Maybe.
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
New England (at LA Chargers) - 3 sacks, 2 INT, 2 ST TD, 0 pts allowed
This was a flashback to 2019 as the Patriots rolled 45-0
Jacksonville (at Minnesota) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Dalvin Cook didn’t know he was an intended target and Joe Schobert made the Jaguars a great D/ST play in Week 13
Minnesota (vs Jacksonville) - 1 safety, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT
The rare game where both sides are good D/ST plays happened in Week 13 as the Jaguars' four turnovers prevented them from getting the upset win.
Indianapolis (at Houston) - 1 safety, 5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
Deshaun Watson will be haunted by his fumble inside the 10 with the game on the line and Justin Houston
LA Rams (at Arizona) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Troy Hill scored for the second straight week, this time on a pick-six
Week 14 Candidates
Seattle (vs NY Jets)
Even the Raiders defense had three sacks and three takeaways against the Jets last week in a game they should have lost.
A Look Ahead: @WAS LAR - With Washington looking more respectable, Seattle might go back to the waiver wire this week
New Orleans (at Philadelphia)
The Saints defense almost let the win slip away last week, but this week they’ll get Jalen Hurts or Carson Wentz or both.
A Look Ahead: KC MIN - The Vikings game in Week 16 has potential if Drew Brees is the quarterback coming off of a good game vs. the Chiefs.
Kansas City (at Miami)
The Chiefs D/ST has only had two good games this year despite playing with Patrick Mahomes II leads. That could easily become three if Tua Tagovailoa is playing from behind.
A Look Ahead: @NO ATL - Whether we use the Chiefs in Week 15 comes down to whether Drew Brees starts
Indianapolis (at Las Vegas)
After a stumble against the Titans without DeForest Buckner, the Colts D/ST returned to form in Week 13. The Raiders were horrendous just two weeks ago against the Falcons, and the Jets had multiple sacks and takeaways against them last week.
A Look Ahead: HOU @PIT - We will stick with them next week if this week goes well
NY Giants (vs Arizona)
The Giants have had multiple sacks in every game this year (quick name one of their edge rushers) and the last two weeks they have added multiple takeaways. Kyler Murray is slumping so this is set up for a good result.
A Look Ahead: CLE @BAL - Neither of these matchups looks favorable, but if the Giants defense remains hot, we might stick with them anyway.
New England (at LA Rams) **Thursday**
LA Rams (vs New England) **Thursday**
Which side of this matchup do you want? If you think Bill Belichick will outsmart Sean McVay again, then it’s the Patriots. If you think McVay will have something up his sleeve and the Rams can play with a lead, then the Rams defense against Cam Newton forced to pass looks good. Pick your fighter.
A Look Ahead NE: @MIA BUF - We’ll be watching Tagovailoa and Newton to see which side of Week 15 we want
A Look Ahead LAR: NYJ @SEA - Break ties in favor of the Rams to get the Jets next week
Carolina (vs Denver)
The Panthers should get Christian McCaffrey this week and the Broncos could easily have a letdown game after summoning up everything they had to challenge the Chiefs in Kansas City. The Panthers D/ST had back to back good games going into the bye.
A Look Ahead: @GB @WAS - This is the last time we’ll use the Panthers
Fantasy Playoffs Preemptive Pickups
Week 15
- LA Rams (vs NY Jets)
- Arizona (vs Philadelphia)
- New England (at Miami)
Week 16
- Cleveland (at NY Jets)
- Washington (vs Carolina)