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.
**Pittsburgh and San Francisco have great matchups but assumed to be rostered**
Week 2 Results
Los Angeles Rams (at Philadelphia) - 1 fumble, 2 INT
It wasn’t a sackfest, but the Rams still forced three turnovers on the road to pull away from the flailing Eagles. The return of Lane Johnson only slightly improved the Eagles offense. They could still be a target for rent-a-defenses in the future.
A Look Ahead: @BUF NYG @WAS - You might consider playing the Rams vs. the red hot Josh Allen to take advantage of the Week 4 and 5 matchups against NFC Least teams.
Green Bay (vs Detroit) - 4 sacks, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
The Packers came through for us in a big way by getting to Matthew Stafford and eventually forcing one of the easiest pick sixes you will see all year.
A Look Ahead: @NO ATL BYE - The Saints don’t give up a lot of sacks, but if the Packers jump out to a lead, they could force some turnovers.
Kansas City (at Los Angeles Chargers) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
Welcome to the NFL Justin Herbert! He looked advanced beyond his years and helped the Chargers lead for most of the game despite losing in overtime. The Chargers won’t be a target for rent-a-defenses while he is in, although Anthony Lynn is making noise about putting Taylor back in.
A Look Ahead: @BAL NE LV - We could come back to the Chiefs, but not for at least the next month.
New Orleans (at Las Vegas) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
The Saints weren’t a disaster of a rent-a-defense, but it was a weak defensive performance nonetheless. After three early sacks, Derek Carr was able to operate unmolested in the pocket and the Saints surrendered a ton of yards after the catch.
A Look Ahead: GB @DET LAC - We won’t be coming back to the Saints for a while despite their strong Week 1 performance
Arizona (vs Washington) - 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
The Cardinals led comfortably for most of the game and gave us a solid result for a rent-a-defense. Dwayne Haskins didn’t make any huge mistakes, but he couldn’t keep up with Kyler Murray.
A Look Ahead: DET @CAR @NYJ - This is about as good of an upcoming schedule as you can ask for. Hope for the Lions offense to sputter again this week so you can take advantage of the matchups in Weeks 4 and 5
Washington (at Arizona) - 3 sacks, 1 INT
Washington’s defensive line is very disruptive and will still allow this D/ST to put up a few points when they are outflanked by the opponent like they were in Week 2.
A Look Ahead: @CLE BAL LAR - Baker Mayfield recovered well in Week 2, so this matchup isn’t as attractive heading into Week 3.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Tampa Bay (vs Carolina) - 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT
The Bucs defense flies around the field and the Panthers offense is very vulnerable. This one just missed the cut for last week’s candidates and I regret it.
Indianapolis (vs Minnesota) - 1 safety, 3 sacks, 3 INT
The Colts defense made Kirk Cousins miserable all day. Maybe we need to give the Jaguars offense credit more than take anything away from the Colts defense after the stunning Week 1 result. The Vikings will be a target for rent-a-defenses until further notice.
Week 3 Candidates
Indianapolis (vs New York Jets)
The Jets offense is disintegrating faster than Arnold Toht’s face in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Colts are coming off of a dominant performance. This is too easy.
A Look Ahead: @CHI @CLE CIN - We won’t drop them until they let us down
Los Angeles Chargers (vs Carolina)
The Chargers defense is very good, even without Derwin James and they are facing a Panthers offense that will be without their best offensive player coming off of a week where they allowed one of the best D/ST performances of the year - although hanging with the Raiders in Week 1 looks a lot more impressive right now. If they were dropped for the Chiefs matchup, snap em back up.
A Look Ahead: @TB @NO NYJ - Tampa gave up one of the best D/ST performances of Week 1 and the Saints defense didn’t look all that good vs Vegas, so the Chargers could have staying power.
Tampa Bay (at Denver)
The Bucs defense plays with as much energy as any unit in the league. This week, they’ll face a backup quarterback on a team with a decimated cornerback group that lost their best pass rusher before the season began.
A Look Ahead: LAC @CHI GB - The Chargers probably won’t be a target for D/ST plays, although we could come back to Tampa for the Bears matchup in Week 5
Arizona (vs Detroit)
Are the Cardinals the best team in the NFC? The defense hasn’t been the major strength of the team, but they handled Washington and this week they get a Lions team that got drummed out of Lambeau last week. Kenny Golladay is back, but part of the reason you’re taking Arizona this week is to get an upcoming schedule that offers little resistance
A Look Ahead: @CAR @NYJ @DAL - You’ll want the Cardinals for Weeks 4 and 5.
Tennessee (at Minnesota)
The Vikings have had the worst offense and maybe the worst defense in the league through two weeks. The Titans defense hasn’t shined yet this year, but taking a chance on them this week seems wise if you have go down the waiver wire list to find an option.
A Look Ahead: PIT BUF HOU - Maybe we will come back to them in Week 6 if Bill O’Brien and Deshaun Watson haven’t gotten it together yet.
Cleveland (vs Washington)
We’ll see how the Browns running game fares against the Washington defensive line, but if none of the above teams are available, their rested defense can do in a pinch against Dwayne Haskins with Myles Garrett and Sheldon Richardson bearing down against a Washington line that just lost their best player - Brandon Scherff.
A Look Ahead: @DAL IND @PIT - We will bid the Browns defense adieu after this week
Week 4 Preemptive Pickups
Arizona (at Carolina)
Green Bay (vs Atlanta)
Denver (at New York Jets)
Houston (vs Minnesota)
