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.
**New England, Buffalo and Denver have good-to-great matchups but assumed to be rostered**
Week 2 Results
Green Bay (vs Detroit) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
Jared Goff was better than expected. The Packers defense even at home on a Monday night, was an underwhelming unit.
A Look Ahead: @SF PIT @CIN - Maybe if Mason Rudolph is starting Week 5 we will come back to them
Denver (at Jacksonville) - 1 sack, 2 INT
A Jamal Agnew kick return accounted for one of the two touchdowns and the other came on the opening drive.
A Look Ahead: NYJ BAL @PIT - No way we can go away from the Broncos this week
Seattle (vs Tennessee) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
The Titans line held up a lot better than it did against Chandler Jones and the team punched their way out of the corner to a stirring road win.
A Look Ahead: @MIN @SF LAR - We won’t come back to the Seahawks for a while.
Arizona (vs Minnesota) - 1 sack
Kirk Cousins did everything but win the game. The Cardinals vulnerability at corner was on display with Chandler Jones taking up residence somewhere other than the backfield.
A Look Ahead: @JAX @LAR SF - Even though they were a letdown last week, we can’t go away from the Cardinals this week.
Cleveland (vs Houston) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
The Browns actually trailed for part of this game, but Tyrod Taylor left with an injury. Davis Mills wasn’t as bad as you might have expected, although we’ll still target him this week.
A Look Ahead: CHI @MIN @LAC - The Browns defense doesn’t look too imposing, even if it is potentially Justin Fields' first start.
New Orleans (at Carolina) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
We had the wrong side of this one, and it didn’t help that Marshon Lattimore was out. Chalk up Week 1 to the Florida heat.
A Look Ahead: @NE NYG @WAS - We won’t come back to the Saints for a while.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Chicago (vs Cincinnati) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 INT, 1 DEF TD
Joe Burrow went from throwing no interceptions in 199 attempts to three interceptions in four plays. Roquan Smith did a great impression of a running back on his pick-six.
Minnesota (at Arizona) - 3 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Nick Vigil had a terrific pick-six and almost recovered a Rondale Moore fumble at the goal line. He should be in your IDP lineup. You should play in an IDP league!
Kansas City (at Baltimore) - 1 sack, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
The Honey Badger is apparently over his bout with covid, at least it looked that way when he took a Lamar Jackson pass to the house
Indianapolis (vs Los Angeles Rams) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 ST TD
One blooper of a punt attempt led to a special teams score for the Colts
Week 3 Candidates
Tennessee (vs Indianapolis)
Carson Wentz at best is a game-time decision. Whether it’s an immobile banged up Wentz or Jacob Eason, even the Titans defense should be able to feast at home.
A Look Ahead: @NYJ @JAX BUF - The upcoming schedule is why the Titans are the #1 rent-a-defense of the week.
Carolina (at Houston) **Thursday**
The Panthers are a top 5 D/ST and they are facing Davis Mills. Need I type more?
A Look Ahead: @DAL PHI MIN - We will come back to the Panthers later this year (Falcons Week 8!)
Baltimore (at Detroit)
The Packers didn’t make much hay on defense against the Lions, so this is far from a slam dunk, but we can see how Jared Goff’s game declines once he’s behind on the scoreboard.
A Look Ahead: @DEN IND LAC - We’ll come back to the Ravens in Week 5 if Carson Wentz is hobbled or out
Arizona (at Jacksonville)
We will continue to pick on the Jaguars until it leads us astray
A Look Ahead: @LAR SF @CLE - We won’t stick with the Cardinals for NFC West matchups, but we will very thoroughly enjoy watching said matchups.
San Francisco (vs Green Bay)
The history of the Packers against the Kyle Shanahan 49ers isn’t pretty. We rarely target Aaron Rodgers with a rent-a-defense, but this one might merit it.
A Look Ahead: SEA @ARI BYE - We won’t come back to the 49ers for a while
Miami (at Las Vegas)
Jon Gruden is optimistic about Derek Carr playing, but if he doesn’t, it’s Nathan Peterman week!
A Look Ahead: IND @TB @JAX - We’ll come back to the Dolphins in Week 6, and maybe next week if Carson Wentz is out or hobbled.
Cincinnati (at Pittsburgh)
Ben Roethlisberger has an injured pectoral, but Mason Rudolph might not be much of a dropoff from this version of him. The Bengals are on the road, but they could still come through against a very limited Steelers offense.
A Look Ahead: JAX GB @DET - If you are stuck, go with the Bengals, so you’ll get the Jaguars matchup at home next week.
Week 4 Preemptive Pickups
- Chicago (vs Detroit)
- Cincinnati (vs Jacksonville)
- Tennessee (at New York Jets)
- Miami (vs Indianapolis) **Monitor Wentz's Status**
