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, Tampa Bay and Los Angeles Rams are assumed to be rostered**
Week 7 Results
Arizona (vs Houston) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 pts allowed
There weren’t any huge miscues from the Houston offense, but there weren’t any touchdowns either.
A Look Ahead: GB @SF CAR - Davante Adams likely being out makes it easier to ride or die with the Cardinals from here on out.
New England (vs New York Jets) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INT
Zach Wilson wasn’t much more successful than he was in the first matchup, but he didn’t throw the two picks - that was on Mike White after Wilson was knocked out of the game with a knee injury.
A Look Ahead: @LAC @CAR CLE - The Patriots D/ST is coming on, so they may be worth holding through the poor matchup with the Chargers to get the good matchup against the Panthers.
Green Bay (vs Washington) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
The Packers defense allowed Washington to move the ball, but stiffened in the red zone. Taylor Heinicke still isn’t the answer.
A Look Ahead: @ARI @KC SEA - We’ll dodge Kyler Murray, but may come back to Green Bay for the possible matchup with Geno Smith
Indianapolis (at San Francisco) - 2 sacks, 2 fumble recovery, 2 INT
The Colts were clearly the better defense and team in the bomb cyclone monsoon
A Look Ahead: TEN NYJ JAX - The Titans are peaking, but we have to leave the Colts in to get the Jets and Jaguars matchups
Las Vegas (vs Philadelphia) - 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
The Raiders defense wasn’t in feeding frenzy form, but they held down the Eagles offense just the same. Yannick Ngakoue has been a great free agent pickup and the team is coming together freed from the weight on Jon Gruden.
A Look Ahead: BYE @NYG KC - The Raiders defense isn’t worth carrying through the bye, but they will be a top priority next week
Carolina (at New York Giants) - 2 sacks
We were on the wrong side of this one as the Panthers and Sam Darnold bottomed out. Could this be the precursor to a trade for Deshaun Watson?
A Look Ahead: @ATL NE @ARI - We’ve lost faith in the Panthers defense and maybe even have more faith in the Falcon offense at this point
New Orleans (at Seattle) - 5 sacks
Geno Smith looked like Geno Smith, but it didn’t result in any big turnovers, so this was only a modestly successful play
A Look Ahead: TB ATL @TEN - We won’t come back to the Saints for a while
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
New York Giants (vs Carolina) - 1 safety, 6 sacks, 1 INT, 3 pts allowed
A wow performance, but more “wow, Sam Darnold is not good” more than “wow, the Giants defense is good”
Tennessee (vs Kansas City) - 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 3 pts allowed
Start D/ST’s against the Chiefs?!?
Week 8 Candidates
**Make Sure Buffalo wasn’t dropped in the Week 7 byepocalypse**
Cincinnati (at New York Jets)
Mike White, Joe Flacco, Zach Wilson, no matter who is starting for the Jets, you want the defense facing them
A Look Ahead: CLE BYE @LV - We should be open to sticking with the Bengals next week
Dallas (at Minnesota)
It’s possible that a top three D/ST was dropped in the bye week crunch. The Vikings matchup isn’t particularly good on paper, but the home games against Denver and Atlanta should be, so pick up the Cowboys if you can’t get the Bengals.
A Look Ahead: DEN ATL @KC - This is why you want to get the Cowboys this week
Los Angeles Chargers (vs New England)
The Chargers defense got short-circuited against the Ravens going into the bye, but they should have an easier assignment against Mac Jones (who is improving every week) coming out of the bye. The Patriots should seek to test their weak run defense, but if the Chargers offense is on, the Patriots will have to rely on Jones against the deceptive Staley defense
A Look Ahead: @PHI MIN PIT - No reason to let go of the Chargers if they do well this week
Indianapolis (vs Tennessee)
The Colts have a tough matchup this week, and probably aren’t available after a top five start in fantasy leagues, but if they are, they could be a good pickup to catch the matchups in Weeks 9 and 10.
A Look Ahead: NYJ JAX @BUF - The Colts have to be in lineups against the Jets and Jaguars
Pittsburgh (at Cleveland)
The Steelers D/ST has fallen from the ranks of the mighty, but they will get to face Case Keenum this week. Like the Colts, the reason to pick them up actually comes the next two weeks.
A Look Ahead: CHI DET @LAC - The Bears game is even on Monday night!
Philadelphia (at Detroit)
The Eagles defense has been cold the last two weeks and the Lions continue to use smoke and mirrors to compete, so maybe this is one to pass on, or even go with the Lions seeking their first win, but the conventional play is to go with the Eagles tough defensive line and Darius Slay in a revenge game.
A Look Ahead: LAC @DEN NO - We won’t come back to the Eagles unless they are hot going into the game against the Saints
Week 9 Preemptive Pickups
Pittsburgh (vs Chicago)
Indianapolis (vs New York Jets)
Dallas (vs Denver)
