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, Arizona, Dallas, Green Bay, Tennessee and New England are assumed to be rostered**
Week 14 Results
Green Bay (vs Chicago) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Rasul Douglas is rising from the ashes of the Arizona Cardinals practice squad to be a leader of the Packers defense
A Look Ahead: @BAL CLE MIN - No reason to go away from the Packers now
Los Angeles Chargers (vs New York Giants) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
Once again, Mike Glennon was bad, but not bad in the way that is good for fantasy teams that start the defense he is facing.
A Look Ahead: KC @HOU DEN - We may come back to the Chargers in Week 16 if Davis Mills struggles against the Jaguars
Seattle (at Houston) - 2 sacks
Davis Mills started 14 for 14 in this game, so maybe the Seahawks D/ST is one we will avoid regardless of matchup
A Look Ahead: @LAR CHI DET - The Lions at home in Week 17? Maybe if the trends are looking better for this defense
Pittsburgh (at Minnesota) - 2 INT
The Steelers fell behind 29-0 and couldn’t stop the run, so there wasn’t anything here for their D/ST
A Look Ahead: TEN @KC CLE - We won’t be trying to get T.J. Watt into our lineups
San Francisco (at Cincinnati) - 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
The Bengals miscues helped the 49ers D/ST have a good day here, but the pass rush also deserves some credit
A Look Ahead: ATL @TEN HOU - Yes ma’am may I have another
Kansas City (vs Las Vegas Raiders) - 4 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
The Chiefs took a Josh Jacobs fumble back for a score on the first offensive play of the game
A Look Ahead: @LAC PIT @CIN - No D/ST has been better since Week 11, so we’ll stick with the Chiefs
Denver (vs Detroit) - 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
The Broncos had an emotionally charged game and two turnovers to honor 88, but it was just a middling fantasy result
A Look Ahead: CIN @LV @LAC - Don’t think we’ll go back to the Broncos this year
Tennessee (vs Jacksonville) - 3 sacks, 4 INT, 0 pts allowed
The Jaguars picked Week 14 to finally completely give up on Urban Meyer
A Look Ahead: @PIT SF MIA - The Titans could hit against the Steelers, but they aren’t a preferred play
New Orleans (at New York Jets) - 3 sacks, 9 pts allowed
The Saints defense didn’t allow a touchdown, but they didn’t force a turnover either
A Look Ahead: @TB MIA CAR - We’ll see what the trends look like going into Week 17 before deciding on the Saints against whoever the Panthers roll out there at quarterback
Cleveland (vs Baltimore) - 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 DEF TD
Myles Garrett had one of the plays of the year on his strip/sack/fumble
A Look Ahead: LV @GB @PIT - It’s not another matchup with the Ravens, but the Raiders will do
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Atlanta (at Carolina) - 1 sack, 2 INT, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
Cam Newton was benched twice but threw a pick six along the way to help anyone who played the Falcons to fade him in Week 14
Washington (vs Dallas) - 4 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Dak Prescott threw a bizarre pick six with the Cowboys just trying to run out the clock to make the day for the Football Team D/ST
Week 15 Candidates
**Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Dallas, Green Bay, Tennessee and New England are assumed to be rostered**
Miami (vs New York Jets)
A hyperaggressive defense and a poor rookie quarterback is exactly the matchmaking we are looking for.
A Look Ahead: @NO @TEN - Week 16 is looking good if the Dolphins can get out to a lead and befuddle Taysom Hill with their blitzes
Kansas City (at Los Angeles Chargers) **Thursday**
How can you go against the hottest D/ST in the NFL? Well maybe you do if you believe in Justin Herbert
A Look Ahead: PIT @CIN - Even if you don’t like the Chiefs D/ST against Herbert, you’ll love them against Ben Roethlisberger
Philadelphia (vs Washington)
A banged up Taylor Heinicke will take his chances against a rested Eagles defense that will include Darius Slay lurking and looking for his third touchdown of the season
A Look Ahead: NYG @WAS - We’ll stick with the Eagles as long as they are hot
Cleveland (vs Las Vegas) **Saturday**
Getting Myles Garrett into your fantasy lineup sounds like a good idea, especially with the Raiders offense flatlining last week
A Look Ahead: @GB @PIT - We might come back to them in Week 17
San Francisco (vs Atlanta)
If the 49ers can build a lead, they should be able to pick on Matt Ryan
A Look Ahead: @TEN HOU - Part of the reason to add and play the 49ers this week is to have them for Week 17
Indianapolis (vs New England) **Saturday**
The Colts have had multiple takeaways in 11 of 14 games this year and multiple sacks in 11 of 14 games this year, and have had multiple takeaways or sacks in every game. So this is just a bet on their consistency, plus they are rested and could get Mac Jones out of his comfort zone if Jonathan Taylor stakes them to a lead.
A Look Ahead: @ARI LV - We’ll stick with the Colts as long as they are hot.
Houston (at Jacksonville)
The Texans D/ST had some big plays recently against the Titans and Dolphins, so it’s not out of the question that they could come through in this game with top 5 draft position on the line.
A Look Ahead: LAC @SF - No more Urban Meyer teams on the schedule
Fantasy Playoffs Preemptive Pickups
Week 16
Miami (at New Orleans)
Los Angeles Chargers (vs Houston)
Philadelphia (vs New York Giants)
Week 17
San Francisco (vs Houston)