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, Dallas, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco and New England are assumed to be rostered**
Week 16 Results
Kansas City (vs Pittsburgh) - 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT
It was a lot worse than the stats make it look. Ben Roethlisberger is just incapable of moving the ball against a good defense.
A Look Ahead: @CIN - The Chiefs are still a strong play with Joe Burrow walking that tightrope. This isn’t the Ravens secondary
New Orleans (vs Miami) - 3 sacks, 1 INT
The Saints defense only gave up one offensive touchdown, but that’s one more than the Saints could muster. Once Taysom Hill went on the covid list, the Saints became the less attractive side of this matchup.
A Look Ahead: CAR - The Saints are worth a look here even if Ian Book starts again.
Indianapolis (at Arizona) - 1 safety
This was the Colts D/ST first letdown in months. It was bound to happen.
A Look Ahead: LV - Derek Carr is generally safe with the ball, so this might not be the time to go back to the well.
Cincinnati (vs Baltimore) - 1 sack, 1 INT
Josh Johnson wasn’t a disaster, in fact he was good enough to keep the Bengals throwing in the second half (if the Wink Martindale slight wasn’t).
A Look Ahead: KC - No thanks
Atlanta (vs Detroit) - 1 INT
Tim Boyle wasn’t too bad. Sometimes matchups between losing teams are just boring bad football that isn’t good for fantasy defenses.
A Look Ahead: @BUF - So long Falcons
New York Jets (vs Jacksonville) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 ST TD
Braxton Berrios looked like he was shot out of a cannon on his 103-yard kick return score
A Look Ahead: TB - TB as in Tom Brady as in Too Bad if you were thinking of starting the Jets D/ST again
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Philadelphia (vs New York Giants) - 2 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Thankfully Mike Glennon got back in after Jake Fromm started to throw a pick six. The Eagles D/ST was ice cold coming into this one, but Glennon gave them the push they needed.
Green Bay (vs Cleveland) - 5 sacks, 4 INT
Maybe not all of the interceptions were Baker Mayfield’s fault, but they all counted in fantasy football leagues.
Houston (vs Los Angeles Chargers) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD
Justin Herbert gave up the pick six in the desperate comeback attempt to make the Texans D/ST’s week
Los Angeles Rams (at Minnesota) - 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 ST TD
Brandon Powell’s punt return score fueled this D/ST that was considered elite going into the year, but eventually dropped.
Miami (at New Orleans) - 8 sacks, 2 INT, 1 DEF TD, 3 pts allowed
Ian Book, welcome to the NFL. He had a pick six on his second throw, and it didn’t get better after that.
Week 17 Candidates
**Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco and New England are assumed to be rostered**
Green Bay (vs Minnesota)
Dalvin Cook could be back for this one, but the Packers defense in Lambeau is always a good bet
Philadelphia (at Washington)
The Eagles defense should get a great game script against Washington. Ron Rivera indicated that more than one quarterback will play in this one.
Kansas City (at Cincinnati)
The Chiefs defense has been outstanding. Joe Burrow and the Bengals always seem to follow one of their best games with one of their worst ones.
Chicago (vs New York Giants)
Jake Fromm, Mike Glennon, does it matter? We won’t miss the D/ST facing the Giants in Week 17.
Denver (at Los Angeles Chargers)
The Broncos defense is not the reason this team will miss the playoffs. They had three sacks, two interceptions, and a defensive score the first time they faced Justin Herbert.
New Orleans (at Carolina)
The Saints defense is the team’s last hope to make the playoffs and the Panthers are behind New Orleans on the covid outbreak curve
San Francisco (vs Houston)
We’ve been stashing the 49ers for a while in anticipation of this matchup, but Davis Mills is hot and the Texans defense is playing spirited ball, so maybe it’s not going to be as good as we thought.
Fantasy Playoffs Preemptive Pickups
Week 18
Indianapolis (at Jacksonville)
Kansas City (at Denver)
Green Bay (at Detroit)
New Orleans (at Atlanta)
Tennessee (at Houston)