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.
**Assumed to be rostered: Philadelphia, Buffalo**
Week 4 Results
Philadelphia (vs Jacksonville) - 4 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 INT
The Jaguars jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but it didn’t matter on this rainy day. Trevor Lawrence lost four fumbles, so he should be practicing with a wet ball the next time rain is in the forecast.
A Look Ahead: @ARI DAL BYE - The Eagles are officially a set it and forget it D/ST
Green Bay (vs New England) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
The Packers actually got to face a fourth-round rookie at quarterback when Brian Hoyer went down, but Bailey Zappe actually performed admirably in Lambeau and pushed the game to overtime, but it was not the fantasy bonanza that we would hope for in this scenario
A Look Ahead: NYG NYJ @WAS - The good news is that the Giants might have to start Davis Webb this week in London. Stick with the Packers D/ST.
Dallas (vs Washington) - 2 sacks, 2 INT
The stats don’t reflect the dominance the Cowboys had over Carson Wentz in this one. The passing game stalled out, and Washington lost going away even though they were facing Cooper Rush.
A Look Ahead: @LAR @PHI DET - The Rams offensive line is in shambles, so stick with the Cowboys this week.
Pittsburgh (vs New York Jets) - 1 sack, 2 INT
Minkah Fitzpatrick had an interception that looked like a pick-six at first, but instead, he was ruled out of bounds at the six-yard line, or we would have had a hit here. Still, Zach Wilson played better in the fourth quarter, and we may not have him to pick on for D/ST matchups if this continues.
A Look Ahead: @BUF TB @MIA - We won’t come back to the Steelers for a while, maybe not until T.J. Watt is back.
San Francisco (vs Los Angeles Rams) - 7 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Talanoa Hufanga made a perfect read on a wide receiver screen to Cooper Kupp and made an easy pick six out of it to top off a game that saw the Rams get very little going against a strong 49ers front seven.
A Look Ahead: @CAR @ATL KC - The 49ers are in our lineup until further notice.
Houston (vs Los Angeles Chargers) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Justin Herbert being off of the injury report was a bad sign for the Texans defense.
A Look Ahead: @JAX BYE @LV - Unless it’s raining cats and dogs in Jacksonville, we won’t want to use the Texans this week.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
New York Giants (vs CHI) - 6 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries
Playing the defense facing Justin Fields finally came through. We’ll consider them more going forward.
New York Jets (at PIT) - 3 sacks, 4 INT
One of the interceptions was on Diontae Johnson, and one was on a hail mary, but they all count the same.
New England (at GB) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Aaron Rodgers threw to the wrong #13 - rookie Jack Jones posted a pick-six against him to keep Patriots in this one
Las Vegas (vs DEN) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
Amik Robertson took a Melvin Gordon fumble to the house for the Raiders' first defensive touchdown in three years!
Seattle (at DET) - 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
Tariq Woolen showed off his 4.26 speed on his pick-six
Jacksonville (at PHI) - 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Andre Cisco got an early pick six, but the Jaguars couldn’t make a 14-0 lead hold up in the City of Brotherly Love
Week 5 Candidates
Jacksonville (vs Houston)
The Jaguars defense is on the rise even if they couldn’t solve the Eagles running game last week. They may be a set it and forget it unit against a so-so upcoming schedule.
A Look Ahead: @IND NYG DEN - As long as they come through, we’ll keep the Jaguars in our lineup