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.
**Kansas City, Cleveland, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Buffalo have great matchups but are assumed to be rostered**
Week 7 Results
Pittsburgh (at LA Rams) - 2 sacks, 1 INT
T.J. Watt had a beautiful interception to set up a score and the Steelers defense made life hard for Matthew Stafford, but it wasn’t a big fantasy day for their D/ST.
A Look Ahead: JAX TEN GB - You might endure the Jaguars matchup this week to get the Titans and Packers matchups.
Kansas City (vs La Chargers) - 5 sacks, 2 INT
The Chiefs defense is starting to get on a roll with multiple sacks and takeaways in two straight weeks.
A Look Ahead: @DEN MIA BYE - You are definitely holding onto the Chiefs for this week.
Cleveland (at Indianapolis) - 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
Myles Garrett was a force, and you probably didn’t even get credit for his blocked field goal. Gardner Minshew remains a quarterback to target when we pick our rent-a-defense.
A Look Ahead: @SEA ARI @BAL - The matchup against Seattle is on the road, but Geno Smith is inconsistent enough to stick with the Browns this week.
Seattle (vs Arizona) - 4 sacks
The defensive performance was better than the fantasy bottom line indicates, but Joshua Dobbs is relatively safe with the ball, if ineffective.
A Look Ahead: CLE @BAL WAS - You have to consider any D/ST against the Browns until their quarterback play improves
Tampa Bay (vs Atlanta) - 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries
Desmond Ridder had some ball security issues but overall was a much better passer than he was in Week 6.
A Look Ahead: @BUF @HOU TEN - We may come back to Tampa in Week 10
Las Vegas (at Chicago) - 2 sacks
Right game, wrong side
A Look Ahead: @DET NYG NYJ - We will banish the Raiders D/ST back from whence they came
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Chicago (vs Las Vegas) - 1 sack, 3 INT, 1 DEF TD
Ahh, Brian Hoyer
Miami (at Philadelphia) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
Jalen Hurts isn’t necessarily a quarterback to avoid with rent-a-defenses plays.
NY Giants (vs Washington) - 6 sacks, 1 INT, 7 points allowed
Maybe the Giants defense isn’t bad? We should be targeting Sam Howell going forward.
Week 8 Candidates
NY Jets (at NY Giants)
They have been a top 5 D/ST in most formats and are rested and facing a limited Giants offense. They might even get to face Daniel Jones.
A Look Ahead: LAC @LV @BUF - We’re probably sticking with the Jets for another two weeks if they were dropped for their bye.
New Orleans (at Indianapolis)
The Saints D/ST has hit a little lull after dominating the Patriots in Foxboro, but you don’t overthink playing a defense against Gardner Minshew right now.
A Look Ahead: CHI @MIN BYE - Especially when they have the Bears next week
Detroit (vs Las Vegas)
The Lions D/ST had four straight decent to great weeks before running into Lamar Jackson on the road last week. This week, they face the offense that made the Bears D/ST one of the plays of the week on Monday night. Jimmy Garoppolo could be back, but that shouldn’t scare you away from the Lions.
A Look Ahead: BYE @LAC CHI - We’ll be coming back to the Lions D/ST in Week 11
Atlanta (at Tennessee)
Malik Willis or Will Levis. Does it matter? You have to consider a D/ST facing a Titans backup quarterback.
A Look Ahead: MIN @ARI BYE - We probably won’t use the Falcons D/ST again this year.
Houston (at Carolina)
The Panthers have had a bye to figure out how to give their offense some punch, but the Texans have also had the bye to get healthy and prepare for a potential surprise run to a playoff spot. They’ve also been a viable play in three of their last four games.
A Look Ahead: TB @CIN ARI - If the Texans come through this week, we’ll fire them up against Baker Mayfield in Week 9.
LA Chargers (vs Chicago)
This defense has underachieved, but they have also posted 10 takeaways and 22 sacks in six games. Against a rookie UDFA quarterback, albeit one with unusual poise, we should consider them.
A Look Ahead: @NYJ DET @GB - Against Zach Wilson, we should consider them, too.
NY Giants (vs NY Jets)
Speaking of Wilson, it’s tempting to consider the D/ST facing him, especially when it has had six takeaways in the last three games and six sacks in their last contest.
A Look Ahead: @LV @DAL @WAS - If the Giants defense continues to gel, we might consider them in Vegas
Week 9 Preemptive Pickups
Pittsburgh (vs Tennessee)
New Orleans (vs Chicago)