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.
**San Francisco, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia are assumed to be rostered**
Week 15 Results
Kansas City (at New England) - 4 sacks, 1 INT
For one half, Bailey Zappe looked like he might be able to make a game of this one, and for one half, he didn't. The result wasn't a bust, but didn't help you win this week.
A Look Ahead: LV CIN - The Chiefs D/ST is still set up with two good home matchups against inexperienced quarterbacks.
LA Rams (vs Washington) - 1 sack, 1 INT
It's too bad you don't get D/ST points for making a quarterback play poorly enough to get benched.
A Look Ahead: NO @NYG - Carr is playing better, DeVito is playing worse, so maybe Week 17 is a good spot.
Indianapolis (vs Pittsburgh) - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 INT
The Colts didn't need to get points for getting an opposing quarterback benched to be a hit this week.
A Look Ahead: @ATL LV - No matter who is starting for the Falcons, we'll want the Colts D/ST in.
NY Jets (at Miami) - 3 sacks
Miami (vs NY Jets) - 6 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT, 0 pts allowed
The Dolphins own the Jets; this much is clear
A Look Ahead NYJ: WAS @CLE - The Jets D/ST could hit vs. Washington, but they are cold for fantasy over the last three weeks.
A Look Ahead MIA: DAL @BAL - The Dolphins D/ST is surging, and the Cowboys are coming off of a bad showing. We'll consider Vic Fangio's defense.
Tennessee (vs Houston) - 4 sacks, 1 INT, 1 DEF TD
We wanted to use the Titans if CJ Stroud didn't play, and this one didn't disappoint, thanks to an Elijah Molden pick-six.
A Look Ahead: SEA @HOU - The Titans D/ST has been strong lately, so we'll consider them vs. Seattle.
Atlanta (at Carolina) - 3 sacks
The Falcons were disappointing across the board in a downpour against the Panthers.
A Look Ahead: IND @CHI - Fly free Falcons D/ST
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Las Vegas (vs LA Chargers) - 3 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 2 DEF TD
The fantasy gods smiled on you if you started the Raiders against Easton Stick. The Chargers gave up on their coach on national television.
Chicago (at Cleveland) - 4 sacks, 3 INT, 1 DEF TD
Joe Flacco was rough early on, including a Tremaine Edmunds pick-six, but finished strong. The Bears D/ST is one of the hottest groups in fantasy football.
Houston (at Tennessee) - 7 sacks, 1 INT
The Texans defense got better as the game went on. They were good enough to consider this week against Joe Flacco.