Three And Out: Getting Defensive: Week 4
Week 3 brought some interesting developments in the world of fantasy defenses, as Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers presented themselves as potential season-long streaming targets and the Pittsburgh Steelers came to the unfortunate realization that they will be without the services of Ben Roethlisberger for roughly the next month of the season. As more defensive data is pours in, we continue to get a better feel for the landscape of fantasy defenses and which particular NFL offenses can be taken advantage of on a weekly basis. Below, we will take a spin through Week 4 fantasy D/ST options and rank them in tier form to help make your Week 4 roster decisions as easy as possible. Week 4 kicker rankings and future defensive options can also be found at the bottom of the page for your fantasy special teams needs. If you have any questions regarding specific defenses this week, feel free to hit me up on the Twitter machine at @Jeff_Brubach.
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The Fantastic Four
The (1) Seattle Seahawks (vs Detroit) have always benefited from playing at home and they flexed their CenturyLink Field muscles in Week 3 with a shutout of the Chicago Bears. With Kam Chancellor back at strong safety, the Seattle defense is in top shape and will get an extra day of rest this week with Detroit visiting Seattle on Monday night. Detroit hasn’t topped 16 points in their last two games and was sacked four times and gave up three turnovers in Week 2 against Denver, another quality defense.
A strong argument could be made for the (2) Denver Broncos (vs Minnesota) topping our Week 4 list, but Wade Phillips’ defense is a fantastic group nonetheless. Denver leads the NFL, allowing just 259 yards of offense per game this season to go with 11 sacks and ten takeaways in just three games. A home date with Minnesota is far from scary and another top defensive performance should be expected from the Broncos.
After destroying Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, the (3) Arizona Cardinals (vs St. Louis) now lead the NFL with seven interceptions. The Cardinals defense is also in the top-five in the league in yards allowed so far this season and will be hosting the St. Louis Rams, who have mustered up a whopping one touchdown in the last two weeks. The Rams were particularly inept on offense last week, as they managed just two field goals against a less than imposing Pittsburgh defense. The Cardinals should be started with full confidence this week.
The (4) New York Jets (at Miami) lead the league in points allowed through three weeks, giving up just 13.7 per contest. The Jets did give up 24 points to Philadelphia in Week 3, but only two offensive touchdowns were scored by the Eagles, and the Jets defense held Chip Kelly’s squad scoreless from the two-minute warning of the first half through the final horn. Kacy Rodgers’ defense also leads the NFL in takeaways, creating 11 turnovers in three games. This week, the scuffling Miami Dolphins are on the schedule for the Jets, and although it’s a road game, New York is still the favorite here and Miami was absolutely waxed at home by Buffalo last week.
Not Center Cut, But Still Tasty
Although the (5) Carolina Panthers (at Tampa Bay) have faced Blake Bortles, Ryan Mallett, and Luke McCown so far in 2015, the Panthers defense is leading the NFL in yards per pass attempt, giving up just 5.4 yards per throw from opposing quarterbacks. The Panthers D/ST is also holding opposing signal callers to a 58.8 percent completion rate, which bodes well for a Week 4 matchup with Jameis Winston, who is completing just 52.2 percent of his passes through three weeks. Winston should be good for a couple turnovers in this game.
The (6) Philadelphia Eagles (at Washington) are allowing just 3.1 yards per rushing attempt in 2015, and if they can continue to stuff the run in Week 4, Washington will have to rely on Kirk Cousins to move the ball. Sure, Washington has been solid on the ground, running for 143.7 yards per game through three weeks, but if this game falls in Cousins’ hands then the Eagles D/ST will be a nice play. Cousins is at four interceptions on the young season owns a 21:23 touchdown to interception ratio in his NFL career.
Week 3 got away from the (7) Cincinnati Bengals (vs Kansas City), as they allowed 17 fourth quarter points to the Baltimore Ravens, but the Bengals defense was actually solid for most of that game. This week, Cincinnati returns home to face the Kansas City Chiefs on a short week. The Bengals D/ST is allowing just 76.7 rushing yards per game and if this unit can bottle up Jamaal Charles, Alex Smith won’t be striking fear into Cincinnati defenders.
In 2015 games when they are not facing New England, the (8) Buffalo Bills (vs NY Giants) are allowing just 14 points per game. While that is a cherry-picked stat, the Bills have been decent so far this season while allowing an NFL low 74 rushing yards per game and racking up eight turnovers in three weeks. The Giants will pay a visit to Ralph Wilson Stadium this week as six point underdogs, and a solid D/ST at home as nearly a touchdown favorite is a reasonable fantasy play.
A seven sack performance delighted owners of the (9) Green Bay Packers (at San Francisco) D/ST in Week 3, and this group draws a fantastic matchup in Week 4 with Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers. Kaepernick was handing out pick-sixes like Smarties on Halloween last week and with the San Francisco defense highly unlikely to contain Aaron Rodgers, the 49ers will have to rely on their quarterback again in Week 4. That fact alone will make the Green Bay defense a start-worthy group this week.
Streamer Specials
The (10) Baltimore Ravens (at Pittsburgh) haven’t been the 1985 Bears so far this season, but Week 4 is a decent opportunity to stream this group if you play in the 35 percent of Yahoo leagues in which they are currently unowned. The Pittsburgh offense has plenty of spectacular weapons, but without Ben Roethlisberger, they could be vulnerable. Michael Vick will get his first start of the season on a short week with just a few days to prepare for the Ravens. Vick has also completed just 53.8 percent of his passes in 2013 and 2014, and has just one career season with a completion percentage north of 60 percent. Le’Veon Bell will still be a handful, but an inaccurate quarterback in his first start on a Thursday night is worth a shot as a streaming target.
Available in 70 percent of Yahoo leagues, the (11) Indianapolis Colts (vs Jacksonville) should be attractive for fantasy owners in need of D/ST help this week. Blake Bortles has three interceptions on the season and although he hasn’t been sacked at his usual astronomical clip so far in 2015, the Colts defense should be able to handle Jacksonville at home as a large Vegas favorite.
You may have seen the (12) San Diego Chargers (vs Cleveland) defense on the curb near your house with a “free” sign, as this group is currently owned in just two percent of Yahoo fantasy football leagues. While the Chargers D/ST hasn’t shut anyone down yet this season, they have been surprisingly decent against the pass, allowing just 189.3 yards through the air per game. This week, they welcome Josh McCown to Southern California and as a touchdown favorite facing a suspect quarterback, the Chargers D/ST is worth a shot this week.
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