Three And Out: Getting Defensive: Week 10
The fantasy world has successfully survived nine turbulent weeks and the playoff push is beginning with just four weeks of play left in the fantasy regular season. This week’s column will mark our tenth gathering to discuss fantasy kicker and D/ST options, and we will continue to hunt the most opportune matchups that will produce fantasy point totals to make opponents weep in defeat.
Bye weeks won’t cause any fantasy heartburn this week, as none of the four defenses with Week 10 byes warrant wasting a roster spot to carry them to Week 11. The 2015 fantasy contributions of the Falcons, Colts, Chargers, and 49ers are all below average, so feel free to boot these four defenses to the curb as they take the week off. Now, let’s jump in and check out the best Week 10 kicker and D/ST options in the latest installment of Getting Defensive.
Top Trio
The following three D/ST choices are top 2015 performers and also have favorable Week 10 matchups.
The (1) Denver Broncos (vs Kansas City) had a lapse in defensive effectiveness last week at Indianapolis, and the team’s first loss of 2015 was the result. The Broncos defense failed to record a turnover and sacked Andrew Luck only once, while allowing an uncharacteristic 365 total yards. Despite the dud in Week 9, the Denver D/ST is our top Week 10 fantasy option as they return home to face the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver has allowed just three offensive touchdowns in 12 quarters at home this season, and have given up just 14.3 points per game while on their home turf. In addition, Kansas City has allowed Alex Smith to be sacked 29 times this season, the third-highest mark in the NFL. Despite the one week hiccup in performance, the Denver defense is still the top unit in the NFL and should produce for fantasy owners in a nice Week 10 matchup.
Week 9 was fairly disappointing for the (2) St. Louis Rams (vs Chicago) D/ST, as they recorded just one sack and one interception while losing at Minnesota. Despite the lack of fantasy-relevant playmaking, the Rams D/ST did allow only 293 yards to the Vikings offense and has still allowed just two touchdowns over the last three weeks. The moral of the story is that although the St. Louis defense failed to create any splashy defensive plays in Week 9, they still turned in a respectable defensive performance and are one of the NFL’s most fearsome groups. Week 10 brings a home matchup with the Chicago Bears, and the Rams D/ST will be top fantasy play as they have allowed just two offensive touchdowns in four 2015 home games.
The (3) Carolina Panthers (at Tennessee) defense is 11th in NFL scoring defense, a respectable mark, but have made their fantasy contributions through creating sacks and turnovers. The Panthers D/ST is fourth among NFL defenses in both the sack and turnover categories and will look to continue this trend in Week 10 at Tennessee. The Titans’ offense is markedly different with Marcus Mariota under center rather than Zach Mettenberger, but Tennessee still clocks in at third among NFL teams in turnovers, coughing up the ball 17 times so far in 2015. The Titans are also averaging a mere 15.8 points per game at home this season, so don’t let the road factor sway you from starting the Panthers D/ST this week.
Respectable Week 10 Choices
The five D/ST options below are a cut below our top three but have some enticing qualities in their 2015 performance and/or Week 10 matchup.
The Week 10 opponent is the target of the (4) Green Bay Packers (vs Detroit) D/ST this week, as the Detroit Lions have been generous to fantasy defenses in 2015, leading the NFL in turnovers and registering 9th in sacks allowed. The Lions are coming off a bye, and hopefully they spent their off week preparing to run new OC Jim Bob Cooter’s offense, as the team managed just 10 points and 276 total yards in their first game under Cooter’s leadership. The main knock on the Green Bay defense, stopping the run, is partially negated in this matchup due to Detroit’s inability to run the ball at all in 2015. The Lions average just 69.6 rushing yards per game which checks in at 12.7 yards per game lower than any other NFL team.
The (5) Cincinnati Bengals (vs Houston) have been on a bit of a heater in recent weeks, allowing just two touchdowns and 20 total points over their last two games. The Bengals D/ST is also fifth among NFL defenses in sacks this season, and is slowly shaping into a solid group. Week 10 brings the Houston Texans to town, who are an interesting matchup. Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer has seemingly ditched his turnover-prone ways this season as he sports a solid 13 touchdown to three interception ratio, but the Texans are now without star running back Arian Foster. After losing Foster in Week 7, Houston scrounged up just 56 rushing yards in Week 8 and will be reliant on Hoyer to move the football for the remainder of the season. A home matchup with a potentially one dimensional team is reason enough to give the surging Bengals D/ST a shot this week.
Week 9 was productive for the (6) New York Jets (vs Buffalo) D/ST, as they stacked up six sacks and four turnovers against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The opportunistic performance was encouraging, as it followed a two-game road trip where the Jets defense was dismantled by New England and Oakland. Week 10 will bring the Buffalo Bills to MetLife Stadium, where the Jets D/ST will be a solid fantasy option. The Bills rely on the running game as they are second among NFL offenses, racking up 141.6 rushing yards per game this season. The strength of the Jets’ defense is stopping the run however, so this matchup should play right into the hands of DC Kacy Rodgers’ group.
The defense of the (7) Seattle Seahawks (vs Arizona) has been stout this season, although their diminutive sack and turnover totals have prevented this unit from contributing in the fantasy world as expected. The overall performance of this defense shouldn’t be discounted despite the lack of turnovers, and the Seahawks D/ST should be fully healthy and rested after enjoying a bye in Week 9. The offense of the Arizona Cardinals is nothing to sneeze at, but Seattle is historically tough at home and should be able to turn in a strong performance in what is essentially a must-win game for their divisional hopes. The Seattle defense has allowed five field goals and zero touchdowns over the last two weeks, so feel free to trust this group in the face of a tough matchup.
The (8) Arizona Cardinals (at Seattle) defense is near the top of the NFL in almost every defensive statistic, with the exception of sacks. That issue may be remedied this week as Arizona travels to Seattle for an exciting Sunday night matchup with the offensive line that is allowing the most sacks among all 32 NFL teams. The Cardinals D/ST has been a productive group in fantasy leagues this season, and that level of performance should continue this week against the Seahawks, who are just 24th in the NFL in scoring at 20.9 points per game.
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