Some weeks are full of waiver wire streamers and sleepers in the top 12 of our fantasy defense rankings. Week 4 isn’t one of those weeks. No, this is a week where all the lazy owners who just looked at preseason rankings, drafted a “top-12” D/ST, and have been too scared to make a roster move are going to feel like kings. The matchups favor the old classics.
That’s not to say the top 12 is devoid of potential streamers. Washington (@ Giants) should have some value, while the Colts (vs. Raiders) and Texans (vs. Panthers) are in fairly good spots and available in many leagues. Pittsburgh (vs. Bengals) and Denver (vs. Jaguars) have also been dropped in quite a few leagues and have upside this week.
WEEK 4 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
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Among the big fallers are the Bills (vs. Patriots), Browns (@ Ravens), and Packers (vs. Eagles), though the latter is still in play because of the Thursday home factor.
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
The two bye-week teams, the 49ers and Jets, will both be missed but for different reasons. The Jets are a great team to stream defenses against, while the 49ers have been a fairly reliable starting option this year (and also not a bad team to stream D/STs against). Ultimately, though, that’s not the reason these rankings seem boring. We go with what the numbers tell us, and this week, it looks like there’s little reason to reach for a surprise sleeper.
Reminder: These rankings will be adjusted throughout week, so check back often for updates and analysis!
Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense
| 1 | New England Patriots @ Bills. The Patriots defense still hasn’t allowed a touchdown this year, and while some favorable matchups have helped, that’s still pretty incredible. Buffalo has turned it over multiple times in two of three games (and allowed a five-sack game in the other), so New England should once again pay off. |
| 2 | Los Angeles Chargers @ Dolphins. Miami has allowed at least three sacks in every game and turned it over eight times on the season. On the plus side, it is averaging 5.3 points per game, so…wait, that’s terrible, too. Even the Chargers, who haven’t done much this year (four sacks, three takeaways), are a must-start this week. |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams vs. Buccaneers. The Rams have been good for multiple sacks and at least one takeaway in every week this year. Overall, they’ve been a little disappointing, but given Jameis Winston’s sloppiness, L.A. has major upside here back at home. The Bucs have allowed at least three sacks in every game and have turned it over five times on the season. |
| 4 | Chicago Bears vs. Vikings. Minnesota (and specifically Kirk Cousins) really struggled in Week 2 against the Packers, but it didn’t allow anything to the Falcons in Week 1 or the Raiders in Week 3. One thing to note is that Weeks 1 and 3 were at home and Week 2 was on the road. Minnesota returns to the road against one of the league’s most talented defenses this week, so we expect a return of Cousins’ struggles. |
| 5 | Minnesota Vikings @ Bears. The Vikings defense has been solid this year, recording 10 sacks and six takeaways while allowing an average of 15.7 points per game. Chicago has struggled to move the ball this year, so if nothing else, Minnesota will keep the score low and record some sacks. |
| 6 | Jacksonville Jaguars @ Broncos. After getting torn up by the Chiefs in Week 1 (no shame in that), the Jaguars defense has looked close to its 2017 form, recording 13 sacks and allowing 20 total points over the past two games. However, that’s come with just one takeaway, and the Jags are yet to record an INT all season. Joe Flacco has thrown three INTs (and taken eight sacks) over the past two games, so this one sets up well for Sacksonville, even on the road. |
| 7 | Washington Redskins @ Giants. Daniel Jones was the talk of Week 3, but even in his impressive performance, he took five sacks and lost two fumbles. With no Saquon Barkley, the Giants offense will be easier to prepare for, and you know Jones will throw INTs at some point. Washington disappointed in tough matchups in Weeks 1 and 2 (Philadelphia, Dallas), but it had a respectable three sacks and a takeaway on Monday night against Chicago. This is still a talented defense that can put up fantasy points in this matchup. |
| 8 | Green Bay Packers vs. Eagles. The Eagles have allowed six sacks and turned it over five times the past two games, and with their banged-up receiving corps, their offensive upside seems limited. Going on the road for a Thursday night game isn’t a great remedy for those woes, either. Green Bay has recorded 11 sacks (five in Week 1, six in Week 3) and produced eight takeaways, so you know it can take advantage of a struggling offense. |
| 9 | Seattle Seahawks @ Cardinals. After a solid Week 1, Seattle has done nothing despite fairly favorable matchups the past two weeks (one sack, two takeaways, 53 points allowed). Now on the road, we might be too high on the Seahawks here, but Arizona allows sacks (5.3 per game), which is one thing Seattle should be able to take advantage of. If it can apply pressure like it did against the Bengals in Week 1 (five sacks), Seattle can force some turnovers. |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts vs. Raiders. Oakland has allowed seven sacks and turned it over three times while scoring 24 points the past two weeks. Indianapolis is a different defense without Darius Leonard (concussion), as we saw last week when it failed to record a sack and allowed 24 points to the Falcons, but as long as he’s back, the Colts should apply the pressure that saw them record four sacks in both Weeks 1 and 2. |
| 11 | Houston Texans vs. Panthers. Kyle Allen breathed life into Carolina’s offense last week, but he’s still an inexperienced QB who will be making a second straight road start. Houston has picked it up lately, averaging 4.5 sacks and a fumble recovery over the past two games. They should get after Allen and take him down a few times (Carolina’s averaging 2.7 sacks allowed) and force a few turnovers. |
| 12 | Baltimore Ravens vs. Browns. Baker Mayfield has taken at least three sacks and thrown at least one INT in every game this year, and Baltimore took advantage of favorable matchups against Miami and Arizona in Weeks 1 and 2, posting six sacks and three takeaways while allowing 13.5 points per game. The Browns have more firepower than those teams, but this game sets up similarly, so expect the Ravens to do well. |
| 13 | Denver Broncos vs. Jaguars. This one is mostly a “Law of Averages” ranking. Denver hasn’t recorded a sack or takeaway in three games. On the other side, rookie QB Gardner Minshew II has looked like a seasoned vet for the Jaguars, only getting sacked five times and throwing one INT despite a surprise relief appearance, a road start in a noisy dome, and a short-rest Thursday game. It’s tough to feel confident about starting the Broncos, but how can a defense with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb not apply some QB pressure? How can a rookie continue to avoid mistakes? Given Denver’s significant home-field advantage, we think the narratives start to change here. |
| 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Bengals. Andy Dalton in a road prime-time game? Sign us up. In 20 career evening games, Dalton has a noticeably lower completion percentage (58.6) and QB rating (80.3) than in normal afternoon matchups. His 26:15 TD-to-INT ratio also leaves a lot to be desired. Minkah Fitzpatrick provided an instant spark for the Steelers defense last week, and its five takeaways showed it can still produce in the right matchups. |
| 15 | Dallas Cowboys @ Saints. Dallas has been a disappointment this year, but it did manage to finally do at least a little something in a favorable matchup, recording three sacks and a takeaway while allowing just six points to the Dolphins. Teddy Bridgewater looked competent enough in a tough road environment, avoiding sacks and INTs, and back at home, you would think he would be even more comfortable. We still think the Cowboys have enough talent on defense and Bridgewater is shaky enough that things could turn here. |
| 16 | Carolina Panthers @ Texans. Carolina just recorded eight sacks and Houston is known for its leaky offensive line (12 sacks allowed this year), so there’s real sleeper potential with the Panthers this week. |
| 17 | Atlanta Falcons vs. Titans. |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs @ Lions. |
| 19 | Tennessee Titans @ Falcons. |
| 20 | Cincinnati Bengals @ Steelers. |
| 21 | Philadelphia Eagles @ Packers. |
| 22 | New Orleans Saints vs. Cowboys. |
| 23 | Cleveland Browns @ Ravens. |
| 24 | Buffalo Bills vs. Patriots. |
| 25 | Arizona Cardinals vs. Seahawks. |
| 26 | New York Giants vs. Redskins. |
| 27 | Oakland Raiders @ Colts |
| 28 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Rams. |
| 29 | Detroit Lions vs. Chiefs. |
| 30 | Miami Dolphins vs. Chargers. |