Fantasy football managers are constantly searching for that perfect waiver wire pickup that could make or break their week. Defensive units often fly under the radar, but savvy players know that streaming the proper defense can be the difference between victory and defeat.
This week presents some intriguing options that could provide significant value for your lineup. Smart fantasy football decisions aren’t always about the most prominent names, but rather about identifying favorable matchups and emerging opportunities.
Week 4 Defense Rankings
1) Buffalo Bills (vs. NO)
2) Denver Broncos (vs. CIN)
3) Green Bay Packers (at DAL)
4) Minnesota Vikings (vs. PIT (Ireland))
5) Detroit Lions (vs. CLE)
6) Houston Texans (vs. TEN)
7) Los Angeles Chargers (at NYG)
8) Seattle Seahawks (at ARI)
9) San Francisco 49ers (vs. JAX)
10) New England Patriots (vs. CAR)
11) Washington Commanders (at ATL)
12) New York Jets (at MIA)
13) Philadelphia Eagles (at TB)
14) Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. MIN (Ireland))
15) Tennessee Titans (at HOU)
16) Indianapolis Colts (at LAR)
17) Cleveland Browns (at DET)
18) Arizona Cardinals (vs. SEA)
19) Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BAL)
20) Baltimore Ravens (at KC)
21) New York Giants (vs. LAC)
22) Atlanta Falcons (vs. WAS)
23) Los Angeles Rams (vs. IND)
24) Chicago Bears (at LV)
25) Carolina Panthers (at NE)
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. PHI)
27) Miami Dolphins (vs. NYJ)
28) Cincinnati Bengals (at DEN)
29) Jacksonville Jaguars (at SF)
30) Las Vegas Raiders (vs. CHI)
31) Dallas Cowboys (vs. GB)
32) New Orleans Saints (at BUF)
Washington Commanders (at ATL)
This one is easy; the Washington Commanders face the Falcons this week, who scored exactly zero points against the Panthers last time out. That’s the same Panthers who gave up the most points in NFL history last year.
Carolina was the second-best fantasy defense in Week 3, and the Commanders should feel confident of bettering their NFC South opponents this weekend. Washington was the 11th-best defense in fantasy football in Week 3 and is the 13th-best on the year.
Atlanta won’t be shut out two weeks in a row, but the jury remains out on quarterback Michael Penix, with HC Raheem Morris fielding questions about Kirk Cousins this week. The Commanders have nine sacks on the year; only five teams have more, while Atlanta turned the ball over three times against Carolina.
Chicago Bears (at LVR)
The Chicago Bears’ defense has registered two top-10 fantasy weeks over the first three weeks of the year, albeit either side of a last-placed finish in Week 2. The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t the Detroit Lions, though, and have struggled to a 0-3 start to the season.
READ MORE: Fantasy Football Streamers Week 4
So far, two of the Raiders’ three opponents have been a top-10 defense in fantasy that week, with the Patriots’ defense finishing 13th (tied) in Week 1. The Bears are a far better defensive unit than the Patriots, and arguably the Commanders, whose defense finished 10th in fantasy against the Raiders in Week 3.
Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has the third-highest interception percentage (3.8%) of all NFL quarterbacks through three weeks. The Bears should be able to take advantage of Smith’s generosity in Week 4, with only two defenses tallying more interceptions than Chicago’s (four) this year.
