It doesn’t help that Week 1 featured mostly uninspiring performances from fantasy D/STs. Heading into Monday night, only five teams cracked double-digits in standard leagues, with the Vikings scoring the only defensive/return touchdowns. Four teams managed more than three sacks (Jets, Texans, Seahawks, Bills), and only the Panthers had multiple interceptions. Tough to find any sleepers on the waiver wire just by looking at the fantasy points scored.
Both rookie starting QBs (Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz) didn’t turn the ball over, and fellow first-time starters Jimmy Garoppolo (lost fumble) and Trevor Siemian (two INTs) also looked pretty competent. All in all, it seemed like offense was ahead of defense last week. ( Update: Except for the Rams against the 49ers…woof.)
Week 2 rankings:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
But now there’s actual game tape on every offense, and you can bet we’ll see defenses ratchet up the pressure this week. Chances are, whichever defense you drafted is still your best option, but there are a few D/STs to be leery of and a few to take note of heading into Week 2.
Note: We’ll be updating our rankings and providing analysis throughout the week, so check back often!
Fantasy football D/ST rankings for Week 2
- Carolina Panthers vs. 49ers. Carolina’s defense looked a little rusty in its opener, but catching San Francisco on a cross-country trip – on a short week – should result in a performance reminiscent of 2015.
2. Seattle Seahawks at Rams. Seattle recorded five sacks and blocked a kick in its opener, so it looked like the “Legion of Boom” was already in midseason form. Even on the road, you have to like their chances against a Case Keenum-led offense.
3. Denver Broncos vs. Colts. Denver didn’t put up a lot of fantasy points in its opener, but the hits they were laying on Cam Newton and Co. looked as nasty as ever. The Colts can put up yards and points, but the O-line is shaky and Denver can make them one-dimensional. With the game in Denver, we like the Broncos’ chances of slowing down the Colts’ attack.
4. Arizona Cardinals vs. Buccaneers. Arizona didn’t take full advantage of facing Jimmy Garoppolo at home last week, but it still proved opportunistic, jumping on two Patriots fumbles. The Bucs handled a road game in a dome in Week 1 (at Atlanta), but this week, they’ll be make a cross-country trip and face a much better defense. Advantage Cards.
5. Houston Texans vs. Chiefs. In case you needed a reminder of how good Houston’s pass rush is, the Texans went out and got five sacks in Week 1. Kansas City is usually pretty efficient on offense, but the Texans are always dangerous at home.
6. Baltimore Ravens at Browns. The Browns being forced to switch from Robert Griffin III (shoulder) to Josh McCown at QB might actually be better for them, at least in terms of reducing turnovers, but we still expect them to make their fair share of mistakes. The Ravens are good enough to take advantage.
7. Green Bay Packers at Vikings. Minnesota’s offensive line failed to impress in Week 1, and with either Shaun Hill or Sam Bradford under center, the quarterback play figures to be uninspiring again. Green Bay’s defense didn’t do anything overly impressive in Week 1, but it still has playmakers at every level.
8. New York Jets at Bills. Buffalo brought very little to the table offensively last week, scoring just seven points. Meanwhile, the Jets racked up a league-leading seven sacks. This week, they’ll get suspended DL Sheldon Richardson back, and Buffalo might be without Sammy Watkins (foot). You do the math.
9. New England Patriots vs. Dolphins. Miami had trouble blocking the Seahawks in Week 1 (five sacks), and while New England didn’t do anything special against Arizona, we still trust its game planning at home against a mediocre offense.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Bengals. Cincinnati has plenty of talented offensive players, but after allowing seven sacks in Week 1, it’s easy to imagine the Steelers having a good fantasy showing in this one.
11. Los Angeles Rams vs. Seahawks. Russell Wilson’s gimpy ankle will be like blood in the water for the aggressive Rams defense. In their home opener, expect a few sacks and takeaways as they try to atone for awful Week 1.
12. Kansas City Chiefs at Texans. It’s possible the Chiefs might not be worth playing in fantasy leagues until Justin Houston (knee) returns in November, but this was such a solid unit last year, we’re not going to give up on them yet. Brock Osweiler was mostly solid in his Texans’ debut, but a few bad passes, including one interception, suggest he’s still prone to mistakes against good defense.
MORE: Best waiver wire pickups for Week 2
- Cincinnati Bengals at Steelers. You know the Bengals will be hitting hard in this game, but that doesn’t always translate to a lot of fantasy points, especially against a high-powered offense like Pittsburgh’s. Cincinnati baited Ben Roethlisberger into four INTs and sacked him eight times in three games last year, so at least there’s a pattern of success.
14. Detroit Lions vs. Titans. Detroit’s defense looked great in the first half against Indianapolis last week, then got picked apart in the second half. The Titans don’t have the same type of firepower, and after Tennessee’s turnover-filled implosion against Minnesota last week, we think the Lions can give them problems in Detroit.
15. Oakland Raiders vs. Falcons. Oakland was a popular preseason sleeper for a reason – it has a lot of talent on defense. Week 1 was a terrible matchup for them (at New Orleans), so don’t give up on the Raiders just yet. Matt Ryan typically isn’t as good on the road, so look for Oakland to turn up the defensive pressure.
16. Minnesota Vikings vs. Packers. The Vikings entered the season as a top-eight fantasy defense and had a monster Week 1. We wouldn’t blame you for starting them in their home opener, but it’s tough to trust anyone against the Packers. It’s not about the points they could score; it’s about how few mistakes Aaron Rodgers makes.
17. Buffalo Bills vs. Jets.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars at Chargers.
19. Philadelphia Eagles at Bears.
20. Chicago Bears vs. Eagles.
21. Miami Dolphins at Patriots.
22. Washington Redskins vs. Cowboys.
23. Indianapolis Colts at Broncos.
- S an Diego Chargers vs. Jaguars.
25. Atlanta Falcons at Raiders.
26. Tennessee Titans at Lions.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cardinals.
28. Dallas Cowboys at Redskins.
29. San Francisco 49ers at Panthers.
30. New York Giants vs. Saints.
31. Cleveland Browns vs. Ravens.
32. New Orleans Saints at Giants.
title: “Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings Defense Special Teams” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “Ron Rodriguez”
MORE FANTASY RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K
FIVE STAR1. Seattle Seahawks @ Chargers2. Arizona Cardinals @ Giants
FOUR STAR3. New England Patriots @ Vikings. The Pats didn’t impress last week and the Vikings were surprisingly efficient against the Rams, but we’re expecting Bill Belichick’s defense to have something up its sleeve when it goes against former Patriot Matt Cassel. There’s a reason New England was highly ranked before the season, so stick with it.4. San Francisco 49ers vs. Bears5. St. Louis Rams @ Buccaneers. Josh McCown looked shaky against Carolina, and St. Louis can generate a similar pass rush. Expect a bounce back for the Rams.6. Denver Broncos vs. ChiefsTHREE STAR7. Carolina Panthers vs. Lions. This is a tough matchup for the Panthers, but we know Matthew Stafford is prone to mistakes against teams with good pass rushes. The Panthers got three sacks and forced three turnovers against Tampa last week, so they should be able to get some points against the Lions.8. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Falcons. Like the Panthers, Cincinnati has a tough matchup, but after generating three sacks and two turnovers against Baltimore, we think they can hang with the Falcons, especially since the game is in Cincinnati.9. Houston Texans @ Raiders. Even with no Jadeveon Clowney, Houston’s defense (read: J.J. Watt) can wreak havoc against the inexperienced Raiders.10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Rams. St. Louis looked completely out of sync against the Vikings, so despite Tampa’s lackluster performance against the Derek Anderson-led Panthers, we like them to force the Rams into some mistakes.11. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Ravens. Pittsburgh’s biggest weakness – run defense – happens to mesh with Baltimore’s biggest weakness – run offense. This could be a sloppy game after a short week, which favors the defenses.12. Miami Dolphins @ Bills. Miami was all over the field against the Pats, recording four sacks and causing two turnovers. Playing a more mobile quarterback in EJ Manuel could limit Miami’s upside, but it’s still a starting-caliber unit.13. Baltimore Ravens vs. SteelersTWO STAR14. Detroit Lions @ Panthers. The Lions looked good on Monday night, but they were aided by poor play from the Giants. The Panthers figure to be more efficient, but the Lions still have the pass rush and big-play ability to cause problems and help fantasy owners. 15. New Orleans Saints @ Browns. The Saints were killed in a tough matchup against the Falcons last week, but their big-play secondary should be much better this week in a more favorable matchup.16. Buffalo Bills vs. Dolphins17. Green Bay Packers vs. Jets. The Jets will be able to move the ball on the ground, but if the Packers get out to a lead and force New York to pass, they have big upside.18. Philadelphia Eagles @ ColtsONE STAR19. Indianapolis Colts vs. Eagles. Even though it recorded just one sack against Denver, Indianapolis showed a better-than-expected pass rush. With the Eagles coming off a mistake-filled Week 1, this matchup might be better than originally thought for the Colts.20. New York Giants vs. Cardinals. The Giants weren’t great on Monday, but they have some intangibles working for them this week, like getting the Cardinals after a cross-country trip on a short week.21. Tennessee Titans vs. Cowboys. The Cowboys are as turnover-prone as any team in the league, so even a mediocre fantasy defense like Tennessee is worth considering. 22. Chicago Bears @ 49ersZERO STAR23. Kansas City Chiefs @ Broncos24. New York Jets @ Packers25. Cleveland Browns vs. Saints26. San Diego Chargers vs. Seahawks27. Dallas Cowboys @ Titans28. Jacksonville Jaguars @ Redskins29. Minnesota Vikings vs. Patriots30. Washington Redskins vs. Jaguars31. Oakland Raiders vs. Texans32. Atlanta Falcons @ Bengals
