Welcome to Week 3! Last week saw an offensive onslaught as only two games on Sunday went for the under from the o/u line, which was not great news for most DSTs playing that day. The Cowboys couldn’t stop a nose bleed and, as a result, got cooked by Russ on his way to becoming your current league-leader in passing yards through two weeks. The 49ers got through their second road game in a row with an adequate fantasy score that served to just get us by this week. Which brings us to the team that did hit for us this week, with the Rams handling business in Tennessee, allowing us to hit for the trifecta of a miss, push, and hit. Now that things are starting to settle in for the season, we can hone in on better games as we find out which teams stand out (or fall below) the rest. This week, we’re focusing on the opponents of teams with shaky quarterback situations as we look at defenses that are rostered in around 50 percent of leagues or fewer leagues.
Please note that there’s a decent chance that better teams above this 50 percent threshold are available in your league, but we can’t assume they’re available to everyone. We have to draw the proverbial line somewhere, so stay active and monitor the league home page; someone might drop a desirable defense after waivers clear.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Opponent: vs. New York Jets
ESPN % Rostered: 15%
Yahoo % Rostered: 7%
Tampa Bay will have their first home game of the year against the Jets, who open this week of practice with Justin Fields in concussion protocol. We won’t have an idea of whether or not he will be cleared, most likely until the end of the week, so keep an eye on the practice reports leading up to this one. If Fields cannot go, it will be a start for Tyrod Taylor. The Buccaneers are coming off their road victory in Houston last night, where they allowed under 20 points with three sacks, while the Jets are coming off their loss in a game where they gave up four sacks and a fumble to their division opponents. Tampa Bay has the third-lowest air yards per completion in the league, now going up against New York, which has the fourth-fewest passing yards so far.
Indianapolis Colts
Opponent: @ Tennessee Titans
ESPN % Rostered: 37%
Yahoo % Rostered: 8%
The Colts are the darling team of the AFC South and one of the only four teams in the AFC that are still undefeated on the season. They will now hit the road to face Cam Ward and their division rival in Tennessee. Indianapolis opened up the season with a victory in which they generated three turnovers and three sacks. The Titans, meanwhile, have surrendered 21 points to opposing fantasy defenses in two games, now giving up three turnovers and allowing Ward to be the most sacked quarterback in the league with 11 tallied so far through two weeks. Tennessee sits at the bottom of the league in total offensive yards, and unfortunately for them, it’s not close to the next team up either.
Washington Commanders
Opponent: vs. Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN % Rostered: 12%
Yahoo % Rostered: 18%
Fresh off his late-night performance of three interceptions, Geno Smith now gets to travel across the country for the early game on Sunday to face the Commanders. The Raiders have given up seven sacks on the season now, to go along with their four turnovers. Washington has back-to-back multi-sack games to start the season off. The Commanders also have the fourth-highest quarterback knockdown rating in the league and will be bringing a pressure rating higher than the previous two opponents of Las Vegas. The Raiders have the second-fewest rushing yards generated in the league this season and now face a Commanders defense that is top 10 in rushing yards allowed per play.
After the Cut
Jacksonville Jaguars (E:2% Y!:1%) – Did you have the Jaguars as a top 5 DST through two weeks on your bingo card? Now they face the Texans, who put the “offensive” in offensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals (E:2% Y!:7%) – The Bengals now hit the road to face the top offense in fantasy points allowed to opposing DSTs, with the bonus that the Vikings will also be starting Carson Wentz under center for this one as well.
Green Bay Packers (E:45% Y!:54%) – This stout defense is available in half of all leagues out there and now faces the Browns and their four turnovers on the season.
Seattle Seahawks (E:69% Y!:25%) – Seattle continues to sit atop the league with the number one QB Pressure Rating after last week and will now host Spencer Rattler and the Saints. They’re a top add if they’re available in your league.
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Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire