Streaming Defenses: Week 4 Options

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Published on September 28, 2021

This is about as good of a slate as we'll ever see for streaming defenses, with five of the top six in our Week 4 rankings available in half or more of Yahoo leagues as of Tuesday morning. The Bills, Bucs and Rams also get solid matchups, but for the most part it's unheralded defenses that are best positioned to cash in on poor QB play this week.

For injury/ranking updates throughout the week, follow me on Twitter (@JerryDonabedian).

Note: These recommendations are limited to team defenses that are rostered on less than 60 percent of teams on Yahoo or 45 percent on ESPN. Any references to fantasy points are based on Yahoo standard scoring, which doesn't include yards allowed.

Top Streaming Options for Week 4

1. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. JAX)

5% Yahoo, 7% ESPN

Team implied total: 26.5

Opponent implied total: 19.0

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 5: 27th (vs. GB), Week 6: 7th (at DET)

While matchups with Chicago and Pittsburgh certainly helped the past two weeks, Cincinnati also deserves credit for holding the Vikings to 24 points on 12 drives back in Week 1, the first of three consecutive games with three or more sacks. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence actually has the eighth-lowest sack rate (4.1 percent) in the league, but he's second-to-last in INT rate (5.9 percent) and has already lost a pair of fumbles.

Lawrence's incompetent play through three games explains how the Bengals — coming off five consecutive losing seasons —

For injury/ranking updates throughout the week, follow me on Twitter (@JerryDonabedian).

Top Streaming Options for Week 4

1. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. JAX)

5% Yahoo, 7% ESPN

Team implied total: 26.5

Opponent implied total: 19.0

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 5: 27th (vs. GB), Week 6: 7th (at DET)

Lawrence's incompetent play through three games explains how the Bengals — coming off five consecutive losing seasons — ended up as 7.5-point favorites for Thursday night. Their defense may or may not be "for real", but it's at least better than it was last year, led by offseason addition Trey Hendrickson with 2.5 sacks and six QB hits through three games.

2. New Orleans Saints (vs. NYG)

49% Yahoo, 68% ESPN

Team implied total: 25.5

Opponent implied total: 18.0

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 5: 13th (at WAS), Week 6: Bye

Daniel Jones has been a pleasant surprise, but with the rest of the Giants offense lagging behind and now potentially crippled by injuries, it may just be a matter of time before Jones starts coughing the ball up again (he's committed only one turnover this year). Speaking of pleasant surprises, the Saints lead the NFL in D/ST fantasy scoring (13.7 points) and are tied for the lead in interceptions (six), allowing 5.9 YPA and 2.9 YPC in the process. This would be a tough draw for Jones even if he had Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton healthy instead of dealing with hamstring injuries.

3. Tennessee Titans (at NYJ)

16% Yahoo, 12% ESPN

Team implied total: 26.75

Opponent implied total: 19.25

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 5: 6th (at JAX), Week 6: 27th (vs. BUF)

The Titans disappointed last week with only three fantasy points in a 25-16 win over the Colts, but there may still be a reward for those who picked up Tennessee, with the next two weeks bringing matchups against struggling rookie quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Trevor Lawrence. The Jets look especially hopeless, scoring 20 points in three games while yielding 47 fantasy points to opposing team defenses. Yikes.

4. Green Bay Packers (vs. PIT)

15% Yahoo, 17% ESPN

Team implied total: 26.0

Opponent implied total: 19.5

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 5: 12th (at CIN), Week 6: 4th (at CHI)

Pittsburgh's offense is an absolute mess, with Diontae Johnson (knee) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (ribs) both looking uncertain for Week 4, while QB Ben Roethlisberger presumably will continue to play (but not particularly well) through a pectoral injury. Even with OLB Za'Darius Smith (back) out for at least one more week, the Packers should take advantage of the friendly spot, favored by 6.5 at Lambeau. They also have solid matchups the next two weeks, though Week 5 at Cincinnati is more of a wait-and-see than a definite 'start'.

5. Chicago Bears (vs. DET)

26% Yahoo, 18% ESPN

Team implied total: 22.75

Opponent implied total: 19.75

Upcoming Ranks (Projected) — Week 5: 26th (at LV), Week 6: 26th (vs. GB)

The offense has done the defense no favors, but the Bears can at least say they've played alright on one side of the ball, which could be enough to get it done in a home game against the winless Lions. Ideally, you'd like to see Andy Dalton (knee) back in the lineup if you're streaming the Bears, as the team's offense somehow has reached a higher plane of incompetence in the brief time with Justin Fields (hands) under center. This is strictly a one-week streamer, as Chicago will face the Raiders and Packers in Weeks 5 and 6, respectively.