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Below are RotoBaller's Week 4 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream and start for Week 4 of the NFL and fantasy football season. Our tiered defense rankings are your guide to drafting defenses, making waiver wire pickups/adds to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 4.
Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker, so we have broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup. Some of these Week 4 defenses have good matchups and are not widely owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league's waiver wire for a Week 4 pickup or add. Good luck in Week 4 RotoBallers!
Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 4 waiver wire analysis columns, with in-depth analysis for all fantasy-relevant positions.
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Week 4 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings
Tier 1 Defenses (The "Duh" DSTs)
1. Seattle Seahawks (vs. IND)
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (@ NYJ)
This was one of the harder DST articles I've ever had to write--there are very few matchups I truly am excited about this week. The two here are the only ones I felt comfortable putting the "duh" denomination on, and for good reason. The Colts offense was carried by Jacoby Brissett in Week 3, but I don't see him leading the team INTO Seattle and doing it again. That offensive line is still Swiss cheese and the Seahawks defense got embarrassed by the Titans in Week 3--they ANGRY. Jaguars have at least one interception in every game this season, and they get the Jets. Pretty much a slam-dunk start.
Tier 2 Defenses (Rock-Solid Starts)
3. Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (@ BAL)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYG)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (@ CLE)
7. Arizona Cardinals (vs. SF)
8. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. WAS)
9. Atlanta Falcons (vs. BUF)
I'm interested to see how the Ravens respond to the whooping the Jaguars (wait, THOSE Jaguars?) put on them in London. They get a home matchup against the Steelers, and while the Pittsburgh offense hasn't truly erupted yet this year I still expect the Ravens to be playing from behind. Joe Flacco will be throwing early and often, and while I don't expect the pathetic showing from last week he will be playing desperate. With desperation come mistakes, and the Steelers have at least two sacks in every game so far. They're going to get their points.
So the 49ers...actually good? I'm not sure yet, but they looked pretty good against a capable Los Angeles Rams defense on Thursday night. Carlos Hyde is an animal, and if he gets even a modicum of coverage from the offensive line he can gash literally any defense. I still trust the Cardinals to get the job done, as I don't buy the "Brian Hoyer can actually ball" argument just yet.
The Falcons DST has had an interesting season--they barely snuck by a shoddy Bears offense in Week 1, but then put up perfectly respectable performances against two above-average offenses in the Packers and Lions. Now they get a Bills team that's...well, I'm not sure what the Bills offense is. They looked positively putrid in Week 2 against the Panthers, but then Tyrod Taylor and company shocked the league by hanging 26 points on the Broncos. I still think that in a home matchup they're worth starting against the Bills, and their pass rush should be able to get to Tyrod a few times. A potential LeSean McCoy break-out tempers my expectations here though.
Tier 3 Defenses (Decent Streamers)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (@ LAC)
11. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. PHI)
12. Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAR)
13. Tennessee Titans (@ HOU)
14. Denver Broncos (vs. OAK)
So is this Texans offense the real deal? I'll leave that for the pundits to debate, but it's impossible to ignore how much better they look with DeShaun Watson under center. The rookie carved up the shoddy Patriots defense for 301 yards and two touchdowns, and added 41 yards on the ground on eight carries. Lamar Miller still hasn't been able to get anything going. The Titans also got reamed by the Seahawks in Week 3, so I'm not super-excited about this matchup. Still, as a rookie Watson is prone to mistakes (two INTs against the Patriots) so there is potential here for a decent DST day.
As mentioned above, the Broncos looked downright mortal against the Bills of all teams in Week 3. They now get a visit from Derek Carr and the Raiders, who are coming off a terrible Sunday night performance against the Redskins, who boast an average defense at best. The Broncos still merit starting given that they managed to get to Tyrod Taylor four times despite him standing behind one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, and though the Raiders O-line is even better I have faith in Von Miller and company. Don't expect fireworks, but you aren't going to want to ditch the Broncos just yet.
Tier 4 Defenses (Deep Streamers)
15. Detroit Lions (@ MIN)
16. Minnesota Vikings (vs. DET)
17. New York Giants (@ TB)
18. New England Patriots (vs. CAR)
19. Washington Redskins (@ KC)
20. Baltimore Ravens (vs. PIT)
So this is make-or-break week for the Patriots. I was wrong on them last week, and this is their last chance with me. Cam Newton is currently a shell of his former self, and outside of Christian McCaffrey there aren't many bright spots in the Panthers offense, especially with Kelvin Benjamin likely out for multiple weeks. The Panthers have allowed 10 sacks already, and some of that has to do with Newton playing at what I believe is well less than 100%. If the Pats DST can't come away with points in this one, they're #DeadToMe.
So Kansas City--still very scary. Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill are dynamic as hell, and nobody has been able to slow them down yet. However, the Redskins DST has actually been one of the better options through three weeks. They've got eight sacks and are fourth in the NFL with seven takeaways, and Kansas City has actually allowed the third-most sacks in the NFL so far (12). As long as they don't give up any huge plays to Hunt or Hill, the Redskins will carry some streaming appeal.
Tier 5 Defenses (Desperation Plays)
21. Cleveland Browns (vs. CIN)
22. Houston Texans (vs. TEN)
23. Los Angeles Rams (@ DAL)
24. Carolina Panthers (@ NE)
25. Buffalo Bills (@ ATL)
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis
Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
