Who wants to talk about quarterbacks and running backs when you can talk about defenses and special teams (D/ST) units! If you’re like me, you probably are changing your team defense on a weekly basis, looking for the optimal matchup to exploit. Well, that’s exactly what I am hoping to accomplish today. Today, let us take a look at Week 4 D/ST rankings!
I’ll go through my process of evaluating defenses, before getting into the specifics for the week! Who is going to be the 30-point defense this week? Let us find out!
First, we need to analyze how effective each D/ST unit has been for fantasy purposes this year. However, this doesn’t come from looking at previous fantasy points. See, turnovers (interceptions and fumbles) can be rather unstable on a week-to-week basis, making them difficult to rely on. Thus, to identify who the top defenses have been, we need to take that out of the equation.
This leads me to my new implied points statistic for D/ST units. Based on the amount of points they have allowed and the sacks they’ve totaled up, we can see how many points a D/ST unit SHOULD be averaging per week:
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More Week 4 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex
| Defense | Difference | Implied Points | Fantasy PPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAR | -3.073 | 12.773 | 9.7 |
| DEN | 0.936 | 11.064 | 12.0 |
| BUF | 0.698 | 9.602 | 10.3 |
| CIN | -1.851 | 9.551 | 7.7 |
| NE | -0.501 | 9.501 | 9.0 |
| CLE | -1.745 | 9.045 | 7.3 |
| NO | 3.553 | 8.747 | 12.3 |
| ARI | 3.858 | 8.442 | 12.3 |
| LAR | -2.092 | 8.392 | 6.3 |
| PHI | -1.187 | 7.487 | 6.3 |
| CHI | 2.021 | 6.979 | 9.0 |
| LV | -1.380 | 6.680 | 5.3 |
| LAC | -0.881 | 6.581 | 5.7 |
| MIN | 0.173 | 6.527 | 6.7 |
| PIT | -0.676 | 5.976 | 5.3 |
| DAL | 3.073 | 5.927 | 9.0 |
| NYJ | -2.225 | 5.925 | 3.7 |
| SF | -0.222 | 5.522 | 5.3 |
| NYG | -1.522 | 5.522 | 4.0 |
| SEA | -2.070 | 5.370 | 3.3 |
| HOU | -0.320 | 5.320 | 5.0 |
| TEN | -3.166 | 4.866 | 1.7 |
| ATL | -2.715 | 4.715 | 2.0 |
| DET | -2.414 | 4.714 | 2.3 |
| BAL | -1.366 | 4.666 | 3.3 |
| IND | 3.435 | 4.565 | 8.0 |
| MIA | 1.735 | 4.565 | 6.3 |
| GB | -1.263 | 4.263 | 3.0 |
| JAX | 0.991 | 3.709 | 4.7 |
| WAS | -2.407 | 3.707 | 1.3 |
| TB | 3.945 | 3.055 | 7.0 |
| KC | 1.299 | 2.701 | 4.0 |
Now, we’re still early into the season, but as more games are played, this will become more meaningful. The Panthers have gotten off to a great start taking advantage of poor offenses, while the Bengals have performed extremely well this year. It will be interesting to see how these two defenses fare against tougher opponents down the stretch.
Next, it is time to dissect some other key factors. These defenses are projected by the betting markets to allow the fewest amount of points this week:
FEWEST PROJECTED POINTS
- Bills
- Saints
- Packers
- Titans
- Bears
- Bengals
- Dolphins
- Bucs
Meanwhile, these defenses will face opposing quarterbacks with the highest pressure rate:
HIGHEST OPPOSING QB PRESSURE RATE
- Dolphins
- Titans
- Giants
- Colts
- Texans
- Ravens
- 49ers
- Broncos
Lastly, these defenses will face opposing quarterbacks with the highest turnover-worthy play rate:
HIGHEST OPPOSING QB TURNOVER-WORTHY PLAY RATE
- Bengals
- Bills
- Broncos
- Giants
- Seahawks
- Titans
- Jaguars
- Packers
Week 4 D/ST Rankings
Hopefully, this helps illustrate my process when it comes to my Week 4 D/ST rankings. Speaking of which, here they are!
| Rnk | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUF | HOU |
| 2 | NO | NYG |
| 3 | TEN | NYJ |
| 4 | CIN | JAX |
| 5 | MIA | IND |
| 6 | IND | MIA |
| 7 | TB | NE |
| 8 | NYG | NO |
| 9 | WSH | ATL |
| 10 | CHI | DET |
| 11 | GB | PIT |
| 12 | BAL | DEN |
| 13 | DEN | BAL |
| 14 | ATL | WSH |
| 15 | KC | PHI |
| 16 | DET | CHI |
| 17 | CLE | MIN |
| 18 | DAL | CAR |
| 19 | LAC | LV |
| 20 | LV | LAC |
| 21 | LAR | ARI |
| 22 | CAR | DAL |
| 23 | PIT | GB |
| 24 | JAX | CIN |
| 25 | MIN | CLE |
| 26 | NYJ | TEN |
| 27 | SEA | SF |
| 28 | SF | SEA |
| 29 | NE | TB |
| 30 | ARI | LAR |
| 31 | HOU | BUF |
| 32 | PHI | KC |
More fantasy football fun for Week 4: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Targets | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | QB Streamers | D/ST Streamers |
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