We're back, gang! Below are RotoBaller's Week 2 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream, start and target at the end of your 2016 drafts for Week 2 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 2.

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 2 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 1 pickup or add. Good luck in Week 2 RotoBallers!

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests for Week 2. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

 

Week 2 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Tier 1 Defenses

1. Carolina Panthers
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Denver Broncos
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Philadelphia Eagles

I don't need to go into too much detail here--the Panthers defense gets a crack at the surprisingly not awful 49ers offense in Week 2. They were able to force three turnovers in Week 1 along with two sacks, and they should shred Blaine Gabbert, Carlos Hyde and the rest of the 'Niners. Gabbert still didn't look good despite the 28 points they put up, which means the Panthers will likely stack the box against Hyde.

The Seahawks looked shaky on offense in Week 1, but the defense still showed out against the Dolphins. They got to Ryan Tannehill five times and only allowed 10 total points, and I'm confident that the Rams offense won't be able to get anything going. Todd Gurley is the only true factor in the offense, and Pete Carroll knows it--if they got shut out by the 49ers defense, the Seahawks should make this a bloodbath.

The Broncos got plenty of penetration against the Panthers on Thursday night, and they'll destroy the less-impressive Colts offensive line. There is a tiny bit of risk given that the Colts offense looked pretty great, but Andrew Luck can only connect with Donte Moncrief and T.Y. Hilton if he's not on his back.

The Bills couldn't get anything going against the Ravens, and that was only partly because of a total dud in the passing game. The Ravens front seven looked outstanding and contained Tyrod Taylor all afternoon while providing plenty of pressure. They get Josh McCown and the Browns in Week 2, and they'll be able to add to the sack total while forcing at least a couple of turnovers.

Jay Cutler was sacked five times against the Texans in Week 1, and now the Eagles get a shot at him. Philadelphia looked great against the still-terrible Browns offense, and while Alshon Jeffrey is a legitimate threat, he's the only explosive player the Bears have.

 

Tier 2 Defenses

6. New York Jets
7. Kansas City Chiefs
8. Arizona Cardinals
9. Houston Texans

The Jets decimated the Bengals offensive line to the tune of seven sacks in Week 1. The Bills present even less of a challenge, particularly if Sammy Watkins is limited by resurgent foot pain. Thursday night games are usually schlockfests, and this one is shaping up to be more of the same.

The Cardinals have a top-of-the-line secondary, and with Chandler Jones now disrupting offenses up front, they should finish the year in the top five again. However, in Week 2 they're tasked with stopping a very competent Jameis Winston-led Tampa Bay offense. I like this D/ST as a must-start, but my expectations are tempered.

 

Tier 3 Defenses

10. New England Patriots
11. Los Angeles Rams
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Dolphins offense line looked somewhat better than it was last year, but that's not a high bar. The Patriots are still without Rob Ninkovich, but they've got enough weapons to shut down Ryan Tannehill and Jarvis Landry. Arian Foster has a similar skill set to David Johnson though, and he got the best of the Pats in Week 1--that factor keeps them out of the top D/ST tiers.

The Steelers defense did a good job shutting down the Redskins offense on Monday night, and now they have a matchup against the Bengals, who allowed seven sacks to the Jets in Week 1. Ryan Shazier is healthy and looks like an impact player, and if the secondary can keep A.J. Green from erupting the Steelers should put up a decent game.

 

Tier 4 Defenses

14. Washington Redskins
15. Buffalo Bills
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Minnesota Vikings

Alright, so the Raiders defense didn't too groovy against the Saints last week. I'm chalking that up to Drew Brees being on another level. In Week 2 they get the Falcons, and this one smells like a whole bunch of Khalil Mack making Matt Ryan's life miserable.

Minnesota was the pleasant defensive surprise in Week 1, as they sprang a pick-six and a fumble recovery TD off Marcus Mariota. They won't be so lucky in their matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 2 but I still think there is some upside here if they can get through the Green Bay line.

 

Tier 5 Defenses

18. Detroit Lions
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
20. Cincinnati Bengals

The Lions, like the Raiders, got torn up by a hot offense in Week 1. The Titans are NOT a hot offense. I like them as a deep league streamer against a young Titans offense that is still getting things together. If they can keep DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry in check, you won't be disappointed with starting this D/ST.

The Jags defense is much-improved on paper, but they had a tough draw in Week 1 against the Packers. The Keenan Allen-less Chargers are not so intimidating. Philip Rivers looked sub-par as soon as Allen went down, and the Jags should merit streaming in deep leagues.

 

Tier 6 Defenses

21. San Diego Chargers
22. Chicago Bears
23. Cleveland Browns
24. Indianapolis Colts

 

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