Week 4 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2018 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

September 29, 2018

Leonard Francis II breaks down all 2018 fantasy football Week 4 defenses (DEF) -- draft targets, streamers, sits/starts, and D/ST waiver wire pickups to add. His Week 4 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL defenses.

If you've read any of the prior iterations of Defense Streamers and Starts, first of all, thank you. Secondly, you might've noticed "by Leonard Francis II" and thought, "Who the hell is Leonard Francis II? And, more importantly, where's Bill?!" Well, Bill is out this week, so I'm stepping in to lead you to the Promised Land, Baker Mayfield style. (I was gonna go T.J. Yeldon there, given the whole Leonard Fournette being out, my name being Leonard thing. But, Bill's name isn't Leonard, so it'd be an inverse relationship that technically doesn't make any sense. There's also the part about Yeldon not being particularly baller-ish in Fournette's absence, so yeah, Baker it is.)

If you haven't read any of the prior iterations (shameful), what you'll find below are RotoBaller's Week 4 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream, start and target off the waiver wire for Week 4 of the NFL and fantasy football season.

Our weekly tiered defense rankings are a guide to making waiver wire pickups 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've broken down 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!

Week 4 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

New for this year: Confidence Rating - since every league's DST scoring is different, projections don't make a ton of sense. The confidence rating is a guideline for how much more I like one team over another instead of a straight point projection. A zero means "do not start", then the confidence rises from there. Initial rankings do not factor in Monday Night Football stats. Ranks may be re-evaluated after that game.

Teams on bye: Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins

Tier 1 Defenses

Remember that matching game we played as kids? I believe the name of the game was "Memory" - clearly it didn't work. Anyway, there would be various cards laid face down, and you'd flip over two cards per turn with the objective being to find two cards which shared a matching image on the opposite side. Since the cards were spread at random, "memory" would come into play as you'd have to remember where a particular image was should you stumble across it on a later turn. That's a terrible description of the game, but you know what I'm talking about, and in terms of fantasy football it'd look something like this...

Sam Darnold has been sacked seven times through three weeks (tied for the 11th most). The Jaguars have seven sacks on the season (tied for 17th). The Jaguars have allowed the 4th fewest yards through their first three games (859). The Jets offense has produced the 12th fewest yards through their first three games (979). New York has allowed opposing DSTs an average of 10.3 fantasy points per game. Jacksonville's DST has averaged 8.3. And, the kicker (although not a match), Darnold's five interceptions are tied for the league's most and this game's opening point total (38) is the second lowest of Week 4.

Disclaimer: I'm well aware that the Seattle Seahawks are a different football team on the road. I'm also aware that the Cardinals' 14 points Sunday marked a season-high, and they've now turned the corner. Except no one truly believes that last statement, right?! No team has allowed more fantasy points to the opposing DST than the 12.7 per game surrendered by the Cardinals, and at eight fantasy points per game, the Seahawks DST is quietly knocking on the door of the Top 10.

PS - This game has the lowest opening point total of Week 4 (37).

Tier 2 Defenses

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the worst offenses my eyes have ever been subjected to, and outside of Ezekiel Elliott, this group is devoid of any real offensive threats at this point. Now yes, one could argue that the Lions have allowed opposing running backs to pick up 6.34 yards per carry (more than any other team in the league by nearly a full yard). However, one could also argue that Zeke is tied for the league's lead with 274 rushing yards, and the Cowboys have still allowed opposing DSTs to average 9.7 fantasy points per game against them. That said, unless Zeke rushes for 500 yards and five TDs, there's really no reason to be scared of starting the Lions here on the road. Oh, and Detroit's 10 sacks are tied for the third most through three weeks. Dak Prescott has been sacked at least five times in two of Dallas' first three games - the outlier came Week 2 versus the Giants and they have just four sacks on the season (tied for the second fewest).

Tier 3 Defenses

Week 1 is a distant memory after watching Ryan Tannehill and Baker Mayfield combine to complete 74% of their passes against this Jets defense over their last two games. However, we just saw Jacksonville put up a whopping six points at home against Tennessee, and as long as Leonard Fournette is out, so too am I on the Jags offense. "But, they dropped 31 on the Pats..." - sometimes motivation is mostly driven from revenge.

While we're in the AFC East, yeah, yeah, Josh Allen had a coming out party in Minneapolis Sunday. Don't expect an encore at Lambeau.

Flipping coasts, what in the Jordy Nelson is going on?! Raise your hand if you expect a repeat performance, though... I can't see you, but exactly. The Browns are just one of four DSTs averaging double-digit fantasy points per game, and at 10.3 per, they're currently sitting fourth despite facing two of the league's top offenses in Pittsburgh and New Orleans. The Raiders have not been one of the league's top offenses, and Derek Carr has been picked off at least twice in two of his first three games this season. Cleveland has been one of the most opportunistic defenses thus far (intercepting five passes - tied for second most).

About 400 miles southeast, the Rams faced their stiffest test of the young season Sunday, and passed - limiting Philip Rivers and co. to just 23 points. However, the test came at a cost as the team saw cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib both go down with injuries, as well as outside linebacker Dominique Easley. Considering the Rams draw Minnesota on a short week (Thursday Night Football), there's a good chance we don't see any of them in action. Still, the Rams have more than enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to put up solid numbers here - even in a bounce-back spot for the Vikings. (*Ranking changed due to injury updates)

Tier 4 Defenses

The Chargers have once again failed to live up to preseason expectations -- largely due to injury -- and while C.J. Beathard wasn't completely terrible last season, there's a reason the 49ers gave Jimmy Garoppolo that $137.5 million deal.

The Cowboys defense takes a slight knock here with Sean Lee's hamstring injury, but they've been one of the biggest surprises thus far and if their offense can do anything to keep them off the field, they should be a decent play here. It's no secret that the Lions offense relies heavily on the golden arm of Matthew Stafford -- hence the nearly five-year streak without a 100-yard rusher (shouts to Kerryon Johnson). But Dallas has allowed the fourth fewest passing yards per game, and gets after the opposing QB with the best of them (second-most sacks, 11, through three games).

As a Giants fan, I'm not sold on this offense despite the Week 3 turnaround. The Saints D hasn't been good, no - but they've also faced Tampa Bay and Atlanta. I expect more of the Week 2 Saints (five fantasy points versus Cleveland) than I do the Week 1 and 3 Saints, making them an interesting sleeper play.

PS - Bump the Dolphins down about three slots if Josh Gordon plays for the Patriots.

Tier 5 Defenses

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