DFS Army’s Gthom goes over the defenses to stream this week. The defenses to stream listed below are normally found in at least 40-percent of leagues (prior to waivers).
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Oct 9, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) leads teammates out of the tunnel onto the field prior to their game against the Tennessee Titans at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Commanders D/ST @ Arizona Cardinals
Available in 91% of Sleeper Leagues
Finishing as a top-12 defense in 2022, the Commanders roll into Week 1 with a lock-and-load play. Taking a snapshot of Washington’s second half in 2022, they finished as the sixth-best D/ST where they accumulated an average of 9.1 FPPG.
The Cardinals finished last season with a 4-13 record and 2023 does not drum-up much hope. Arizona will be starting backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who currently ranks as the 32nd fantasy ranked quarterback heading into Week 1 according to Fantasy Pro’s Expert Consensus Rankings.
You don’t need much from the Commanders as a fantasy manager. The Cardinals have the lowest team implied total according to odds makers. Plus, the Commanders are projected to win by seven points, which is substantial because Washington is not expected to be great this season.
Denver Broncos D/ST vs Las Vegas Raiders
Available in 40% of Sleeper Leagues
According to consensus rankings, the Broncos head into Week 1 as the sixth-best option. Without takeaways and sacks it would be hard to achieve this ranking but you should have confidence of a quality performance.
We are seeing the Raiders as four-point underdogs with a team implied total of 20 points according to odds makers. With former quarterback, Derek Carr, being a member of the New Orleans Saints, Jimmy Garoppolo will be making the start as the Raiders’ quarterback – a step down from Carr’s ability under center.
In real-world football terms this Broncos’ defense was surprisingly good last season; for fantasy, they finished 28th on the year. A lot of that landed on the shoulders of their offense because they could not sustain drives and keep their defense rested during games. With a new head coach, the Broncos should see positive regression both with offense and defense.
Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST @ Indianapolis Colts
Available in 98% of Sleeper Leagues
Sometimes fantasy football can be difficult and other times there are golden rules to follow. One of which is starting defenses against rookie quarterbacks, especially in their debut.
With running back Jonathan Taylor on the shelf for the first four weeks this offense will flow through the quarterback, Anthony Richardson. Expect him to use his legs but do not be surprised if he struggles.
Jacksonville is no slouch at the D/ST position. In 2022 they finished the season as the sixth-best D/ST in the NFL with 8.2-FPPG. Over the final four weeks they were the top D/ST averaging 14.5-FPPG. On average last season they finished +1.4 fantasy points better than their projection and outperformed their projection in 9-of-16 games.
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