Fantasy Defense rankings Week 4: Who to start, sit at D/ST in fantasy football

It sounds crazy, but the NFL regular season will almost be a quarter of the way complete after this week. The first few weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement, and fantasy football owners have enjoyed an abundance of offense. However, anyone who played against the Eagles’ defense last week can tell you that D/ST shouldn’t be overlooked. We always stay on top of the position, and our Week 4 fantasy defense rankings are here to help you spot matchup-based sleepers, waiver-wire streamers, and potential busts.

The studs are always the easiest to list. The Cowboys (vs. Commanders) remain elite, and it’s possible they are better than ever with 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons looking more like the DPOY now. The 49ers (vs. Rams) enjoyed another standout performance against Russell Wilson, and Nick Bosa and company could wreak havoc on the Rams’ inferior O-line. Indianapolis (vs. Titans) should finally welcome Shaq Leonard (back) back after an impressive victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and the aforementioned Eagles (vs. Jaguars) have stifled Minnesota’s and Washington’s strong pass offenses the past two weeks and will look to carry the momentum into a tougher-than-expected matchup against the Jags.

Among the big risers, the Dolphins (@ Bengals) continue to impress week-to-week. They’re coming off a massive win over AFC East foe Buffalo, limiting the high-powered Bills to 19 points. They’ll eat up Cincinnati’s Swiss-cheese O-line. Also exceeding early expectations, the Packers (vs. Patriots) have looked great defensively, but they could be without cornerback Jaire Alexander (groin) in Week 4. Perhaps offsetting that, New England could be without QB Mac Jones (left ankle), and Brian Hoyer at Lambeau has “pick-six” written all over it. 

WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kicker

AFC North defensive behemoths Pittsburgh (vs. Jets) and Cleveland (@ Falcons) both have plus-matchups, so fire them up for their respective interception and sack upsides. Pittsburgh has disappointed, but a rusty Zach Wilson (knee) could be just what it needs to get back on track. You’ll probably want to fade divisional-foe Cincinnati (vs. Dolphins) because Tua Tagovailoa and the dynamic receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle look untouchable right now. The same goes for Baltimore (vs. Bills), who demonstrated moments of brilliance against New England but face a drastically-different offense in Baltimore this coming week. Josh Allen coming off a loss sounds terrifying. 

WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kicker

Let’s talk sleepers and streamers. The Vikings (vs. Saints) have been much better defensively than in 2021, with Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith leading the pass rush, and they might get safety Harrison Smith (concussion) back in time for Jameis Winston, his fractured back, and the banged-up Saints offense across the pond. The Browns (@ Falcons) should have a high floor against a turnover-plagued Falcons’ squad, and the Bears (@ Giants) re-enter our top-12 with a plus-matchup against the sack-prone, turnover-prone Daniel Jones. We don’t mind the Giants at home versus the Bears either. The Commanders (@ Cowboys) could be a decent deep-league stream, too, if you need a D/ST because your starter has a bad matchup. 

Among those bad matchups, consider fading the Bills (@ Ravens) with Lamar Jackson playing MVP-caliber football right now. We also don’t love the Rams (@ 49ers) in shallow leagues, as San Francisco looks a little sharper behind Jimmy G. The Buccaneers (vs. Chiefs) will face a difficult test going up against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid coming off a loss, so they’re also on the shallow-league bubble. We’re not even in love with the Saints (vs. Vikings), who might have trouble containing Justin Jefferson. If you give up chunk-plays to Laviska Shenault — and lose to the Panthers — one of the best wideouts in football could go off on you. The long trip to London and Dalvin Cook’s shoulder injury could help New Orleans, though.

Again, we’ll continue to learn more about this position going forward, but in the meantime, continue to target shaky QBs and offensive lines. Don’t be afraid to take some chances in deeper leagues either. For instance, the Titans (@ Colts) could force an over-the-hill Matt Ryan into mistakes, while the Jets (@ Steelers) could expose Mitchell Trubisky behind a shaky offensive line. Bad defenses can always make one big play, and “bad” matchups can just as easily yield points to talented D/STs.

Good luck in Week 4, and come back throughout the week for the latest updates and player movement.

Week 4 fantasy defense rankings