You're probably staring at your roster right now, wondering if you should really bench that "elite" defense you drafted in the eighth round. Honestly? You probably should. Fantasy football is a game of short memories and cold-blooded math. If you're still clinging to name value in late September, you're basically handing points to your opponent. Week 4 is that sweet spot where the "small sample size" excuses start to evaporate, and we actually know who the real offensive liabilities are.
People get obsessed with "good defenses." That is a mistake. In fantasy, we don't care about a defense that holds a team to 10 points but records zero sacks or turnovers. We want the chaos. We want the backup quarterback who holds the ball too long. We want the rookie tackle who's a turnstile for an All-Pro edge rusher.
The week 4 fantasy football defense rankings look a bit upside down this year because some of the "best" units in the league are walking into buzzsaws. Meanwhile, the units you'd usually ignore are facing offenses that are effectively broken.
The Top Tier: No-Brainer Starts
There are a few teams this week that you simply don't overthink. If you have them, you play them. If they're somehow on your waiver wire—maybe because a frustrated manager dropped them after a bad Week 3—you spend the FAAB.
1. Buffalo Bills (vs. New Orleans Saints)
The Bills are the consensus number one for a reason. They're playing at home in Orchard Park, and they're facing Spencer Rattler. Rattler had a decent Week 2, sure, but he looked completely "rattled" (pun intended) in his first road start against Seattle. The Bills' defense, led by Matt Milano, thrives on making life miserable for young quarterbacks who haven't seen their exotic blitz packages. Vegas has the Saints' implied point total at 16, which is basically the basement for this week.
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2. Denver Broncos (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)
This isn't your older brother's Bengals team. With Joe Burrow sidelined, Jake Browning is the man under center, and it hasn't been pretty. Last week, the Vikings defense ate Browning alive for 30 fantasy points. Now, he has to deal with a Denver unit that leads the league in sack rate and pressure rate. The Broncos are a top-five real-life defense that actually produces fantasy points. Don't let the "Bengals" name on the jersey scare you off.
3. Houston Texans (vs. Tennessee Titans)
Cam Ward is going to be a star in this league one day, but right now? He's a sack magnet. The Titans' offensive line has allowed a league-high 40 pressures and 15 sacks through three games. Houston has a front seven that can capitalize on that immediately. Every single defense that has faced Tennessee this year has put up at least 8 fantasy points. This is a floor play with a sky-high ceiling.
Streaming Gems: The Week 4 Cheat Code
Streaming defenses is the only way to live. Why would you hold onto a defense through a matchup against the Chiefs when you can just pick up whoever is playing the Panthers or the Giants?
The Los Angeles Chargers are only rostered in about half of leagues, which is wild. They're playing the Giants. Jaxson Dart is getting the start, and while he’s an exciting rookie, the Giants' offensive line is still a disaster. Russell Wilson was sacked seven times before they benched him. Dart might be more mobile, but he’s still going to be running for his life.
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Then you've got the New England Patriots. They aren't "special," but they're playing the Carolina Panthers. Bryce Young is struggling to see over a line that just lost two starting guards to IR. The Patriots are well-coached and disciplined. They won't give up big plays, and they’ll wait for Young to make the inevitable mistake. It’s a boring play, but boring wins championships.
Why the "Elite" Units Might Kill You
You're going to see the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs ranked low this week. It feels wrong, doesn't it? These are two of the best teams in football. But they're playing each other.
Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are the two hardest quarterbacks to sack in the NFL. They don't turn the ball over often, and they both put up 20+ points in their sleep. Starting a defense against either of them is essentially hoping for a fluke special teams touchdown. You're better off starting the Jacksonville Jaguars (only 4% rostered!) against a banged-up 49ers squad than playing the Ravens defense against Mahomes.
Avoiding the Trap: Don't Touch These
Some matchups look good on paper but are actually landmines.
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- Los Angeles Rams (vs. Colts): The Colts with Daniel Jones are... actually good? I know, it sounds like a fever dream. But they haven't turned the ball over once and they’ve allowed the fewest sacks in the league. The Rams' defense is a "stay away" this week.
- Cleveland Browns (@ Lions): Cleveland has an incredible defense in real life, but the Lions in Detroit are a different beast. Jared Goff is a statue, but he’s a statue behind the best offensive line in football. The Browns won't get enough sacks to offset the points they’re going to give up.
- Green Bay Packers (@ Cowboys): This is being billed as the Micah Parsons revenge game after his trade this summer. Emotional? Yes. Good for fantasy? Maybe not. Dak Prescott is still Dak, and even without CeeDee Lamb (high ankle sprain), the Cowboys' offense is too potent to bet against in a home game.
Actionable Strategy for Week 4
If you're looking at your waiver wire, prioritize the Chargers or Patriots first. If those are gone, look at the Chicago Bears. They just dismantled the Cowboys and now get a Raiders team that allows the 8th most points to opposing D/STs. The Raiders are currently giving up sacks on nearly 10% of their dropbacks.
Check your league's scoring settings, too. If you get points for 3-and-outs or fourth-down stops, the Vikings (playing Pittsburgh in Dublin) become a massive value. That game is likely going to be a low-scoring slog with plenty of punts.
Look at the Vegas totals on Saturday night. If a line moves significantly toward a lower total, trust the sharps. They usually know when an offense is about to stall out before the fantasy "experts" do. Grab your streamer now before the Sunday morning rush.