Selecting a defense is never the most glamorous part of fantasy football. It often goes overlooked for the more fun positions that people want to watch and root for during the game. The good news is that if our opponents aren’t putting too much thought into their defense, we can gain an advantage with some research. So let’s dig in and try to identify some defenses that could be in a good position to score fantasy points this week.
There are some defenses in really nice spots in Week 11, so let's look at three from different salary tiers.
Cleveland Browns
FanDuel Salary: $5,000
The Cleveland D/ST has been feast or famine this season. They hit a high point of 18 FanDuel points in Week 9, and then hit a low point in Week 10 with -2 points. This isn't great for fantasy managers, but signs point to a boom week this week.
The strength of this defense is the pass rush. Myles Garrett leads the league in sacks with 13. Overall, the team paces the NFL in sacks and is third in adjusted sack rate.
The Cleveland Browns' D has been somewhat unlucky when it comes to turnovers. They have just five interceptions on the season despite getting lots of pressure on the quarterback. Also, they've had bad luck recovering fumbles. They rank 30th in opponent fumbles they've failed to recover. If they are able to scoop up these loose balls, it would go a long way to helping them in fantasy.
The Browns are at home against the winless Detroit Lions. The Lions are a team we've targeted with defenses all season long, and this week it could get even better. Jared Goff has missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and could be sidelined for this game. That would mean Tim Boyle would start, and his 12-to-26 touchdown to interception ratio in college likely won't scare the Cleveland defense.
Cleveland's D/ST is a good play against Goff, and they would be a slam-dunk play versus Boyle if he gets his first career start. Detroit has allowed a 7.3% adjusted sack rate, and that number could go up with the inexperienced Boyle under center. The Browns' defense is already projected as the best defense this week, and that projection would likely go up if Goff winds up being ruled out.
Carolina Panthers
FanDuel Salary: $4,100
The Carolina Panthers' defense has been consistently good. They rank second in overall defense by numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics, including first against the pass. The Carolina D/ST led the team to a victory last week and could do the same this week.
Carolina dominated the Arizona Cardinals in their win a week ago. They recorded four sacks and two takeaways. It was their third straight game forcing two turnovers. The sacks were nothing new for them, either, as they have the best adjusted sack rate in the league.
The Panthers face the Washington Football Team at home in Week 11. Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke has not been afraid to take chances, which has resulted in him being fourth in the league with nine interceptions. Carolina should also be able to get to Heinicke, with Washington allowing an above-average adjusted sack rate.
The Panthers' switch to Cam Newton at quarterback could also help the defense. Carolina might decide to go more run-heavy, which should eliminate some of the bad field positions that Sam Darnold's turnovers put this defense in earlier in the season.
Carolina is second in point-per-dollar value, per our projections, so they're a fine play for $4,100.
Chicago Bears
FanDuel Salary $3,500
The Chicago D/ST is the play if you're trying to save some salary but still roster a competent defense. They've had their moments this season, with four games above nine FanDuel points. The matchup may be intimidating at first glance, but it could get better when we dig into it.
This defense ranks second in adjusted sack rate, and they have at least three sacks in six of nine games this year. Getting to the quarterback should result in more takeaways than it has, but they have still averaged one per game.
The Chicago Bears go up against the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup that's never easy. However, there are some things that we can point to that make this look better.
During Lamar Jackson's MVP 2019 season, Baltimore had an elite offensive line. This season, the line hasn't been as good, allowing an adjusted sack rate of 8.0%. We saw the Miami Dolphins get a lot of pressure on Jackson in Week 10, which resulted in just 10 points allowed, four sacks, and two takeaways.
Jackson has thrown eight interceptions, and the Ravens have 12 fumbles in nine games this season. Plus, Marquise Brown hasn't yet practiced this week, which would weaken the Ravens' aerial attack.
If the Bears can generate pressure and get a little turnover luck, they can be a hit at this low salary.
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.