Team Defense Rankings--Week 5

In this column we will be highlighting some of the team defenses that aren’t among the best in the league, but might be able to help you if you are one of those people who play the rotating game with your DEF, or if your team is on bye. I will not tell you to start any of the following in this article because they are no brainers:

Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings

Two Matchups To Target

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks. Jacksonville hasn't been a traditionally good fantasy defense since the mid 90s, but perhaps they are on their way back. Sure, they are giving up more points than you would like at 21.5 a game, but in fairness to them they have played Indianapolis, Arizona, and Houston already, three pretty explosive offensive teams. They are not rushing the quarterback well, and have a league low three sacks on the season. However, they are doing a good job at forcing turnovers as they are among the league's best with nine takeaways They go against a Seattle offense that hasn't looked great so far and are good for a fantasy defense to go against. Seattle's O-line has allowed nine sacks through their first four games, and they have also averaged two turnovers per contest. If they could get any more pressure on the quarterback, I think that Jacksonville would get to be a lot more popular with fantasy players.

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets. Miami has been a decent fantasy defense to this point, but certainly nothing to get too excited about. They are allowing just under 20 points a game, and they are getting good pressure on the QB as they already have 11 sacks through four games. Unfortunately, they are not forcing turnovers, as they have just four takeaways in the first quarter of the year. However, I feel there are a couple of things that make them an above average play this week. The Dolphins and Jets have a storied NFL rivalry and it often results in low scoring games. Second, the Jet's haven't exactly been a model offense. As great as their offensive line is, they have allowed Sanchez to be sacked nine times, and they have also committed eight turnovers. So, while the Dolphins aren't a team that I would want to count on week in and week out, it seems that if your team DEF is off this week or you are playing matchups, this isn't a bad one to look at for your Week 5 lineups.

Two Matchups To Avoid

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals defense did pretty well fantasy wise last week against the Browns even though they gave up 20 points. The defense was able to score, which is always good, and they picked up a couple sacks and a couple turnovers. However, for the season they have been pretty average, which is probably better than we expected coming into the season. They have only forced four takeaways so far, but they have recorded 12 sacks, and allow only 17.8 points per game. But this week is certainly one to avoid. Not only is Baltimore one of the best at protecting their quarterback with only five sacks allowed in four games, but they have only surrendered five turnovers as well, which is among the best in the league. The most stunning factor in this game is that the perennial offensive dud Ravens' club has all of a sudden turned into a real offense as they score 31 points per games. There certainly has to be a better option out there for you somewhere, as I wouldn't play the Bengals unless your other options included Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Cleveland.

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos. New England certainly hasn't been the same team this season as they have been in years past. The offense is struggling and the defense is getting old and is beset by serious injuries, especially the loss of last year's Defensive ROY Jerod Mayo. Outside of holding opponents to under 20 points a game, there hasn't been a ton to love about the Patriots defense from a fantasy standpoint. They have recorded just five takeaways and eight sacks in the first quarter of the season. Denver seems to be a good matchup to get a fantasy defense well as they score less than 20 points a game, but they are very efficient with the ball. Kyle Orton has only been sacked six times and they have only turned the ball over three times. So, while they aren't likely to run up the scoreboard on the Pats, Denver probably won't give up enough of the rest of the stats to make starting New England worthwhile.

I welcome your comments and questions at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I can help you with roster questions, who to start/sit, etc. I guarantee a response within 18 hours.