We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top Defense fantasy football waiver wire targets for the week below. And here’s all of our Week 3 fantasy football waiver wire advice.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Defense
DEFENSES
Written by Pat Fitzmaurice
Las Vegas Raiders: 7% rostered
- Next Opponents: CAR, CLE, @DEN
- True value: $2
- Desperate Need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Never mind that the Raiders have forced one turnover and recorded three sacks in their first two games. This is all about their juicy upcoming schedule. This week: a home date with the hapless Panthers, who have mustered only 13 points in their first two games while committing four turnovers and yielding six sacks. Las Vegas is a top-10 defense this week on matchup alone, if not top-5. Then, the Raiders host Deshaun Watson and the Browns in Week 3 — another plus matchup. In Week 4, the Raiders get the Broncos, who might rival the Panthers for the worst offense in the league. And in Week 5, the Raiders’ defense is very much in play against the Steelers. Since you can ride the Las Vegas defense for the next 3-4 weeks, don’t be afraid to spend an extra dollar of FAAB money.
Seattle Seahawks: 41% rostered
- Next Opponents: MIA, @DET, NYG
- True value: $1
- Desperate Need: $2
- Budget-minded: $1
Fantasy managers who stream defenses typically don’t target matchups with the Dolphins, but Miami’s offense is far less potent without QB Tua Tagovailoa, who sustained a concussion against the Bills in Week 2 and will miss one game at the bare minimum, possibly a lot more. The Dolphins’ starting quarterback this week will be Skylar Thompson, a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 who’s completed 57.1% of his 119 career passes, averaging just 5.2 yards per attempt with one touchdown and three interceptions. Seattle has done a good job of clamping down on mediocre quarterbacks early in the season, holding both Denver’s Bo Nix and New England’s Jacoby Brissett to fewer than 150 passing yards.
Green Bay Packers: 16% rostered
- Next Opponents: @TEN, MIN, @LAR
- True value: $1
- Desperate Need: $2
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: The Green Bay defense didn’t look great against the Eagles in Week 1, but it was forced to play that game on a Brazilian field with the traction of an ice-skating rink. The Packers were better in Week 2, holding the Colts to 10 points and intercepting QB Anthony Richardson three times. Now, the Packers face Titans QB Will Levis, who’s thrown three interceptions and taken seven sacks in his first two games. It’s an attractive spot for the Green Bay D, and you might be able to hold it through Week 4, when it has a decent home matchup against Sam Darnold and the Vikings.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5% rostered
- Next Opponents: DEN, PHI, @ATL
- True value: $1
- Desperate Need: $2
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Let’s pick on a rookie quarterback. The Broncos’ Bo Nix has looked overmatched in his first two games, throwing four interceptions and zero TD passes. The blitz-happy Buccaneers will turn up the heat on young Mr. Nix, boosting the likelihood of sacks and turnovers.
Tennessee Titans: 1% rostered
- Next Opponents: GB, @MIA, BYE
- True value: $1
- Desperate Need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Tennessee doesn’t have one of the league’s premier defenses, although the Titans are tougher on that side of the ball than they were last year now that they’ve patched up the cornerback position with free-agent additions L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie. The appeal here is a Week 3 matchup against a Green Bay offense that’s likely to be without QB Jordan Love, who sprained his MCL in Week 1. Love’s backup is Malik Willis, a former Titan. Willis was mistake-free last week against the Colts, committing no turnovers and taking no sacks, but he was prone to gaffes during his time in Tennessee. Willis attempted only 66 passes in his two seasons with the Titans, throwing three interceptions and absorbing 14 sacks. If Love is able to come back in Week 3, the Titans lose their luster as a streaming defense. But a matchup against Willis would be appealing, and you could also use the Titans against the Dolphins in Week 4.
Indianapolis Colts: 37% rostered
- Next Opponents: CHI, PIT, @JAX
- True value: $1
- Desperate Need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Indianapolis defense is a below-average unit, but there’s some appeal to its Week 3 matchup against the Bears simply because Chicago has a rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, and rookie QBs tend to be sack- and turnover-prone. The Colts also have a decent matchup against the Steelers in Week 4. But honestly, Indianapolis is just sort of a desperation option for fantasy managers in leagues where almost everyone streams defenses and the competition for free-agent defenses is spirited.
Check out all of our Week 3 fantasy football waiver wire advice
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