NFL

3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 3

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.

Here are three defenses that standout and different salary ranges on the Week 3 main slate.

Denver Broncos

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

It's been an impressive start for the Denver Broncos. They're 2-0, with both wins coming on the road. Now back home in Week 3, they've got a perfect opportunity to win again, and they are in a spot to dominate on the defensive side of the ball.

The Broncos will face the New York Jets for their home opener. We did well targeting the Jets with a D/ST last week, as rookie quarterback Zach Wilson threw four interceptions and took four sacks. The Jets have managed only 20 points across their first two games, while the Broncos have allowed just 26.

The mismatch is really along the Jets' offensive line, which has been one of the weakest units in the league. They've allowed 10 sacks and have the second-worst adjusted sack rate in the NFL. Even with Bradley Chubb set to miss this game, Denver's defense shouldn't have much of a problem getting pressure.

It will be a tough spot for Wilson and the Jets' offense, going into the thin air of Denver and facing a quality defense. These are all factors in why the Jets are 10.5-point underdogs and have the lowest implied total on the slate.

We have the Denver D/ST projected for the most points at the position, and they also rate as one of the better point-per-dollar values. FanDuel caps the defense's salaries at $5,000, but if a defense could have a higher salary, Denver might be worthy of it this week.

Las Vegas Raiders

FanDuel Salary: $4,000

The Las Vegas D/ST was not an expected defense to show up on this list. Their defense was brutal last season, allowing the third-most points in the league. They've shown improvement through the first two weeks of this season, and in Week 3, that improvement should continue.

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming home after an impressive victory in which they held the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 17 points. They'll take on the Miami Dolphins, who will be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa due to a rib injury. Jacoby Brissett will start for Miami after he was unimpressive in his relief appearance in Week 2, throwing one interception. The signal-caller is a concern for Miami, but there could be a bigger concern for this offense.

Miami's offensive line was a major worry coming into the season, and they've done nothing to quell those concerns. They've allowed an 11.4% adjusted sack rate through these two games. Maxx Crosby has looked dangerous when rushing the passer early this year and could add to the two sacks he already has this season.

The Raiders are 4.5-point favorites against the Dolphins, who have an implied total under 20 points. Las Vegas is one of the better point-per-dollar values at defense this week, and they make for a fine play in the midrange of the position.

Atlanta Falcons

FanDuel Salary: $3,500

If we're looking for a punt play at fantasy's most random position, we can turn to the Atlanta D/ST. The results haven't been pretty for the Atlanta Falcons -- both in terms of their fantasy defense and across the board. This week, they'll get a much better matchup, and that results in this unit being relevant for fantasy purposes.

The Falcons go up against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants this week. Week 2 was a rare game in which Jones did not have a turnover, but he's still one of the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the NFL. He's had 40 turnovers in 29 career games, per Rotowire.

Jones is also vulnerable to getting sacked often. Last year, he had the second-most sacks per drop back, getting sacked 9.1% of the time, according Pro Football Reference. Jones and the offensive line haven't improved much this year, allowing sacks 8% of the time.

It might feel uncomfortable putting the Falcons in your lineups, but they free up salary and actually rank as our top point-per-dollar D on the slate.



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.