3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 7

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.

Defenses have excelled this season, while offenses have been struggling. Let's see if that trend continues, preferably with the three defenses we like this week.

Dallas Cowboys

FanDuel: $4,700

The Dallas Cowboys were able to survive an injury to Dak Prescott and go 4-1 while he was hurt. Much of that credit goes to the defense, who have played great this season. As home favorites this week, they should continue to play well.

The Dallas D/ST ranks fourth in numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics, and they're second against the pass. They excel at getting pressure on the quarterback, ranking first in adjusted sack rate. Micah Parsons is a game-breaking talent who changes the way offenses play against the Cowboys, and he can wreak havoc against any offense.

The Cowboys will take on the Detroit Lions this Sunday. Lions quarterback Jared Goff has thrown an interception in four of five games this season and has also fumbled twice. He has been known to make mistakes when pressure gets in his face, and that likely will be the case this week.

Dallas is a seven-point favorite, so the game script should set up nicely for them to pin their ears back and get after Goff. If that is how the game plays out, the Cowboys could be one of the highest-scoring defenses on the slate.

New York Jets

FanDuel Salary: $4,300

The New York Jets have already equaled last season's win total of four. Their offense is still not perfect, but the defense is playing great and leading them to wins. This week, they get to face an offense that has not played well all season long.

The New York Jets D/ST led the team to a victory last week at Lambeau Field. They were in Aaron Rodgers' face all game, sacking him four times. They've recorded a takeaway in every game this season and 10 total.

The Jets are on the road again this week, facing the Denver Broncos. If you've been subjected to any or all of the Broncos' four primetime games so far this season, you might know that they struggle on offense. They rank 31st by numberFire's metrics in total offense. They also are 27th in adjusted sack rate allowed.

Despite the Jets being underdogs in this game, the way things are trending suggests that they are a fine play on the road this week.

Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Salary: $3,600

The Cincinnati D/ST was an unsung hero on their way to the Super Bowl last season. While they haven't performed as well this season, some of their underlying metrics are encouraging. This week, they are a pretty good value in a solid matchup.

The Cincinnati Bengals still are rated highly by our numbers. They are eighth against the pass and eighth overall. They don't have impressive sack numbers but do rank third in quarterback knockdown percentage, so they have been getting close at a high clip. They also have eight takeaways in six games.

The Bengals welcome the Atlanta Falcons to town on Sunday. The Falcons love to run the ball, but if they are behind in this game as expected, they could be prone to turnovers. Marcus Mariota has thrown four interceptions and fumbled seven times.

For just $3,600, the Bengals' defense is an acceptable play in all formats, as they should allow you to get in high-ceiling players at other positions.

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.