Best DST Streaming Options For Week 4 Fantasy Football: Broncos, Buccaneers, Steelers
Last week went great. My top pick in the Chiefs had a top-six performance with 12 points, my fade pick of the Seahawks got lit up by Andy Dalton to finish with just two points, and the super-deep Titans pick managed to squeeze out five points. Given the unpredictable nature of defensive scoring, I'll take that any week. Let's hope we can build on that performance in Week 4 with more solid defensive streaming picks.
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Week 4 Fantasy Football Defense Streaming Options
Denver Broncos @ Chicago Bears
Yes, the Broncos just gave up a literally record-breaking 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. They managed to finish dead last in Week 3 DST scoring with -6, despite having a kick-return touchdown. If it weren't for Marvin Mims, they would have had the absolute worst possible week in standard fantasy DST scoring.
So why am I still willing to let the Broncos' defense anywhere near my lineups for Week 4? As you may have guessed, it's all about the matchup. This Bears team is perhaps the furthest thing in the NFL from the threshing machine Mike McDaniel has built in Miami. While they may be able to put up some points on a Broncos' unit that seems to have regressed from their 2022 performance, Justin Fields is always good for a few sacks, and likely a turnover or two.
Our Week 4 Projections have Denver as the 10th-ranked defense, but I would consider ranking them as high as sixth. They are only rostered in 17% of leagues, but that number would be much higher if people weren't scared off by last week's massacre. In fantasy, especially when it comes to defenses, one week's performance is rarely predictive of the next, so let's take advantage of this opportunity to snag a team in a great matchup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
This is a risky one, as the Saints have a lot of offensive talent, especially with Alvin Kamara returning from suspension this week, and the Buccaneers are no longer one of the league's top units. However, there's a lot to like about this week for the Bucs, who are only rostered in a third of leagues despite being our eighth-highest-projected defense for this week.
For one, this Buccaneers defense has so far performed better than many expected. They are second in the league with a whopping 23.3% rate of ending drives in turnovers; turnovers are often a very noisy metric, and this number is likely to regress, but this is still a good sign that they are putting pressure on opposing offenses. They also rank 10th in points allowed and 14th in defensive DVOA, although some other metrics like yards per play and PFF defensive grade have them closer to the bottom of the league.
As far as their opponent, Derek Carr is looking very likely to miss this week with an injury, so the Buccaneers will be facing their former QB, Jameis Winston. The same Jameis Winston who leads the NFL in interception rate over the last decade for players with at least 1,000 past attempts and is the only player to post a 30-interception season in this century. Winston has thrown at least one pick in 60% of his career games, and multiple in 34%. I expect him to throw at least one this week, for old-time's sake, giving the Bucs a two-point head start on a solid fantasy outing.
Fade: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans
The Steelers are one of the top defenses in the NFL, and are likely being started in most fantasy leagues this week. They even rank third in our Week 4 Projections, which likely love the idea of a team with the league's third-highest pressure rate teeing off on a rookie QB behind a below-average O-line. However, I might consider benching them for this week if you have another top option.
For one, this rookie QB isn't like most rookie QBs. C.J. Stroud has adjusted incredibly quickly to the NFL and, so far, is avoiding many traditional rookie mistakes. While he has taken 11 sacks, he has thrown zero interceptions, despite ranking fourth in the league with 121 pass attempts. That very high pass-attempt number points to another issue with this matchup: The Texans rank eighth in the league with a 66% pass rate, largely because their own defense has frequently left them playing from behind.
Don't get me wrong, this is still a nice spot for T.J. Watt and Co., and they could very easily finish as one of the top defenses in Week 4. But it's not as much of a smash as it seems at first glance, so temper expectations for the Steelers this week.
