Defenses sometimes are treated as afterthoughts when fantasy football owners set their lineups.
It’s important not to make that mistake because defenses have the ability to make or break your matchup, especially in leagues where points allowed is the majority of the defensive score.
Here are five defenses you should feel confident playing in Week 2.
New England Patriots
The Patriots held the NFL’s highest-scoring team from last season, the Arizona Cardinals, to just 20 points at home in a Week 1 win.
Now the Pats travel back to Gillette Stadium for their home opener against a Miami Dolphins team that couldn’t move the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. Miami tallied just 218 yards of total offense and scored a mere 10 points.
The Dolphins also haven’t won in New England in eight years.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens held the Buffalo Bills to seven points, stopped them on 13 of 16 third downs and sacked quarterback Tyrod Taylor twice in Week 1. It was an impressive performance from Baltimore, and we should expect another one Sunday against a putrid Cleveland Browns offense that’s starting its backup quarterback.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks’ defense was the team’s lone bright spot in a 12-10 come-from-behind win over the Dolphins. Seattle’s next opponent is the Los Angeles Rams, who were shut out by the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football.” Don’t be surprised if the Rams are shut out again.
New York Jets
The Jets lost 23-22 to the Bengals in Week 1, but they forced an interception, sacked Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton seven times and were successful on eight of 11 third downs. They also have a favorable Week 2 matchup against a Bills offense that could be without its best wide receiver in Sammy Watkins because of an injury.
Denver Broncos
Sure, the Indianapolis Colts put up 35 points in a Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, but they probably won’t come close to that total against an elite Broncos defense that held last season’s second-highest scoring team, the Carolina Panthers, to 20 points in the season opener.
Denver has a physical secondary and an excellent pass rush, both of which should cause a ton of problems for a suspect Indy offensive line. The Broncos had three sacks in Week 1, and they could easily double that total Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Matt Kartozian/USA TODAY Sports Images
