Fantasy Football Rankings: Five Must-Start Defenses For Week 10

Fantasy football defenses can make or break your week, and while it’s important to make sure you don’t have a D/ST unit that gives you negative points, it doesn’t hurt having a breakout week from an unexpected source, either.

That said, here’s who we think you must start in your Week 10 fantasy lineups.

Washington Redskins (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
Minnesota has the fewest total yards of offense in the league and is averaging just 19.4 points per game. Plus, the Vikes have lost three straight games and the Redskins are at home coming off a bye. This could be a sneaky good play.

Minnesota Vikings (at Washington Redskins)
Washington is averaging a very mediocre 23 points per game and has given the ball away 11 times this season. Minnesota has a league-high 20 takeaways, allows the third-fewest yards and the fewest points per game. It has a chip on its shoulder after losing three straight.

Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cleveland Browns)
The Browns are bad, and Baltimore’s defense actually has been pretty good, ranking ninth in the league in points allowed and second in yards allowed.

Arizona Cardinals (vs. San Francisco 49ers)
The 49ers stink and the Cardinals’ defense is not only dominant, it’s incredibly opportunistic and thrives on turnovers. The Niners have given the ball away 17 times this year, third-most in the league. Yikes.

Carolina Panthers (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)
Look, Carolina has been a disappointment on the defensive side of the ball, but the Chiefs just can’t score. The upside is worth the gamble.

Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images