3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 15
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.
With some offenses really struggling, we have some standout defenses. Let's look at three that we should be looking to roster this week.
(UPDATE: Since the publication of this piece, Sunday's games between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team have been postponed. Those players will no longer be included on the main slate.)
Miami Dolphins
FanDuel Salary: $5,000
The Miami Dolphins are fresh off their bye week after winning five games in a row. The defense has been a huge strength during this streak, and they should play a big part in a good spot this week.
The Miami D/ST has helped turn their season around and performed well in fantasy as well. They've allowed 17 points or fewer in each game during the win streak and have scored over 17 FanDuel points three times in that streak. They have 19 sacks, 11 takeaways, and t touchdowns in the last five games, and have a great chance to add more to that this week.
The Dolphins will play host to the New York Jets on Sunday. They actually had their worst defensive performance against the Jets in their last meeting, but this spot is different for a few reasons. They play at home and will face Zach Wilson instead of Joe Flacco. The sad state of the rookie quarterback means that he's actually a downgrade on 36-year-old Joe Flacco. He has 11 interceptions and three fumbles in nine starts and has taken sacks at the league's fourth-highest rate.
The Jets have an implied team total of just 15.75 points this week and are 10-point underdogs. To make matters worse, rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore is now on IR; he had 141 yards and a touchdown the last time these teams played.
The Dolphins defense has the highest salary this week, but there should be enough value at other positions where you can use salary at defense this week. They are currently projected for the most points at the position and really could break the slate if things go their way.
Dallas Cowboys
FanDuel Salary: $4,600
We usually look for a bit lower than $4,600 with our second defense, but the Dallas D/ST shouldn't be overlooked this week. If you have the salary to go up to Miami's defense, you should, but Dallas is a fine consolation option.
The Dallas Cowboys have been inconsistent on offense of late, but the defense has stepped up. With Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory healthy, and Micah Parsons emerging as one of the best young defensive players in the game, the Cowboys' pass rush is ferocious. They have the league's fifth-best pressure rate and the sixth-best adjusted sack rate. That's enough to scare any quarterback -- especially the one they'll face this week.
The Cowboys are on the road this week against the New York Giants. It's been a struggle to score for the Giants all season; they are second from the bottom in touchdowns.
The Giants will have to go back to Mike Glennon at quarterback. Glennon actually played for most of the game when these two teams last met and threw two interceptions and had a fumble. He's taken five sacks in his two starts in the last two weeks against pass rushes that haven't been as good as Dallas has.
The Giants' implied team total is just 17.0 points. Dallas is a great choice at defense if you can't fit in Miami, and they have playmakers capable of scoring touchdowns and breaking the slate.
Jacksonville Jaguars
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been having a nightmare season.
They don't have the worst record in the league, but given the expectations of a new quarterback and new coach, they could be one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL. Now, with Urban Meyer gone, they have a chance to turn over a new leaf. They have a perfect opponent to do that this week.
The Jacksonville D/ST has not been a unit to write home about this season. They were able to play well against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9 with four sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble. Their pressure rate is 15th in the league -- right near the middle of the pack. If they were able to shut down the Bills in that game, they at least have a chance to have success this week.
The Jaguars will be at home against the Houston Texans this week. The Jaguars have jumped up to a five-point favorite, which says a lot about what the betting market thinks of Urban Meyer. The Texans are dead last in touchdowns and have the sixth-highest adjusted sack rate allowed. Texans QB Davis Mills has thrown eight interceptions and had four fumbles in his nine games this season.
You may buy into the narrative that the players will play better with Meyer now gone. If you want to believe that or not, the Jaguars defense is a fine play either way. They top the value rating in numberFire's projections and are a great way to go if you want to save salary at the position.
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.
