Top 10 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings for Week 3: Patriots Top of Class

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The majority of your points won’t be coming for your defense… or will it? The Patriots proved last week that they can make a difference in your fantasy outcome. In this article, I will be going over the top defenses moving into Week 3. It is always important to have your defense in a good matchup.

1. New England Patriots

Opponent: New York Jets

The Patriots absolutely went off against the Dolphins as we all expected. A shutout plus two touchdowns is probably not a repeatable outcome, but this could be another major week for the defense. The Jets are down to their 3rd string quarterback and only scored 3 points in their last game against the Browns. The Patriots rank way ahead of the Browns so we could see another Week 2 performance out of them again. If you were fortunate to draft the Patriots defense, it is time to celebrate.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Opponent: Miami Dolphins

Whoever has played the Dolphins so far this year has had a huge game. The Ravens allowed just 10 points and the Patriots shut them out. The Dolphins just have a bad offense and whoever is playing them will have a big game every week. The Cowboys also have not looked too bad against the Giants and Redskins. They recovered two fumbles against the Giants in Week 1 and have averaged 19 points per game between both games. The Dolphins will be a great matchup for them to get more turnovers.

3. Los Angeles Rams

Opponent: Cleveland Browns

The Rams’ defense started off to a slow start against the Panthers in Week 1, but Week 2 showed the kind of defense they truly are. The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league, and they limited them to 0 touchdowns. Yes, Brees wasn’t playing most of the game but holding back Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas is no easy task. The Browns had trouble getting going against the Jets outside of one big play to Odell Beckham Jr. The Rams should be to hold them below 20 points this week.

4. Buffalo Bills

Opponent: Cincinnatii Bengals

The Bills have been the surprise of the season so far. After coming back against the Jets in Week 1, they handled the Giants in Week 2. They even managed to make the Giants realize that Eli Manning shouldn’t be their starting quarterback. The Bengals are still working without their number receiver, A.J. Green, but have seemed to be doing just fine without him with players like Tyler Boyd and John Ross stepping up. This will be a test for the Bills to see if they can hold their own against some talent, but I think the defense will pull through this week.

5. Green Bay Packers

Opponent: Denver Broncos

The Packers defense has looked great this year. They completely shut down a Bears offense that had a lot of hype around it. In Week 2, they picked off Cousins twice and recovered two fumbles as well. The Broncos are off to a rough start under their new quarterback, Joe Flacco. Not that he is a bad quarterback, but he is new to the system. They have averaged 15 points per game this year. The big challenge for the Packers will be guarding Emmanuel Sanders, but the Packers should hold them to around 14-20 points again with maybe a turnover or two.

6. Tennessee Titans

Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Titans have five turnovers this year, one resulted in a pick-six in Week 1. The Jaguars have not started out super hot, especially after losing Nick Foles in Week 1. Gardner Minshew finished out Week 1 on a hot note but came back down to earth last week against the Texans. Leonard Fournette also hasn’t broken out any big yet either. With the Titans defense starting off hot and the Jags starting cold, this is a great matchup in which the Titans look to add to their turnover count and maybe even another touchdown.

7. San Francisco 49ers

Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

The 49ers have held both the Buccaneers and the Bengals to 17 total points. In Week 1 they took two turnovers in for 6 points which only added to their other two turnovers. They also picked off Andy Dalton once last week, making a total of 5 turnovers already this year. The Steelers are starting their backup quarterback, Mason Rudolph, for the first time. Adding to that, James Conner is not at 100% which only adds to why the 49ers defense will succeed this week. Pouncing early on him will have a huge effect on Rudolph’s confidence and could easily lead to major points this week.

8. Chicago Bears

Opponent: Washington Redskins

Week 1 was a success for the Bears in terms of their defense, only allowing 10 points. Their offense is the big problem. Again in Week 2, they looked great, even getting an interception against Joe Flacco and the Broncos. This week they face a very favorable matchup against the Redskins. The Redskins just seem to always be plagued with injuries with Guice going down again early this year. It’s about time for the Bears to show that they truly are the best defense in the league with some turnovers and touchdowns.

9. Atlanta Falcons

Opponent: Indianapolis Colts

The Falcons have allowed the 3rd least amount of yards so far this season and are playing a Colts’ offense that is still discovering how to utilize what they have. Marlon Mack looked amazing in Week 1 but fell short of victory to the hands of the Chargers. Brissett looked good in Week 2 and barely made it passed the Titans. They have not been able to put the two together yet which is good for the Falcons. If the Falcons can shut down Mack, the whole offense will come to a screeching halt.

10. Carolina Panthers

Opponent: Arizona Panthers

The Panthers picked off one pass against Jared Goff and Rams but failed to against Jamies Winston and the Bucs. This week, they play against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals who are focused on running their air raid offense. That will open up plenty of opportunities for interceptions and possible touchdowns. The Cardinals’ offense is no joke but with so many plays run, there is a lot of chances for them to make a mistake and for the Titans to capitalize.