At this point, after two full games from every team, we can start to put together who to target with defenses in fantasy football.
One thing that should be very apparent is that starting the same defense every week is a poor decision. Even the Denver Broncos, who many believe to be the best defensive unit in the NFL, are not matchup-proof.
The only intelligent way to address defenses in fantasy is by streaming one each week based on the best matchup. Here are our Week 3 D/ST rankings, best starts and sleepers, and some matchups to avoid.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 3: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Note: Players who have already had their game are in italicized, strikethrough font.
| Rk | Team Defense | OPP | Rk Chg |
| 1 | Green Bay Packers | @ CLE | |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | CIN | |
| 3 | Buffalo Bills | MIA | |
| 4 | Denver Broncos | @ LAC | |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers | @ NE | |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | ARI | |
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | @ SF | |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NYJ | |
| 9 | New England Patriots | PIT | ⬆️ 2 |
| 10 | Baltimore Ravens | DET | |
| 11 | Philadelphia Eagles | LAR | |
| 12 | Seattle Seahawks | NO | ⬆️ 2 |
| 13 | Kansas City Chiefs | @ NYG | |
| 14 | Washington Commanders | LV | ⬆️ 1 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Rams | @ PHI | |
| 16 | Atlanta Falcons | @ CAR | |
| 17 | Dallas Cowboys | @ CHI | |
| 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | DEN | |
| 19 | Cincinnati Bengals | @ MIN | |
| 20 | Houston Texans | @ JAX | |
| 21 | Chicago Bears | DAL | ⬇️ 1 |
| 22 | New York Jets | @ TB | |
| 23 | Indianapolis Colts | @ TEN | |
| 24 | Detroit Lions | @ BAL | |
| 25 | New Orleans Saints | @ SEA | |
| 26 | Jacksonville Jaguars | HOU | |
| 27 | Cleveland Browns | GB | |
| 28 | Las Vegas Raiders | @ WAS | ⬆️ 3 |
| 29 | Carolina Panthers | ATL | |
| 30 | New York Giants | KC | |
| 31 | Tennessee Titans | IND | |
| 32 | Miami Dolphins | @ BUF |
BEST D/ST FANTASY PICKUPS: Week 3 Waiver Wire
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 3?
Usually, this section would have a few nominees for the best defense, but not this week. In Week 3, it’s the Green Bay Packers, and it’s not particularly close.
Don’t let the final score in Week 2 fool you, the Packers shut down the Commanders for almost 4 quarters on TNF. Only as a result of some garbage time points did that game look close.
Then you can think back to Week 1, when the Packers beat the Lions so bad that people actually pondered the idea that the Lions’ offense was complete garbage. Then in Week 2, the Lions put up 52 points, so their offense is indeed not horrific.
So in Weeks 1 and 2, the Packers defense made two elite offenses look painfully average, and now in Week 3, that same defense gets to face the Cleveland Browns? The Browns have not scored more than 17 points in either of their two games.
The Packers are going to feast in Week 3, and they could just shut the Browns out.
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers in Week 3?
The Arizona Cardinals once again make the sleeper category. After an impressive showing against the Carolina Panthers, they now get to potentially take on Mac Jones. Jones played excellently in Week 2, but he faced a lackluster NFL defense in the New Orleans Saints.
The Baltimore Ravens are always going to get labeled a sleeper, which might seem strange. However, they play the Detroit Lions, who just scored 52 points in Week 2. Managers will understandably be nervous to start a defense against that sort of offense. However, Jared Goff has never beaten the Ravens in his entire career. The last time these two teams faced off was in 2023, when the Ravens won 38-6. With that being said, the Ravens are going to win big on MNF in Week 3.
Defenses to avoid in Week 3 of fantasy football
Much like the Packers, but for the complete opposite reason, the Miami Dolphins stand alone as the worst defense by far. There is zero reason to start this team.
From this point on, you should also want nothing to do with the Dallas Cowboys. Giving up 37 points to the New York Giants in Week 2 was beyond embarrassing. The Bears have had a tough start, but I believe Ben Johnson gets things in order against Dallas.
