Are the Baltimore Ravens DST on a bye week for you and someone beat you to pick up the Chiefs on waivers? Streaming defenses but still deciding which team to start this week? I’ve got you covered.
I’ll be highlighting DSTs that may still be available in your leagues. These are DSTs that are still below a 35% ESPN ownership on Thursdays that I feel are worth a pickup and start based on my projections.
My projections are based on Vegas odds, defensive and offensive player projections, starters, and positional matchups. These are your defensive detours!
WAS Football Team – 35.1% ESPN Ownership
Opponent – DAL
This is a cheat in my rules since Washington is slightly over the 35% ownership threshold, but they’re my rules and I can break them if I want. Dallas is… bad. I don’t know how else to put it. Andy Dalton stepped in for an injured Dak Prescott and made this offense infinitely worse. On the season, Dallas has given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. Arizona this past week was able to sack Dalton three times and Washington has a much better pass rush line, so if your league scores for sacks you should be happy.
LA Chargers – 30.7% ESPN Ownership
Opponent – JAX
Jacksonville has given up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing DSTs this season. They also head into this week with the sixth-lowest expected points according to Vegas (22). Jacksonville has now been held to under 20 points by Miami, Houston and Detroit, three defenses that are statistically worse than the Chargers. It’s a combination of those factors and that the Chargers are fresh off a bye week that gives me confidence to put them in my DST position. (Personally, I’m considering starting them over Pittsburgh this week. You can find me losing sleep over this decision until game time.)
CLE Browns – 34.7% ESPN Ownership
Opponent – CIN
Don’t look now, but the Cleveland Browns are currently the seventh-best DST in fantasy so far. They got slammed by Pittsburgh this past week but face Cincinnati this week, a team that has given up the second-most sacks in 2020. The last time these two teams met was week 2 and the Browns had a solid outing on defense, their only fault was giving up 30 points but I credit that to garbage time. Add in the fact that Burrow has thrown an INT in three-straight games and I’m comfortable throwing Cleveland in my starting lineup.
