Three weeks of NFL play are officially in the books, which means it’s time for fantasy football players to start worrying about bye weeks. Gone are the days where you could just coast by on a strong draft. Now more than ever, you’ll need to search the waiver wire for all the best available fantasy week 4 defense. Heading into Week 4, you should set your eyes on the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Carolina Panthers
Note that in order to make this list, the defense had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, there may be better defenses available. Make sure to check your waivers to see if there are any diamonds in the rough before submitting your claims.
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Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals Highlight Fantasy Football Week 4 Defense Waiver Wire Streams
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have one of the most complete rosters in the league, and their defense has played well through the first three weeks of the season. So far, the unit has recorded eight sacks, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. While this isn’t the 1985 Bears by any means, it’s capable of shutting down a weak offense.
The Indianapolis Colts face off against said weak offense in Week 4. After a promising debut against the Denver Broncos, the Oakland Raiders offense has looked bad for most of the past two weeks. Derek Carr simply cannot find his 2016 form, Tyrell Williams is not a WR1, and Josh Jacobs is battling through a nasty illness. Outside of Darren Waller, there isn’t a true offensive threat on this team. The Colts should slow down this offense and record a few sacks in this matchup.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals defense bounced back from an atrocious Week 2 to limit the Buffalo Bills to 21 points. More importantly, they recorded one sack, one interception, and one fumble recovery. They had four sacks and a fumble recovery in Week One and have the talent to play at a serviceable level against inferior competition.
The Bengals get to face that inferior competition in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mason Rudolph did not impress during his first start against the San Francisco 49ers, completing just 14 of 27 passes for two touchdowns and one interception while taking two sacks. It’s hard to imagine Rudolph dramatically improving for Week 4, so the Bengals defense should come away with a few sacks and a turnover or two.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers absolutely abused Kyler Murray in Week 3. Facing off against an atrocious offensive line, Carolina recorded a whopping eight sacks and two interceptions in their 38-20 win. They’re not going to do that again, but this defense has the talent to overwhelm bad offensive lines and rack up sacks. Carolina took advantage of a bad offensive line in Week 3, and they face an even weaker one in Week 4.
The Houston Texans have a good offense, but they give up a ridiculous amount of sacks. The offensive line might be the worst in the NFL, and Deshaun Watson’s tendency to hold on to the ball only invites more sacks. The Panthers might give up some points in this one, but the sack potential could easily offset the added points from Houston’s aerial attack. Ideally, you’d find a better option. However, if you’re in a deep league, you could do worse than Carolina in Week 4.
Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Quarterback Waiver Wire Streams
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