Who wants to talk about quarterbacks and running backs when you can talk about defenses and special teams (D/ST) units! If you’re like me, you probably are changing your team defense on a weekly basis, looking for the optimal matchup to exploit. Well, that’s exactly what I am hoping to accomplish today. Today, let us take a look at Week 6 D/ST rankings!
I’ll go through my process of evaluating defenses, before getting into the specifics for the week! Who is going to be the 30-point defense this week? Let us find out!
What!? Your league isn’t hosted on Fantrax!? Once you see how Fantrax stacks up to the competition, we think you’ll be singing a different tune next season.
Week 7 Implied Points
First, we need to analyze how effective each D/ST unit has been for fantasy purposes this year. However, this doesn’t come from looking at previous fantasy points. See, turnovers (interceptions and fumbles) can be rather unstable on a week-to-week basis, making them difficult to rely on. Thus, to identify who the top defenses have been, we need to take that out of the equation.
This leads me to my new implied points statistic for D/ST units. Based on the number of points they have allowed and the sacks they’ve totaled up, we can see how many points a D/ST unit SHOULD be averaging per week:
| Defense | Difference | Implied Points | Fantasy PPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHI | -0.631 | 8.631 | 8.0 |
| ARI | 2.019 | 8.281 | 10.3 |
| MIN | -0.894 | 8.194 | 7.3 |
| LAR | -1.140 | 7.940 | 6.8 |
| BUF | 4.343 | 7.657 | 12.0 |
| CIN | -1.622 | 7.422 | 5.8 |
| CAR | -0.712 | 7.412 | 6.7 |
| DEN | -0.054 | 7.254 | 7.2 |
| BAL | -1.018 | 7.018 | 6.0 |
| CLE | -2.232 | 6.932 | 4.7 |
| LV | -1.041 | 6.841 | 5.8 |
| NE | -0.622 | 6.822 | 6.2 |
| PIT | -1.078 | 6.778 | 5.7 |
| NYJ | -2.093 | 6.493 | 4.4 |
| GB | -1.380 | 6.380 | 5.0 |
| NO | 2.881 | 6.119 | 9.0 |
| IND | 2.280 | 6.020 | 8.3 |
| SF | -1.340 | 5.940 | 4.6 |
| LAC | -0.846 | 5.646 | 4.8 |
| TB | 1.417 | 5.583 | 7.0 |
| DAL | 4.347 | 5.454 | 9.8 |
| PHI | -0.519 | 5.319 | 4.8 |
| TEN | -1.076 | 5.276 | 4.2 |
| SEA | -1.451 | 5.151 | 3.7 |
| DET | -1.808 | 5.108 | 3.3 |
| ATL | -2.421 | 4.621 | 2.2 |
| MIA | -0.078 | 4.278 | 4.2 |
| WAS | -0.372 | 4.172 | 3.8 |
| NYG | -1.148 | 4.148 | 3.0 |
| HOU | -0.814 | 4.114 | 3.3 |
| JAX | -0.690 | 3.990 | 3.3 |
| KC | 0.111 | 3.390 | 3.5 |
Now, we’re still early into the season, but as more games are played, this will become more meaningful. The Cardinals continue to be a strong fantasy defense and, as we’ll get to, have an elite matchup this week, and the Bills took a major step back facing the Titans this past week. Will the Bears maintain their #1 spot after facing the Bucs? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!
*Check out our other Week 7 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex
Next, it is time to dissect some other key factors. These defenses are projected by the betting markets to allow the fewest amount of points this week:
FEWEST PROJECTED POINTS ALLOWED
- Cardinals
- Bucs
- Rams
- Patriots
- Saints
- Browns
- Packers
- 49ers
Meanwhile, these defenses will face opposing quarterbacks with the highest pressure rate:
HIGHEST OPPOSING QB PRESSURE RATE
- Seahawks
- 49ers
- Patriots
- Bucs
- Browns
- Giants
- Saints
- Raiders
Lastly, these defenses will face opposing quarterbacks with the highest turnover-worthy play rate:
HIGHEST OPPOSING QB TURNOVER-WORTHY PLAY RATE
- Colts
- Patriots
- Cardinals
- Falcons
- Packers
- Giants
- Ravens
- Seahawks
More fantasy football fun for Week 7: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Targets | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | QB Streamers | D/ST Streamers |
Week 7 D/ST Rankings
Hopefully, this helps illustrate my process when it comes to my Week 7 D/ST rankings. Speaking of which, here they are!
| Rnk | Defense | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NE | NYJ |
| 2 | ARI | HOU |
| 3 | NO | SEA |
| 4 | LAR | DET |
| 5 | TB | CHI |
| 6 | CAR | NYG |
| 7 | CLE | DEN |
| 8 | GB | WSH |
| 9 | DEN | CLE |
| 10 | SF | IND |
| 11 | LV | PHI |
| 12 | BAL | CIN |
| 13 | NYG | CAR |
| 14 | SEA | NO |
| 15 | IND | SF |
| 16 | ATL | MIA |
| 17 | MIA | ATL |
| 18 | PHI | LV |
| 19 | NYJ | NE |
| 20 | CIN | BAL |
| 21 | CHI | TB |
| 22 | WSH | GB |
| 23 | KC | TEN |
| 24 | TEN | KC |
| 25 | HOU | ARI |
| 26 | DET | LAR |
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2020, and we’re not stopping now. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.