Having a three-game sample size gives us fantasy football managers a great idea of what matchups we should target.
Barring unique circumstances, sarting the same defensive team/special teams (D/ST) unit every week is ill-advised.
Chase favorable matchups. It does not matter if you have the best NFL defense in fantasy; it matters who they play.
Here are our Week 4 D/ST fantasy rankings, best starts and sleepers, and some matchups to avoid.
Find many of our favorite D/ST pickups in the Week 4 waiver wire.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 4: Who to start, sit at D/ST
| Rk | Team Defense | OPP |
| 1 | Denver Broncos | CIN |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | NO |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | @PIT |
| 4 | Washington Commanders | @ATL |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | JAX |
| 6 | Arizona Cardinals | SEA |
| 7 | Detroit Lions | CLE |
| 8 | Green Bay Packers | @DAL |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | MIN |
| 10 | New England Patriots | CAR |
| 11 | Baltimore Ravens | @KC |
| 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | @TB |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | PHI |
| 14 | Los Angeles Chargers | @NYG |
| 15 | Seattle Seahawks | @ARI |
| 16 | Los Angeles Rams | IND |
| 17 | Atlanta Falcons | WAS |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | BAL |
| 19 | Dallas Cowboys | GB |
| 20 | Chicago Bears | @LV |
| 21 | Houston Texans | TEN |
| 22 | New York Jets | @MIA |
| 23 | Cleveland Browns | @DET |
| 24 | Indianapolis Colts | @LAR |
| 25 | Las Vegas Raiders | CHI |
| 26 | Carolina Panthers | @NE |
| 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | @SF |
| 28 | Tennessee Titans | @HOU |
| 29 | New York Giants | LAC |
| 30 | Miami Dolphins | NYJ |
| 31 | Cincinnati Bengals | @DEN |
| 32 | New Orleans Saints | @BUF |
Click for our full group of fantasy football weekly rankings.
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 4?
There's no doubt that the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills have the two best matchups in Week 4. The Broncos get to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who just got embarrassed by the Vikings. Jake Browning looked horrendous and turned the ball over a ton in Week 3.
Then the Bills will face the New Orleans Saints, a team that got throttled by Seattle on the road. Spencer Rattler, if he starts, will now travel to Buffalo after looking rattled in his first road start of 2025 in Week 3.
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers in Week 4?
The Baltimore Ravens might be avoided this week due to the fact that they play the Kansas City Chiefs. But do not let the matchup fool you; while it is Mahomes vs Jackson, the Chiefs' offense has been in disarray. thus far. This game will not be like the Week 1 matchup vs the Bills; the Ravens are actually a great start in Week 4.
The Tennessee Titans have had a rough start to the 2025 season, but their defensive unit has battled. The Houston Texans, who the Titans will face in Week 4, have had tremendous struggles protecting C.J. Stroud. The Titans could be a sneaky good play in Week 4.
Defenses to avoid in Week 4 of fantasy football
In fitting fashion, I want absolutely nothing to do with the Saints or Bengals defense in Week 4. Both face solid offensive units and should get handled in their respective games.
The Falcons, after coming off an excellent showing in Week 2, got crushed by the Carolina Panthers. Now, it was more the offense for the Falcons that got exposed, but the Falcons' D/ST still offers little confidence in Week 4.
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