Weekly Fantasy Football - Week 5 Defense Picks

Week 5 marks the first week of byes, which limits the available fantasy players this week. Baltimore, which has been the only dominant defense through 4 weeks, is off. There are not too many other defenses that you can be confident in no matter the opponent. The best advice may be stay away from whoever is playing Aaron Rodgers.

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Week 5

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1. New York Giants

The Giants have a great defensive line, and although they have given up a lot of points, they should be able to force Tarvaris Jackson into mistakes and turnovers. The Giants have 8 takeaways, and they should have a strong game against the 30th ranked Seattle offense.

2. Cincinnati

The Bengals are surprisingly leading the league in total defense giving up only 275 yards per game. Their solid defense stepped up to knock off the undefeated Bills in week 4, and should have an easier time against Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars in week 5. Jacksonville has scored the least points in the league at only 9.8 points per game, and the Bengals should be able to shut them down.

3. Detroit

Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford are getting most of the pub for Detroit's 4-0 start, but their defense has been impressive in its own right. After starting out slow, they have only allowed 13 total points in the second half against the Vikings and Cowboys. They also had two TD's on picks against Tony Romo in week 4. Look for the Lions front to pressure Jay Cutler, who is prone to bad decisions.

4. New York Jets

It is generally not wise to pick a defense that is going to New England to face Tom Brady. However, Rex Ryan and the Jets have contained the Patriots offense better than any other team the past two years, including a brilliant performance in the playoffs last year. The Jets have been the second best fantasy defense behind the Ravens, and could frustrate Tom Brady this week.

5. Tennessee

The Titans have the best scoring defense in the league, giving up only 14 points per game, just ahead of 14.3 from the Ravens. This week they go to Pittsburgh, a team that looks much weaker than the super bowl team from last year. Mike Wallace is dangerous, but overall the Steelers have struggled to score. This one should be a defensive struggle.

Sleeper: Houston

After having one of the worst defenses in the league for the last several years, the Texans look much more physical than they ever have. They rank 4th in scoring defense giving up only 17.5 points per game. Although they are not great against the rush, if they can get ahead of Oakland early, it might force Jason Campell to attempt to bring the Raiders back.

Weekly Fantasy Football - Week 5 Defense Picks

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Weekly Fantasy Football - Week 1 Defense Picks

The key to picking a weekly fantasy defense comes down to both teams offense. You want a good offense playing against a weak team, preferably with a young QB. The Browns, Bengals, and Panthers are great matchups each week.

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Scoring defensive fantasy points is semi random, but you can increase your chance of a defensive TD if your team gets the lead, and forces the opponent to play from behind. Your odds get even better if you are matching up against a mistake prone quarterback. If David Carr is ever scheduled to play, grab that defensive matchup in the first round.

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For Week 1:

1. NY Giants

The giants have a solid defense with an elite defensive line, going against Rex Grossman and several position players worse than he is. I am not sure anyone predicted Grossman and Tim Hightower would be a starting backfield for the first week of 2011. As long as the G Men keep Santana Moss in front of them, this could be an eight sack shutout. Grossman is also good for at least a couple interceptions.

2. Texans

Throw this pick away if Peyton Manning shows up, but as of Tuesday, he is not expected to play. The Texans are perpetually overrated and have a pretty bad secondary, but I will take them against an offense of Kerry Collins and Pierre Garcon. If Matt Schaub and Arian Foster can get an early lead, Kerry Collins may be forced to air it out, which is great for the Texans Defense.

3. Cardinals

Not a great week to week pick. But you only get to play against a rookie quarterback making his first ever start once. The Cardinals should be able to do enough to confuse a young but promising Cam Newton. Also, if Kevin Kolb and Larry Fitzgerald put up a few TD's against a bad Carolina defense, the rookie QB could be forced into comeback mode.

4. Patriots

Weird things tend to happen on Monday Night Football, but I like my chances with a solid Patriots defense against Chad Henne and the Dolphins. The Dolphins are creative with their wildcat and other packages, but they will have to take a lot of chances to have a hope of keeping up with Tom Brady. That often leads to turnovers.

5. Steelers

I don't love the matchup with the Ravens, but they are a great D, and Polamalu is worth about five fantasy points by himself.

Sleeper: Browns

I don't like the team, but I love the matchup. The Bengals will be the worst offense in the league this year. They are starting a rookie 2nd rounder at quarterback in Andy Dalton, and quick... Name the Bengals top 3 receivers? Jerome Simpson, A.J. Green, Ryan Whalen. The Bengals will really be a great pick when they get to play the Steelers and Ravens.

Weekly Fantasy Football - Week 1 Defense Picks

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