Fantasy football defenses, despite going in the back end of fantasy drafts, can make or break weekly fantasy matchups. With that, here are four defenses that no fantasy football manager should be thinking of putting in their starting lineup for Week 4 of the NFL season.
Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes the ball under pressure from Atlanta Falcons defensive end Cameron Thomas (99) on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Falcons won the game, 35-14.
Tork Mason/Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Atlanta Falcons’ defense had some good moments in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. But going into Week 4, those moments should be minimal against a red-hot New Orleans Saints offense.
Through three weeks, the Saints are averaging the 11th most points per game in the NFL, 27.0. A big part of their success has been how they have been able to impact games through the air. They are averaging the third most passing yards per game in the NFL, 281.3. That happens to be one of Atlanta’s primary weak spots as a defensive unit. They are currently allowing the fourth most passing yards per game, 263.0.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) screams after recovering a fumble in the second quarter in an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, September 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Jacksonville Jaguars may look like an intriguing defense to start in Week 4 after what they did in Week 3. Against the New England Patriots, they finished as D/ST2 in fantasy for Week 3. Do not take that bait.
The Patriots have had one of the worst offenses in the league this season. They are currently tied with the Miami Dolphins for averaging the fewest points per game in the NFL: 12.0. The Jaguars will go from facing that level of offense to one of the best offenses the NFL has to offer in Week 4: the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals are averaging the 12th most points per game in the NFL, 26.7. Also, of the three teams they have played so far this season, only one team finished inside the top-13 defense points rankings in fantasy the week they faced them.
Las Vegas Raiders
Aug 27, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Adam Butler (69) and Maxx Crosby (98) on the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Las Vegas Raiders may have a 3-0 record, but their Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs spells a fantasy disaster.
The Chiefs will be the toughest team that Las Vegas has played yet. They have taken on two of the worst offenses in the NFL thus far, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Miami Dolphins, and one of the better ones, the Saints. Having not played multiple offenses at or near the caliber of the Chiefs’ should lead to some struggles for the Raiders’ defense.
Out of the Chiefs’ three opponents so far in 2026, the one who had the highest D/ST ranking the week they played them was the Denver Broncos in Week 1, who were D/ST19.
Tennessee Titans
Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray (33) breaks up the pass thrown to Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Tennessee Titans were able to finish as D/ST10 in Week 3 against the New York Giants. But a lot of that was due to the weather conditions of the game, limiting the output of both offenses. In Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, their flaws as a unit should show up as big as they have so far in 2026.
The Titans are awful at limiting the run. They are currently allowing the ninth-most rushing yards per game in the NFL, 126.3. They will bring that form up against the Ravens, who are currently averaging the third-most rushing yards per game in the NFL, 167.3. Their RB1, Derrick Henry, will also have some extra motivation, as it will be his first time playing against his former team in his career.
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