We’re just two weeks into the 2024 fantasy football season, and it’s important not to get too caught up in the early-season trap of reading too much into a small sample size. That’s as true on defense as it is at quarterback or running back. But there are a few things we can say with a fair amount of certainty.
There are at least a few matchups for fantasy managers to attack with team defenses. The New York Giants looked better offensively in Week 2 than in the opener, but that likely had more to do with a bad Commanders defense than improvement by Big Blue. The Carolina Panthers are most assuredly a matchup to target – the Panthers have been so gross offensively that first-year head coach Dave Canales decided that starting Andy Dalton at quarterback was a good idea.
But there have been surprises as well – after a dominant performance in Cleveland in Week 1, the vaunted Dallas defense was scorched to the tune of well over 400 yards of offense and 44 points by the New Orleans Saints – at home. After being stunned by the Las Vegas Raiders at home, the 0-2 Baltimore Ravens are barely ranked inside the top-20 fantasy defenses.
Now, some of these things will change – the Ravens and Cowboys will probably improve. The Panthers and Giants will probably not. But until we get a month or so into the season, defensive matchups are admittedly something of speculative exercise.
Of course, who doesn’t love some good old speculation?
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THE NO-DOUBTERS
Cleveland Browns (vs. New York Giants)
Week 1 didn’t go especially well for the Browns defense, although some of the blame for the 33 points the team gave up lies at the feet of an offense that was unable to do anything. But last week in Jacksonville, the No. 1 defense in terms of yards allowed last year got…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/getting-defensive-week-3-2024-074915915.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-17 07:49:15
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