Week 11 Rankings (2020): Top 15 Defenses

by Ray Kuhn

At this point we know the drill. Mitigating risk is more important than upside and it’s all about maximizing turnovers and sacks if it is scoring potential you are after. Let’s take a look at how our options rank for this week:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – at Jacksonville
2. Miami Dolphins – at Denver
3. Cleveland Browns – vs. Philadelphia
4. Washington Football Team – vs. Cincinnati
5. Baltimore Ravens – vs. Tennessee
6. Philadelphia Eagles – at Cleveland
7. Los Angeles Chargers – vs. NY Jets
8. Minnesota Vikings – vs. Dallas
9. Houston Texans – vs. New England
10. Indianapolis Colts – vs. Green Bay
11. Carolina Panthers – vs. Detroit
12. Kansas City Chiefs – at Las Vegas
13. Denver Broncos – vs. Miami
14. Cincinnati Bengals – at Washington
15. Detroit Lions – at Carolina

Thoughts:

• We know that the Jets are giving the most points up to opposing defenses so far this season and they are simply a mess, but with Joe Flacco under center this week and all three of the Jets’ receiving options back and healthy maybe they aren’t as bad as the previously were? On the other side of the field the Chargers have been underwhelming as of late with three sacks in their last three games and 16 for the season. With just four interceptions and four fumble recoveries the upside is limited in the turnover department as well. There is still value in targeting the Jets, and it won’t lead to negative points, but it isn’t as much of a no brainer as previously thought.
• A surprising entrant into the Top 10 of defenses this season is Miami. With 182 points allowed through nine games, on average the risk is minimized and with 22 sacks they have shown the ability to get to the quarterback and create pressure. Last week the Denver offense struggled, and with Drew Lock injured they likely will be turning to Brett Rypien, and the opportunity is there for the Dolphins to build on the eight interceptions they have registered.
• One of the better performances last week from a fantasy perspective came from a Minnesota team that has struggled so far this season. It was more about the opponent, Nick Foles and the Bears, than anything else but that trend should continue. While the Cowboys are coming off their bye week and have some elite and explosive offensive weapons, Andy Dalton will likely be in more of a game manager role and that should help the Vikings. With seven interceptions and 18 sacks the upside is limited, but they should put up a solid performance and at 41% ownership in ESPN leagues they are available.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 11 rankings: