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Defense is often the last place many of us go to finish up building our lineups on DraftKings, but getting points out of that position can change the entire slate. Just look at what the 49ers (27 DKFP) and Titans (23 DKFP) were able to do in Week 1.
Here are my three favorite D/ST to target for the 13-game Week 2 main slate on DK:
New England Patriots (@MIA) — $3,700
This is more of an obvious one, but it’s a good place to look for a defense in cash games if you can save enough salary to roster them. The Pats were extremely solid against the Steelers in Week 1, holding them to just three points. The 10 DKFP weren’t anything spectacular, but a matchup against Miami’s offense gives any D/ST ceiling a huge boost.
The Ravens D/ST intercepted the Dolphins twice, recovered a fumble and recorded three sacks, while holding them to just 10 points (13 DKFP). Not that it contributed to their fantasy output, but Baltimore also held Miami to exactly 200 yards of offense.
The Patriots are favored by a ridiculous 18.5 points on the road here, yet the total sits at just 48.5. That leaves the Dolphins with an implied team total of 15 points. Look for the Patriots to force more turnovers/sacks in this one.
Buffalo Bills (@NYG) —$3,400
The Bills allowed just one offensive touchdown to the Jets in Week 1, and will travel right back to the same stadium to face a Giants offense that looked pretty rusty in the opener at Dallas. Buffalo managed four sacks and one turnover against the Jets, so there’s some upside to add points outside of limiting the Giants’ total on the scoreboard.
The total in this game is set at just 43.5, with the Bills favored by 1.5. If it stays tight, this has the feel of the 17-16 game that Buffalo won last week. The public may be attracted to that Titans D/ST after the big Week 1, so the Bills could be a good pivot play (even off the Patriots).
Denver Broncos (vs. CHI) — $2,700
This salary was released prior to Denver’s Week 1 game, but they didn’t look great in it. They scored 0.0 DKFP in Oakland, and didn’t look like the unit we saw in preseason. That may scare people away from rostering the Broncos, but I think they’re in a tremendous spot this week.
The total here is set at just 40 points, and let’s not forget how putrid the Bears looked at home in Week 1 — scoring just three points against the Packers. Green Bay also got five sacks in that game, consistently getting QB pressure. Denver’s in a bounce-back spot at home, in a place that statistically is an even bigger home field advantage earlier in the season. Look for Von Miller and Bradley Chubb to be significantly more involved in this one.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.