Fantasy Football Week 2: 5 Defensive Matchups To Consider

Some may say that the Tampa Bay defense didn't look good in their game against the Cam Newton-less Carolina Panthers and they definitely underachieved in their 20-14 loss. However, the gun-slinging tendencies of Derek Anderson were ideal to exploit the open pockets typically left in a Cover 2 defense. This week's matchup is more favorable against the St. Louis Rams and Austin Davis, the likely starter, will not be able to pick them apart at all.

In my opinion, the Tennessee Titans will be the surprise playoff team this season. Not only do they have what seems to be an underrated offense, but they also have an underrated defense that seems to be vastly improved from the arrival of Ray Horton and his 3-4 scheme. They are going to blitz and pressure Tony Romo from different angles and have a great chance to limit Dallas to under 20 points along with four-plus sacks and two INTs.

Despite losing Jadeveon Clowney during their Week 1 game against the Washington Redskins, the Texans imposed their will and dominance on them defensively. J.J. Watt, Brian Cushing and the rest of their attack-heavy 3-4 defense, generated three sacks, 12 QB hits and 12 QB hurries. They square off against the Oakland Raiders this Sunday who had a hard time containing a strong New York Jets defense. This makes Houston an excellent Week 2 defense.

Despite giving up 37 points to the Atlanta Falcons last week, the Saints' defense was actually better than they appeared. The one glaring weakness they displayed was their ineffectiveness in pass coverage and that is a weakness you don't want to have against Atlanta. The Saints face the Cleveland Browns this weekend and should have a much easier time defending the limited passing attack of the Browns while maintaining a solid run defense.

I know that choosing Seattle seems like an obvious choice, but it's not as obvious as it seems since they tend to perform differently in road games. However, with limited offensive options to worry about from the San Diego Chargers, the Seahawks should be able to handle Philip Rivers and company easily. I have them projected to give up less than 17 points with five sacks, at least one INT and at least one defensive TD.