3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 18

Picking a defense can be an overlooked part of playing daily fantasy football on FanDuel. It makes sense, too, as D/STs rarely produce huge outputs.

However, we still need to give a lot of thought to which defense we roster, and there's definitely an edge to be had if you hit on a D/ST.

With that in mind, here are three defenses to have on your radar for this week's main slate.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

NFL DFS Defenses to Target for Week 18

Dallas D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

The Dallas Cowboys' D/ST, which has the second-most fantasy points on the season, is facing the Washington Commanders, who has numberFire's sixth-worst schedule-adjusted offense. In the final week of the regular season, several teams will likely rest starters. However, that will not be the case for the Cowboys, as they are looking to clinch the NFC East with a win. According to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL divisional odds, Dallas is -1350 to win the division.

Whether it's Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett starting at quarterback, Washington lacks an efficient passing game with numberFire's seventh-worst schedule-adjusted passing unit. This plays right into the Cowboys' strengths, as they have sixth-best passing defense. Additionally, the Commanders have given up the fourth-most sacks in the league, and Dallas has ESPN's best pass rush win rate.

After back-to-back games with no takeaways, the Cowboys snagged two interceptions in Week 17. Washington has thrown at least one pick in six consecutive games and has recorded two interceptions in back-to-back contests.

Dallas' D has the highest salary on Sunday, but with their ability to generate sacks and turnovers, this could be easy fantasy points against the Commanders' struggling offense.

New York Jets D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,600

Finding consistent units is key for selecting fantasy defenses. The New York Jets have been exactly that over their last six games with five top-10 weekly finishes. There's good reason to think the Jets will finish the season with another good defensive showing as they visit the New England Patriots.

Of course, New England's offense has been like a horror story for most of the season, ranking second-to-last in numberFire's adjusted offense rating. Plus, the Pats have the ninth-worst rushing attack and third-worst passing offense. Bailey Zappe will finish the season as the starting quarterback; he has -0.36 expected points added per dropback (EPA/DB) on the season and posted -0.56 EPA/DB in Week 17.

The Jets should have the passing game under wraps with the fifth-best schedule-adjusted passing defense. New York also totals the 10th-most takeaways per game, and the Patriots average the 7th-most giveaways per contest. Zappe threw three interceptions in Week 17, as well.

New England averages the fewest points per game at 14.6 while dealing with brutal turnover tendencies. New York has a nose for the ball, which should yield success for a fantasy play.

Las Vegas D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

To round out our top defenses for the NFL's regular season finale, let's target a low-salary unit. The Las Vegas Raiders' defense has taken off since Antonio Pierce took over as the interim coach. Las Vegas' D/ST has now scored the sixth-most fantasy points on the season.

The unit comes off a brutal showing, finishing 29th in weekly rankings. But we cannot overlook the previous finishes; the defense had the seventh-most points in Week 14 and the most points in Week 15 and Week 16. When looking at Week 18's opponent, the Raiders seem like a sneaky good fantasy play.

Las Vegas will close out their 2023 season with a divisional battle against the Denver Broncos. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, and Denver even opted to bench Russell Wilson last week. Jarrett Stidham will likely start once again after posting 0.03 EPA/DB in Week 17.

The Broncos like to lean on the run, as they attempt the fourth-fewest passes per game. The Raiders have the seventh-best run stuff rate in the league. If Las Vegas slows the run, this should be a low-scoring contest.

The Raiders have also totaled at least three sacks in three of their previous four games, and opponents are averaging 3.0 sacks over the last three games against Denver.

A low-scoring game and sacks could fuel a solid outing for Las Vegas' D/ST.

Looking to build some NFL DFS lineups? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.