3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 2

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.

Dallas D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,500

The Dallas D/ST nuked the New York Giants in Week 1, and they could do something similar to Zach Wilson and the New York Jets this week.

Dallas' pass rush is talented and deep, and they should be able to make life miserable for Wilson, who has 19 picks and 6 fumbles over 22 career starts. Plus, this game is in Dallas, which only boosts the Cowboys' outlook.

Wilson is a laughable -250 to throw a pick.

All the boxes are checked for the Dallas D/ST; the only negatives are the fairly high salary and their likely popularity. But this defense is capable of a monster fantasy performance.

numberFire projects them for 9.7 FanDuel points, 0.7 more than any other defense.

Tampa Bay D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,100

Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears' offense helped the Packers' defense amass four sacks, one pick, one forced fumble and one touchdown in Week 1 -- and that game was in Chicago.

In Week 2, the Bears are on the road at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Tampa D/ST is an excellent option.

After an offseason of positive buzz, Fields struggled mightily in Week 1. The Bucs, meanwhile, played pretty well in their opener at Minnesota and are 2.5-point favorites in this one. If Tampa is able to get a lead and generate points versus a blah Bears defense, they could force Fields into a lot of drop backs, which is exactly what we want.

According to numberFire's model, Tampa Bay projects for 8.9 FanDuel points and is the second-best point-per-dollar D/ST.

Houston D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,400

As I said a week ago, I like going with a low-salary D/ST when possible, and last week's pick -- the Tampa Bay D/ST -- came through with a solid 9.0 FanDuel points.

This week, if you're looking to save salary at defense, the Houston D/ST makes some sense.

Houston is at home against Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts. Richardson looked pretty darn good in his debut and might be in for a solid rookie season, but this is still a rookie QB making his first road start.

You know who else looked surprisingly decent in Week 1? Houston's defense.

The Texans racked up four sacks and two turnovers on the road versus the Baltimore Ravens. This unit may not be that bad under the guidance of first-year skipper DeMeco Ryans.

Per numberFire's projections, Houston is the top point-per-dollar play at D/ST with a projection of 7.6 FanDuel points.

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.