3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 4

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.

San Francisco D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,700

The San Francisco 49ers' defense gets a delightful home matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

Through three weeks, Arizona hasn't been the dumpster fire many were expecting. With that said, Joshua Dobbs and the Cards are facing a tall task this week.

The Niners might be the best team in the NFL, and San Fran is a whopping 14.0-point favorite, per the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Dobbs hasn't yet been in a situation this year where Arizona has had to resort to a pass-heavy offense due to a negative game script -- there's a good chance that's exactly what happens versus the Niners on Sunday.

That should play right into the hands of a 49ers defense that is among the league's elite, allowing the third-fewest yards per play (4.2) while picking off five passes and racking up the fifth-best hurry rate (15.0%).

New Orleans D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $4,500

In Week 3, Baker Mayfield faced a quality defense for the first time this year and looked a lot like Baker Mayfield, throwing for only 146 yards and tossing a pick in a difficult matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mayfield has another rough matchup in Week 4, hitting the road to face the New Orleans Saints. That makes the Saints' D/ST an appealing play.

The Saints' defense has been stingy so far in 2023, permitting the seventh-fewest yards per play (4.7) and fifth-fewest net yards per pass attempt (4.7) while totaling four interceptions.

numberFire's model projects the Saints' D/ST to score 8.7 points, the third-most of the slate, and with San Fran at close to the same salary, New Orleans could slip through the cracks.

Houston D/ST

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

I'm usually pretty good at talking myself into a lower-salary defense. I had a hard time doing it this week. However, the Houston Texans' D/ST is fairly interesting.

The Texans are at home versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kenny Pickett generated some positive buzz this offseason, but he's mostly stunk through three games, ranking 25th or lower in all of passer rating, QBR and adjusted net yards per attempt.

While Houston's defense is a blah unit, they should be able to do some things against a Pittsburgh offensive line that's allowing an NFL-worst 36.0% pressure rate on drop backs.

There's a chance the Steelers get out front, resulting in Pickett not having to throw much -- that's the worst-case scenario for the Texans' D/ST. But with Houston just a 3.0-point 'dog, it's far from a lock that Pittsburgh's offense sees a positive game script.

All in all, I'm willing to roll the dice on Houston if I'm trying to save salary at 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.