Defensive Team By Waiver Wire: Week 8

Oct 25, 2011
Defensive Team By Waiver Wire: Week 8

Texans

For those of you new to Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW), the strategy goes like this: Each week, you target a mediocre defense on the waiver wire, looking for a good matchup, preferably at home. You will typically get good defensive production without having to burn a semi-valuable pick on draft day. Or if you do draft a DT and they start to disappoint, you can use DTBWW the rest of the way.

I have been writing this feature for a couple of years (at another site) and in 2009, my top three weekly picks averaged DT5 numbers. In 2010, they averaged DT6 numbers. So the system works pretty well.
To be eligible, defenses have to be available on the waiver wire in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues. This ensures that we are talking about defenses that are readily available.
Let's see how we did last week:
1. Cowboys (9 fantasy points, DT14)
2. Raiders (4 fp, DT21)
3. Buccaneers (8 fp, DT16)
4. Browns (14 fp, DT4)
5. Broncos (10 fp, DT11)
Well... four of the five picks produced at least mediocre numbers. The Raiders laid an egg at home against the Chiefs, whose DT scored a surprising 35 fantasy points thanks to the dreadful Kyle Boller/Carson Palmer combo. It also didn't help that Darren McFadden left the game early.
On the season, DTBWW is averaging 10.0 fantasy points, which are DT8 numbers.
Let's take a look at Week 8:
Texans (vs. JAX)
Houston owns the #9 fantasy DT right now and they have a home date with Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars' shaky offense.
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