It happens every year where fantasy football managers are worried about potential busts. But don’t let that distract you from picking the right defense, and the Denver Broncos outpace the crowd this week. Here are the ClutchPoints fantasy football defense/special teams rankings for Week 4 of the 2025 season.
The Broncos have a dream matchup against the Bengals, who played their part in one of the greatest fantasy defense performances of all time. The Bengals made the Vikings look like the ‘85 Bears. And they’ll make the Broncos look lovely this week.
Top Fantasy Football picks
Let’s be real. The Bengals have no shot because the Broncos are desperate. And a desperate defense brings the kind of heat that wilts even decent quarterbacks. Jake Browning of the Bengals is not even decent.
He has chucked up an NFL-high five interceptions thus far. And because the Bengals have to try to get the ball to Ja’Marr Chase, they have to keep throwing it. And here comes that Denver pass rush. Oh my.
The Broncos had five sacks, seven passes defended, an interception, and a fumble recovery against a good Chargers offense. What will it do to the struggling Bengals? Cha-ching.
Denver is hurting, and that adds to their fantasy defensive fire. Payton said the Broncos are coming off a mixed bag, according to denversports.com.
Sean Payton says Broncos ‘got to get better fast' after another walk-off loss
“Obviously, a disappointing finish to a hard-fought game,” Payton said. “There were a lot of things we did well. And then there we some things we obviously didn’t do as well. We had too many penalties.
“The penalties are what we’re doing. But look, there [were] a handful of things. We’ll look at the film tomorrow, and I’m referencing minus plays, that we’ll be frustrated with.”
Frustration. Poor Bengals. The Broncos are a must-use unit in Week 4.
Buffalo Bills' defense is another good choice
The next-best choice is Buffalo. The Bills have a beautiful home matchup against the pitiful Saints. Kellen Moore is already looking shaky as a head coach. And his team’s performance last week against the Seahawks should have the Bills’ defenders salivating.
The Bills aren’t desperate like the Broncos, but they are itching to see the defense get better, according to atozsports.com
“Overall, again, you’re looking to improve in every area,” McDermott said. “Whether it’s an individual player, I know Greg is committed to that. He’s one of our hardest workers, a very conscientious young man, and a big part of our team. Overall, as a team, we’re looking to do the same. But the pass rush is needed, just talking generally speaking, and my philosophy is you’ve got to be able to get there with your front four. And our coverage needs to work in tandem with them. That’s going to be a key piece for our team, not just our defense but our team moving forward.”
Use the Bills this week and relax.
Other standouts
After what the Detroit Lions did to Lamar Jackson, it’s easy to like their chances against Joe Flacco. The Lions took Jackson down seven times and have 11 sacks over the last two weeks.
And here’s the thing: The Lions are going to get a very big lead in this game. That means Cleveland will have to throw the ball often. And that means sacks and turnovers.
Another team to watch is the Chargers. They are traveling across the country, but they’ll face a team that decided not to use Malik Nabers against the Chiefs, turning him into window dressing. That’s poor coaching at its highest level. And there is a reason to believe the Chargers will take full advantage of this overall weakness.
Fantasy Football sleepers
Many people will look at the Cowboys’ offense and not be enthusiastic about starting the Packers. However, with CeeDee Lamb out of the lineup, the Packers’ defense has a chance to make noise.
The reason the Packers aren’t rated higher is that the Cowboys will likely use a conservative game plan. Brian Schottenheimer likes to run the football, and this could be a week where the run-pass mix tilts heavily toward the ground. That’s fewer opportunities for Micah Parsons and company.
But if the Packers can stop the ground attack and force the Cowboys into passing situations, it creates opportunities for big plays. The Packers can double down on George Pickens and force Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to use lesser weapons or hold the football.
A sneaky sleeper is New England. Don’t put too much stock into the Panthers’ destruction of the Falcons. Their defense had no sacks. It was a matter of the Falcons playing awful. The Patriots could rack up some defensive points this week.
Fantasy Football Week 4 Defense Rankings
1. Denver Broncos (DEN) vs. CIN
2. Buffalo Bills (BUF) vs. NO
3. Detroit Lions (DET) vs. CLE
4. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) at NYG
5. Green Bay Packers (GB) at DAL
6. Houston Texans (HOU) vs. TEN
7. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) at PIT
8. New England Patriots (NE) vs. CAR
9. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) at ARI
10. San Francisco 49ers (SF) vs. JAC
11. New York Jets (NYJ) at MIA
12. Philadelphia Eagles (PHI) at TB
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) vs MIN
14. Washington Commanders (WAS) at ATL
15. Arizona Cardinals (ARI) vs. SEA
