Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Defenses (Week 3)

Check out our top waiver wire targets for Week 3 of the 2022 fantasy football season. Check out the defenses you should consider bidding on for this week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Dallas Cowboys: 41% rostered

• Next opponents: @NYG, WAS, @LAR
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: The Dallas defense lead the league in fantasy scoring last season and has acquitted itself very well thus far in 2022 against the Buccaneers and Bengals, two high-quality offenses. Now the Cowboys face turnover-prone Daniel Jones and the Giants. Obviously, it’s not ideal that the Cowboys are being quarterbacked by Cooper Rush and won’t be able to keep opponents off the field with a lot of long, sustained drives. Still, the Cowboys are a solid streaming option.

Kansas City Chiefs: 36% rostered

• Next opponents: @IND, @TB, LV
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: It’s not a coincidence that the Chiefs have been a top-12 defense in fantasy scoring in each of Patrick Mahomes‘ four seasons as a starter. Mahomes and the Kansas City offense put pressure on opposing offenses to keep pace. That means forcing opponents to throw, and more throwing by opponents means more opportunities for sacks and interceptions. This week, the Chiefs D gets a matchup against a Colts offense that was shut out by the Jaguars last week. Yes, it was an uncharacteristically poor performance by the Indianapolis offense, but the Colts shouldn’t be particularly hard to defend in Week 3 if their only quality wide receiver, Michael Pittman, remains sidelined with a quad injury.

Philadelphia Eagles: 36% rostered

• Next opponents: @WAS, JAC, @ARI
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Carson Wentz has already thrown seven TD passes, but he’s also thrown three interceptions and has eaten six sacks. The Eagles are a solid streaming in Week 3 and might also be playable in Weeks 4-6 against the Jaguars, Cardinals and Cowboys.

New York Giants: 6% rostered

• Next opponents: DAL, CHI, @GB
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: NA
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: The NYG defense hasn’t scored a lot of fantasy points yet, but it’s held each of its first two opponents, the Titans and Panthers, to 20 or fewer points. No. 5 overall draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux should return from a knee sprain soon to add teeth to the Giants’ pass rush, and the schedule is favorable the next two weeks against the Cowboys (now being quarterbacked by Cooper Rush) and Bears.

Seattle Seahawks: 2% rostered

• Next opponents: ATL, @DET, @NO
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $NA
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: This isn’t a high-quality defense by any means, but you could almost certainly sneak them through waivers with a $0 or $1 bid this week and have a chance for a decent Week 3 output thanks to Seattle’s Week 3 home date with the lowly Falcons.