There wasn't anything particularly shocking about the fantasy performances of defenses in Week 2. As always, targeting Bryce Young and the Panthers' offense remains a top-tier streaming strategy. It was unusual to see Tua Tagovailoa throw three interceptions to the Bills' defense (before exiting with a concussion), but Buffalo's 18 fantasy points aren't anything that pops off the page.
One defense has been consistently dominant in both games this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers held the Falcons to just 10 points in Week 1 and had Bo Nix in a blender in Week 2. They seem to be one of the few defenses that you can rely on week in and week out in fantasy football.
Our findings from the first two weeks of the season were crucial in developing our Week 3 rankings. Whether you choose to stream a defense each week or you're consistently rolling with a unit like the Steelers, we've got you covered with rankings for all 32 defenses as we head into Week 3.
WEEK 3 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 3: Who to start, sit at D/ST
These rankings were updated on Sept. 22, but check back often as they will be updated up until kickoff on Sunday.
Teams who have already played are in italics.
| RANK | TEAM | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | vs. LAC |
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | at LAR |
| 3 | Cleveland Browns | vs. NYG |
| 4 | Los Angeles Chargers | at PIT |
| 5 | Las Vegas Raiders | vs. CAR |
| 6 | New York Jets | vs. NE |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks | vs. MIA |
| 8 | Chicago Bears | at IND |
| 9 | Buffalo Bills | vs. JAC |
| 10 | New England Patriots | at NYJ |
| 11 | Green Bay Packers | at TEN |
| 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | at ATL |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | vs. DEN |
| 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | vs. WAS |
| 15 | Minnesota Vikings | vs. HOU |
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | vs. GB |
| 17 | Houston Texans | at MIN |
| 18 | Denver Broncos | at TB |
| 19 | Indianapolis Colts | vs. CHI |
| 20 | Detroit Lions | at ARI |
| 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | at NO |
| 22 | New York Giants | at CLE |
| 23 | Baltimore Ravens | at DAL |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | at BUF |
| 25 | Dallas Cowboys | vs. BAL |
| 26 | Arizona Cardinals | vs. DET |
| 27 | New Orleans Saints | vs. PHI |
| 28 | Washington Commanders | at CIN |
| 29 | Atlanta Falcons | vs. KC |
| 30 | Miami Dolphins | at SEA |
| 31 | Los Angeles Rams | vs. SF |
| 32 | Carolina Panthers | at LV |
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 3?
After all the Steelers discussion, it's not exactly surprising to see them as our No. 3 option for this week. The Steelers are loaded across the board on defense with talents like T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joey Porter Jr., Cam Heyward, and Patrick Queen. They are going to be involved in a battle in the trenches with the Chargers' offensive line next week. We expect the Steelers to come out on top.
The other big trend from Weeks 1 & 2 is carrying over into our Week 3 rankings. Following a tough Week 2 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, the Las Vegas Raiders should be available on the waiver wire in most leagues. The Raiders will host the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, making them a top-tier streaming option that should be widely available.
The Green Bay Packers proved that if you keep the Colts' wide receivers from getting open downfield, it's possible to contain Anthony Richardson and the Colts' offense. The Packers' defensive backs kept Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell in front of them and held Indianapolis to just 10 points. The Bears get the Colts in Week 3. The Bears feature an elite cornerback duo in Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson who should be able to keep Richardson's arm in check.
Waiver Wire advice: Breaking down the top pickups for Week 3
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers in Week 3?
The New England Patriots may not have a great outlook as a team, but Patriots fans should be happy with the state of their defense. They have been able to hold two strong offenses, the Bengals and Seahawks, to modest totals in their first two games of the year. Aaron Rodgers and the Jets' slow, methodical offense has looked suspect at times and could easily struggle against New England.
Moving from an offense led by the most veteran quarterback in the league to one led by a second-year QB, we'll be looking to target Will Levis this week. The Green Bay Packers have the privilege of playing the Tennessee Titans this week. Tennessee has yet to score 20 points this season and Will Levis looks like a quarterback who could be benched at any moment. The Titans are quickly becoming an offense to target for managers who stream defenses.