Cleveland Browns and 3 Other Fantasy Football Week 4 Must-Start Defenses

There are several good starting defense options for fantasy football in Week 4. With that, here are four of the top defenses fantasy managers should be looking to plug into their lineups.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings, through three weeks, are D/ST1 in fantasy football. In Week 4, they could be set up for another big fantasy performance, with their opponent being the Miami Dolphins.

Miami, through three games, has had one of the worst offenses in the NFL. They are only averaging 12.0 points per game, which is tied for the lowest average in the NFL. That gives the Vikings a fairly high floor for Week 4 in fantasy. The Dolphins' offense could struggle even more in Week 4 and beyond after they lost their star RB De’Von Achane to a season-ending ACL tear.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks in Week 4 will be taking on an offense that has severely underperformed to start the 2026 season, the Los Angeles Chargers.

Through three games, QB for the Chargers, Justin Herbert, has been terrible. One of the main flaws in his game has been his inability to take care of the football. Through three games, he has thrown four interceptions. That is an area an elite secondary of Seattle could capitalize on. So far in 2026, they have four interceptions.

One bright spot of the Chargers' offense has been their run game. They are currently averaging the 12th most rushing yards per game in the NFL, 113.0. However that part of their game could get minimized against the Seahawks forcing them to have to air it out, bringing up more opportunities for Herbert to make mistakes. Seattle is currently allowing the sixth fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL, 87.0.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills, like the Seahawks, will also be taking on an offense in Week 4 that had extremely high expectations going into 2026 and has not lived up to them in the slightest: the New England Patriots.

The Patriots' offense has been a disaster, and it seems that, as of now, their QB, Drake Maye, after playing at an MVP-caliber level in 2025, has taken a massive step back. Through three games, he has a TD-to-INT ratio of 1-6.

The Bills to start 2026 have had a fairly poor passing defense, allowing the sixth most passing yards per game in the NFL, 254.3. However, Maye in Week 3 struggled against the Jaguars, throwing two INTs and just 199 passing yards. The Jaguars also have a poor passing defense on paper thus far, allowing the ninth-most passing yards per game, 235.7, and they were still able to perform against Maye. That should give fantasy managers all the confidence to insert the Bills defense into their starting lineups in Week 4.

The Jaguars in Week 3 against the Patriots finished as D/ST2 in fantasy.

Cleveland Browns

After a rough showing in Week 1, the Cleveland Browns defense has gotten back on track. They are a low-ownership defense with high upside that fantasy managers who are streaming D/ST can insert into their lineups confidently in Week 4.

At home in Week 3, the Browns held the Carolina Panthers' defense to a season-low 21 points. Their defense across the board is trending up, and they will have the benefit of playing in front of a home crowd again in Week 4 when they take on a team whose offense has been up and down so far in 2026: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, in 2025, when he took on the Browns at home, threw for just 168 passing yards and no TDs.

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