Top daily fantasy football defense plays over $3,000 in Week 10

Generally, I prefer paying down at D/ST because the outcomes can be so random. But if you have the salary leftover, spending it on a solid defense can payoff. Here are three plays at DraftKings over $3,000 that could put you in the green on the Week 10 main slate.

Ravens ($4,000) at CIN

This is the obvious play this week in terms of overall rankings, but paying $4,000 on DK is pretty expensive. You’ll need to have a contrarian build to your lineup, with an extra value play in there to pay up at D/ST, which is risky. But after a shaky start, Baltimore has turned a corner on defense — scoring 18 DKFP in Seattle, and 13 DKFP versus New England in its last two games. The Bengals are turning to rookie quarterback Ryan Finley out of the bye, so it’s tough to know what to expect here. Finley should have some growing pains and make some mistakes that the Ravens can capitalize on.

Colts ($3,500) vs. MIA

I’ll admit that the Dolphins have improved as the season’s progressed, covering four spreads in a row now. But this is still a difficult road game against a good defense. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a risk taker, especially when playing from behind — which should be the case as 11.5-point underdogs. Colts D/ST has scored 7.0-plus DKFP in four straight games, and should be in a good spot to score double-digits in Week 10.

Bears ($3,100) vs. DET

To be honest, I’m probably only looking at the two defenses above if I’m paying up. Only six of the 20 D/ST plays on the slate are $3,000 or more, and most lineup builds will target value. The Bears could be a good contrarian play, though. They’ve really only been worth rostering on three occasions this season, but two of those three games have been their home division games, which this is. Bears D/ST averages 13 DKFP in their home games against NFC North opponents this season.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.