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Fantasy Football: Week 4 Kicker and Defense Rankings

By Alex Butler

MIAMI, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- If you look beyond the glamorous positions on your fantasy football team, you can discover an opportunity for extra points.

Picking a kicker with upside and a defense capable of putting up double-digit production can be all that you need to scrape by for a narrow victory.

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Here are my top 20 defense/special teams units and top 15 kickers for Week 4. You can also look at my top add/drops for the week and visit other positional rankings, in the links below.

TOP SHELF

The New England Patriots have a shot at being the top-scoring defense/special teams unit of Week 4 with a home match up against the Buffalo Bills. Despite using its third string quarterback and other injuries to key offensive stars, the Patriots' defense has maintained steady fantasy production. I expect more of the same here, with an ailing Sammy Watkins being the Bills' best receiving threat, I see the Patriots concentrating on limited LeSean McCoy and playing a ball-control game offensively.

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Justin Tucker should be set for a big performance when his Baltimore Ravens host the Oakland Raiders. I see the Ravens winning this contest and Tucker getting plenty of opportunities for extra points, as Joe Flacco slices up the Raiders secondary.

SNEAKY PLAYS

RANK NAME TEAM OPPONENT
1 Dan Bailey Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco
2 Chandler Catanzaro Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles
3 Justin Tucker Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland
4 Stephen Gostkowski New England Patriots vs. Buffalo
5 Steven Hauschka Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets
6 Adam Vinatieri Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville
7 Chris Boswell Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City
8 Graham Gano Carolina Panthers at Atlanta
9 Brandon McManus Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay
10 Blair Walsh Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants
11 Cairo Santos Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh
12 Dustin Hopkins Washington Redskins vs. Cleveland
13 Will Lutz New Orleans Saints at San Diego
14 Sebastian Janikowski Oakland Raiders at Baltimore
15 Josh Lambo San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans

The Cincinnati Bengals have a solid match up against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. Miami struggled against the Cleveland Browns and Week 3 and I don't see the offense completely turning around after a short week of preparation. The Dolphins also have a banged up offensive line and will struggle against the Bengals daunted defensive linemen. Cincinnati should bombard the Dolphins in this contest, making Ryan Tannehill throw more often in a lopsided affair.

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Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell will definitely be a benefactor from the return of Le'Veon Bell. Bell will inject fire into the Steelers' already great offense, giving way to more field goal and extra point attempts for the team's place kicker. I think the Steelers win this home match up, stomping the Kansas City Chiefs.

RANK TEAM OPPONENT
1 New England Patriots vs. Buffalo
2 Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles
3 Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay
4 Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets
5 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Miami
6 Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants
7 Carolina Panthers at Atlanta
8 Washington Redskins vs. Cleveland
9 Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh
10 Houston Texans vs. Tennessee
11 Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland
12 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City
13 Los Angeles at Arizona
14 New York Jets vs. Seattle
15 Detroit Lions at Chicago
16 Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco
17 Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville
18 Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati
19 New York Giants at Minnesota
20 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis

LONGSHOTS

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The Indianapolis Colts is a sleeper D/ST for Week 4. The Colts face the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday morning at Wembley Stadium. I see the Colts winning this match up and Blake Bortles adding to his season tally of six interceptions through three weeks.

Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh should be a starting kicker this week in your league. Walsh's Vikings battle the New York Giants at home in this match up. I think that this is a close contest and a low scoring affair. You can expect plenty of work for Walsh as the Giants' improved defense stalls Sam Bradford & Co.

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