Unless most of the teams in your league carry a backup defense, more than half of the league should be available to you every week. Perhaps instead of playing one above average defense every week, regardless of matchup, we should instead target the widely available waiver wire defenses with the best matchups in any particular week? You can always make exceptions if your rent-a-defense gets hot - heck, you might find a team worth starting all year by accident. Even if you don't, good matchups will continue to get greater in number as more QBs get injured or yanked as the season goes on. You can steal some points from bad weather come December. Each week I'll list the startable fantasy defenses on most waiver wires and rank them.
**San Francisco and New England should be played in Week 9 but are assumed to be rostered**
Week 8 Results
Pittsburgh (vs Miami) - 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INTs
The “play every D/ST against Miami” theory will be tested this week, but it came through for us in Week 8 despite Miami building a 14-0 early lead.
A Look Ahead: IND LAR @CLE - The Steelers D/ST is top four across formats and has a weak second half schedule. The matchup isn’t ideal this week, but it is at home and worth a shot.
Minnesota (vs Washington) **Thursday** - 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
Both teams played this one like they were double parked and just wanted to get the result in the books. The Vikings defense was formidable but Washington didn’t make any huge gaffes in this one.
A Look Ahead: @KC @DAL DEN - Matt Moore showed he is still one of the league’s better backups. This is probably a pass, but Minnesota will be a must play against the Broncos in Week 11
Los Angeles Rams (vs Cincinnati) - 5 sacks
Applaud Andy Dalton, who didn’t turn the ball over despite being overmatched against the Rams. For his birthday, the Bengals demoted him. We’ll be even more likely to target the Bengals going forward.
A Look Ahead: BYE @PIT CHI - The Rams have been strong enough to consider holding through their bye if your scoring system makes D/ST’s valuable, especially with Clay Matthews due back soon.
Tennessee (vs Tampa Bay) - 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT
Jameis Winston giveth, and Jameis Winston giveth.
A Look Ahead: @CAR KC BYE - Kyle Allen was unmasked last week so sticking with the Titans isn’t that outlandish
Indianapolis (vs Denver) - 3 sacks
The Colts didn’t force any turnovers against a heroic Joe Flacco playing through what was surely a very painful neck injury (is the sarcasm font on?). No matter who starts for the Broncos this week, they will be a player who has never thrown a pass in an NFL regular season game.
A Look Ahead: @PIT MIA JAX - Mason Rudolph hasn’t exactly inspired confidence, but we’ll pass on the Colts this week unless it is strictly to have them for the game against Miami in Week 10.
New Orleans (vs Arizona) - 4 sacks
A ho hum day in the dome with the Saints dominating for most of the game. Kyler Murray is limiting turnovers, but that doesn’t mean we’re benching the 49ers D/ST this week.
A Look Ahead: BYE ATL @TB - The Saints are worth holding through their bye if your scoring system soups up D/ST value
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda
Jacksonville (vs New York Jets) - 8 sacks, 3 INT
Defenses smell blood in the water as Sam Darnold found himself in the middle of A Ghost Sharknado
Detroit (vs New York Giants) - 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 DEF TD
A Jarrad Davis sack made a Daniel Jones pass go backwards for Devon Kennard to scoop and score. Jones still looked very good for a rookie overall.
Week 9 Candidates
**San Francisco and New England should be played in Week 9 but are assumed to be rostered**
Buffalo (vs Washington)
For once the Dolphins opponent isn’t the #1 choice. The Bills should be steaming after the Eagles ran over them at home last week. Washington and Case Keenum will pay the price.
A Look Ahead: @CLE @MIA DEN - We will start the Bills vs Baker Mayfield to get the Miami and Denver matchups
Cleveland (at Denver)
The Browns have Myles Garrett and they are going to face Brandon Allen. Or Brett Rypien. Or a cardboard cutout of John Elway duct taped to a Jugs machine.
A Look Ahead: BUF PIT MIA - There’s a case here to keep the Browns D/ST if they heat up and Mason Rudolph struggles against the Colts and Rams pass rushes the next two weeks.
Seattle (vs Tampa Bay)
The Seahawks D/ST has had multiple takeaways in three of the last four games and they are facing Jameis Winston in Seattle. Nuff said.
A Look Ahead: @SF BYE @PHI - Moving right along...
New York Jets (at Miami)
The Jets D/ST has ground to a halt in fantasy scoring after a hot start and they are selling off good players. It’s still difficult to ignore how reliable starting the Dolphins opponent has been.
A Look Ahead: NYG @WAS OAK - We won’t be keeping the Jets for Week 10, but Week 11 is looking good if they haven’t lost their nerve.
Carolina (vs Tennessee)
A rested Panthers defense against Ryan Tannehill sounds good to me. They were the hottest D/ST this side of New England before they went to San Francisco and got beaten down, but the Panthers still got a safety, three sacks, and an interception in that one.
A Look Ahead: @GB ATL @NO - We might come back to them for Week 11, but Weeks 10 and 12 are rough ones for the Carolina defense
Baltimore (vs New England)
Now we get to the section of Week 9 candidates where we are mainly looking ahead. The Ravens defense did come alive with the addition of Marcus Peters before the bye, and the Patriots offense has given up a few defensive scores this year.
A Look Ahead: @CIN HOU @LAR - Welcome to the NFL Ryan Finley. Welcome to our Week 10 lineups, Baltimore D/ST
Indianapolis (at Pittsburgh)
The Colts haven’t had a big D/ST outburst yet, but they’ve battled injuries to some key performers and still posted more useful weeks than duds. Mason Rudolph is vulnerable and the Steelers backfield is banged up. You never know.
A Look Ahead: MIA JAX @HOU - This is why you are playing the Colts D/ST this week, to get the Dolphins matchup next week.
Philadelphia (vs Chicago)
If you don’t like playing a D/ST to get a favorable upcoming matchup and you’re scraping the waiver wire, the Eagles might be for you. There’s Mitchell Trubisky’s confidence near collapse and the Eagles defense waking up since getting to feast on Luke Falk.
A Look Ahead: BYE NE SEA - Miami and Washington are still left on the schedule, so we’ll come knocking again soon.
Week 10 Preemptive Pickups
**New England and San Francisco are assumed to be rostered**
Baltimore (at Cincinnati)
Indianapolis (vs Miami)
New Orleans (vs Atlanta)
