After last weekend's byepocalypse, all 32 teams will be in action for Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season. That means less streaming will be needed at the fantasy skill positions, but savvy owners will take the opportunity to optimize their lineups with high-upside D/ST streams. Our Week 8 fantasy defense rankings will help you decipher which sleepers you can trust and which you should avoid starting.
In Week 7, some weird stuff happened. The Lions, one of the better defenses in the NFL this season, got rocked by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. The Browns and Colts, whom we listed as good starts last week, saw what we thought would be a defensive battle turn into a 60-point barnburner. The Saints got walloped 31-24 on Thursday Night Football, and the Bills got upset by Mac Jones and the Patriots 29-25. Mother of God.
Now that we have caught our breath a bit, let's hit the reset button and get prepared for a full slate of NFL football. Below, we will list the best fantasy defenses, the top sleepers and streamers of the week, and our full D/ST rankings for Week 8. Let's go!
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Which fantasy defenses are on bye in Week 8?
None! After six teams got last weekend off, all 32 teams will be in action for Week 8. This marks the first bye-free week since Week 4 and the last bye-free week until Thanksgiving weekend. Keep an eye on your waiver wire for good defenses with Week 7 byes that might have been hastily cut loose by fantasy owners.
WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
The Cowboys (vs. Rams in Week 8) probably didn't get dropped — they're 93 percent rostered — and the Bengals (@ 49ers) probably don't warrant a start in a few weeks (they face the Bills in Week 9...talk about a rugged back-to-back). However, the Titans (vs. ATL, @ PIT the next two weeks) and Texans (@ Panthers, vs. Bucs the next two weeks) also just got out of byes and might be worth scooping up.
WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 8?
Coming off a bye, the Jets (@ Giants) serve as the No. 1 option this weekend. Sauce Garner and Gang Green rank top-four in takeaways and rushing TDs allowed, and opponents have the fifth-worst red-zone TD rate against them. We've got New York even higher than the Lions (vs. Raiders) and Bills (vs. Buccaneers), who both have good matchups but come off underwhelming Week 7 performances.
The 49ers (vs. Bengals) draw one of their tougher matchups of the first half of their season, but they're an auto-start. Entering Week 7, San Francisco had averaged 8.5 fantasy points per game in standard D/ST formats and 12.3 per game in leagues that award points for three-and-outs. We also love the Ravens (@ Cardinals) after stifling the Lions, and we like the Saints (@ Colts) and Browns (@ Seahawks) to bounce back from disappointing Week 7 Ls.
What a difference Devon Witherspoon makes for the Seahawks (vs. Browns)! The rookie cornerback has looked like a dark-horse Rookie of the Year candidate with his game-changing presence all over the field. He and the underrated Seahawks D could feast against an inconsistent Cleveland offense, whether it's Deshaun Watson (shoulder, head) or P.J. Walker under center for the Browns.
We can't forget about the Eagles (@ Commanders), who face a much easier challenge than the Dolphins presented last weekend. Lastly, you can feel fine about firing up the Cowboys (vs. Rams) coming out of a bye even though Los Angeles has some serious aerial firepower. The Steelers contained L.A. pretty well in Week 7.
WEEK 8 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 8?
The top-ranked defense under 50-percent rostered at the start of the week is the Dolphins (vs. Patriots), who get a much-needed home game against a Mac Jones offense that has scored 17 or fewer points in five different games this season. The Fins held their own against the NFC defending-champion Eagles in Philly last week, and we like Mike McDaniel's team to be on the happy side of a blowout this Sunday.
The Jaguars (@ Steelers) won't be at home, but they do enter Week 8 with momentum as well as a juicy matchup against Kenny Pickett. Over the past four weeks, Jacksonville has quietly racked up eight sacks, seven interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and two defensive TDs. Give us a partridge and we could turn Doug Pederson's defense into a Christmas jingle.
With every team playing, you'll find plenty of streams if you want to avoid Rams (@ Cowboys), Steelers (vs. Jaguars), Raiders (@ Lions), Buccaneers (@ Bills), and Patriots (@ Dolphins). Among the upside streamers owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, consider the Packers (vs. Vikings) at home against a squad desperately missing Justin Jefferson, the Falcons (@ Titans) with Ryan Tannehill banged up, the Titans (vs. Falcons) against the turnover-prone Desmond Ridder, the Chargers (vs. Bears) at home in prime against Tyson Bagent, the Chiefs (@ Broncos), or even the Colts (vs. Saints).
Be sure to check in throughout the week for updates and tweaks. Good luck and have fun in Week 8!
WEEK 8 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Fantasy Defense Rankings Week 8: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Rank Player
1 New York Jets @ Giants
2 Detroit Lions vs. Raiders
3 Buffalo Bills vs. Buccaneers
4 San Francisco 49ers vs. Bengals
5 Baltimore Ravens @ Cardinals
6 New Orleans Saints @ Colts
7 Seattle Seahawks vs. Browns
8 Cleveland Browns @ Seahawks
9 Philadelphia Eagles @ Commanders
10 Dallas Cowboys vs. Rams
11 Miami Dolphins vs. Patriots
12 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Steelers
13 Green Bay Packers vs. Vikings
14 Atlanta Falcons @ Titans
15 Kansas City Chiefs @ Broncos
16 Indianapolis Colts vs. Saints
17 Los Angeles Rams @ Cowboys
18 Las Vegas Raiders @ Lions
19 New York Giants vs. Jets
20 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jaguars
21 Washington Commanders vs. Eagles
22 Minnesota Vikings @ Packers
23 Tennessee Titans vs. Falcons
24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Bills
25 Arizona Cardinals vs. Ravens
26 Carolina Panthers vs. Texans
27 Houston Texans @ Panthers
28 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Bears
29 Chicago Bears @ Chargers
30 Cincinnati Bengals @ 49ers
31 New England Patriots @ Dolphins
32 Denver Broncos vs. Chiefs
Week 8 D/ST fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
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