The middle weeks of the season are often when it gets most difficult to find a worthwhile fantasy defense. Between byes and injuries to key defensive players, some of the top D/STs are either idle or perform worse than expected. Tough matchups against good offenses are always a problem, too (this week especially). Nonetheless, our Week 8 fantasy defense rankings will try to identify some of the better waiver wire streamers as we continue to target mistake-prone quarterbacks and poor offensive lines.
Unfortunately, two of the easier units to exploit, Washington and Jacksonville, are on bye this week. Usually, the opponents of those two teams either enter the streamer category or upgrade an already strong defense to a top-five play. Instead, fantasy owners will have to navigate this week without that luxury. The good news is no every-week D/STs are off this week, as Arizona and Houston join Washington and Jacksonville on bye.
WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
Fortunately, two top-10 defenses are returning to action after their byes. The Ravens (vs. Steelers) and Colts (@ Lions) have both been fantastic this year, but both have tough matchups this week. However, it's worth noting that the Ravens traded for star pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, previously of the Vikings, while the Colts should be getting stud linebacker Darius Leonard (groin) back after he missed a couple of weeks. Neither are optimal plays this week, but given the lack of depth at the position, you can take a chance with either.
WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
Atop this week's rankings are the Bucs and Chiefs, who are facing the Giants and Jets, respectively. Get used to seeing the opponents of the two New York teams in the top five. The Rams (@ Dolphins) also crack the top three this week, as they are taking on Tua Tagovailoa in his first start and should be able to pressure him with Aaron Donald.
WEEK 8 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
In terms of streamers, the cupboard is pretty bare. The Cowboys (@ Eagles) could be a nice play if they can take advantage of the Eagles' banged-up offensive line, but they didn't do much against Washington this past week (two sacks, no takeaways, 23 offensive points allowed), so they're a huge boom-or-bust risk. Green Bay (vs. Vikings) and Tennessee (vs. Bengals) represent higher-floor options who also have fairly high ceilings.
WEEK 8 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
NOTE: Check back for updates throughout the week.
MORE WEEK 8 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 8 Fantasy Defense Rankings
WEEK 8 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Giants. The Giants are averaging the second-fewest yards per game so far this season at a mark of 282.4. The Bucs are allowing 291.3 yards allowing per game, good for the third fewest in the NFL. That makes this matchup looks appetizing, especially considering that Daniel Jones has turned the ball over at least once in every game and has been sacked nearly three times per game this season. |
| 2 | Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jets. Against the Broncos in Week 7, the Chiefs forced four turnovers, sacked Drew Lock three times, and had two D/ST touchdowns on a pick-6 and a kick return TD. Now, they get to face the Jets, who average an NFL-worst 12.1 points per game and 264.3 yards per game. The Chiefs should once again feast and will have a great chance to put up double-digit fantasy points. |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams @ Dolphins. The Dolphins have been solid this year on offense, but they are changing quarterbacks coming out of their bye. Rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa will make his NFL debut against a solid defense with a couple of star players in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. It may take Tua some time to adjust to the NFL level, so the Rams are a good play this week, as they may be able to get some pressure on the Alabama product and force him into some errant throws. |
| 4 | Los Angeles Chargers @ Broncos. After giving the ball away four times against the Chiefs last week, the Broncos are tied for the second-most turnovers in the NFL (14). The Chargers have a great pass rush with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram back in action, so they should be able to get pressure on Drew Lock and create some more takeaways in a favorable matchup. They just sacked Gardner Minshew five times and nearly came up with several picks, so they should have similar success against Lock. |
| 5 | Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cowboys. Speaking of teams with a lot of giveaways, the Cowboys have a whopping 16 on the season, good for the most in the NFL. They were missing five of their top six offensive linemen against Washington in Week 7, and now, it looks like they may have to start seventh-round rookie Ben DiNucci against the Eagles with Andy Dalton (concussion) questionable. The Eagles were able to get three sacks and three turnovers against the Giants last week. so they shouldn't have trouble facing the weakened Cowboys. |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills vs. Patriots. All of a sudden, the Patriots are in trouble. They threw four picks against the 49ers and scored just three points during the game. They are bottom 10 in total yards per game (352.2) and are scoring just 19.2 points per game, good for fourth worst in the league. Cam Newton has struggled recently, and unless his receivers step up, the issues will continue. The Bills have had their share of issues on defense this year, but after a tune-up game against the Jets in which they repeatedly stalled New York after allowing 10 points, they can be trusted against a Patriots team they match up well against on the outside. |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers vs. Vikings. The Packers defense has been erratic this season, but they did force Kirk Cousins into a pick and sacked him twice the last time these two teams met. The Vikings are also allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to D/STs at a mark of 7.2. With the Packers mired in a tough divisional race against the Bears, they'll want to beat up on their divisional rival and should bring a lot of effort and energy on defense. If they get up big, there's always a chance of garbage-time scoring, but the Packers will be one of the best streamers of the week regardless. |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans @ Bengals. The Titans defense only ranks middle of the pack this season, but any stop unit going up against Cincinnati has a chance to produce. Joe Burrow has been sacked an average of 4.4 times in his past five outings, and the team is averaging 1.4 turnovers per game this season. The Titans can certainly take advantage of the latter part of the equation, as their opportunistic defense ranks third in the league in takeaways (12), but they'll have to get more pressure on Burrow to pay off in this spot. Still, they're one of the best readily available defenses on the market. |
| 9 | Indianapolis Colts @ Lions. After a bye, the Colts return to action against a Lions team that just struggled to score against the Falcons. Provided that the Colts get star linebacker Darius Leonard (groin) back from an injury, they should be able to significantly slow the Lions offense down. That said, the Lions only have four giveaways on the year, good for the third fewest in the NFL, so even if the Colts limit the Lions from a yardage standpoint, their ceiling just isn't that high because of the lack of turnover potential. |
| 10 | New Orleans Saints @ Bears. The Bears average the sixth-fewest points per game (21.3) and the fourth-fewest yards per game (312.8) ahead of their Monday night clash with the Rams. Nick Foles has at least one turnover in every game he has started this year, so the Saints will have a high floor in this matchup given that they allow the seventh-fewest yards per game (328.3). |
| 11 | New England Patriots @ Bills. The Patriots played poorly against the 49ers last week, but before that, they were averaging 8.0 FPPG on defense. Their matchup with a Bills offense that is allowing just 4.0 FPPG to defenses will be difficult, but the unit will bounce back eventually. They simply have too much talent not to. Perhaps the matchup this week isn't the best, but they're still a safer play than some of the other streaming options. |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys @ Eagles. I know, I know -- the Cowboys are allowing a league-high 34.7 points per game and just got crushed by Washington in a game where they didn't do much. Still, the matchup with the Eagles is too good to ignore. Carson Wentz leads the league in interceptions thrown (10) and sacks taken (28) this season. The Cowboys have a low floor, but if they pressure Wentz, get some sacks, and can force him into another pick, they could pan out. This will probably be one of the last times we recommend Dallas as a potential streamer, but don't be afraid to trust them in a favorable matchup. |
| 13 | Cleveland Browns vs. Raiders. The Browns continue to be one of the NFL's most opportunistic defenses. They have a league-high 14 takeaways and just forced the Bengals into a bunch of sacks and a couple of turnovers to salvage an otherwise troublesome defensive outing. The Raiders don't turn the ball over often (just two picks on the year), but they have scored 23 or fewer points in three of their past four games. The Browns will have a chance to play well and could be a top-10 defense if they force the Raiders into some uncharacteristic mistakes. |
| 14 | Baltimore Ravens vs. Steelers. The Ravens are normally a good defense to trust, but in Week 8, they get to take on Steelers defense that is averaging 30.5 points per game, good for the sixth most in the NFL. We're used to this rivalry being a defensive matchup, but this time around, the Steelers' offense and Lamar Jackson could make it a higher-scoring affair. You can still start the Ravens, but just be a bit wary of the matchup. |
| 15 | Detroit Lions vs. Colts. In their past two games, Detroit has allowed an average of 19 points per game while tallying three takeaways and two sacks. The numbers aren't crazy good, but they're solid. Philip Rivers has thrown six picks this year, including a pick-six against the Browns, so perhaps the Lions could take advantage of that. |
| 16 | Chicago Bears vs. Saints. The Saints average 30 points per game and nearly 390 yards of total offense. The Bears are normally a good start, but it may be best to look elsewhere this week, especially if either Michael Thomas (hamstring) or Emmanuel Sanders (COVID) returns to action for the Saints. |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers @ Ravens. The Steelers limited the Titans' offense in Week 7 but they may have a tougher time containing Lamar Jackson and a Ravens offense that scores 29.8 points per game. Jackson had his worst game of the season against Pittsburgh last year and tossed a season-high three interceptions in that victory. He'll want to perform better this time around and may find more running room with Devin Bush (torn ACL) sidelined for the rest of the season. |
| 18 | Seattle Seahawks vs. 49ers |
| 19 | San Francisco 49ers @ Seahawks |
| 20 | Las Vegas Raiders @ Browns. Baker Mayfield is prone to turnovers, but the Raiders have logged negative fantasy points for the year. |
| 21 | Miami Dolphins vs. Rams |
| 22 | Denver Broncos vs. Chargers |
| 23 | New York Giants vs. Buccaneers |
| 24 | Atlanta Falcons @ Panthers |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers vs. Falcons |
| 26 | Cincinnati Bengals vs. Titans |
| 27 | Minnesota Vikings @ Packers |
| 28 | New York Jets @ Chiefs |
