You have no excuses for starting a bad D/ST this week. Now, to be clear, your D/ST might not actually perform well, but at least going into the games, you shouldn't feel as if you're taking a big risk with some longshot sleeper. Our Week 9 fantasy defense rankings reveals as much, as there are at least 15 defenses -- many of which are available as waiver wire pickups/streamers -- who are worth starting.
The Jets (@ Dolphins), Cowboys (@ Giants), Broncos (vs. Browns), Titans (@ Panthers), Eagles (vs. Bears), Panthers (vs. Titans), Colts (@ Steelers), Browns (@ Broncos), and even the Redskins (@ Bills) can get the job done for you, and all are owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. The Titans and Panthers have been the best overall units this year, but the Dolphins and Giants have been guaranteed points for virtually any D/ST going against them.
WEEK 9 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker
The unfavorable matchups are relatively limited. The Vikings (@ Chiefs) are in the most precarious spot. If Patrick Mahomes (knee) starts, which we're projecting, Minnesota is borderline unplayable (though Mahomes' limited mobility still gives the Vikings a little bit of upside); if Matt Moore starts, Minnesota would become a top-10 option. New England (@ Ravens) also has a bad matchup, but given the Pats absolute dominance, that really doesn't matter, especially when you factor in how well they traditionally do against young quarterbacks. Baltimore (vs. Patriots) and Jacksonville (vs. Texans in UK) shouldn't be started and can be dropped, and Pittsburgh (vs. Colts) is in a similar position, though a highly favorable stretch from Weeks 11-16 (Browns, Bengals, Browns, Cardinals, Bills, Jets) suggests you might want to keep them around.
WEEK 9 DFS LINEUPS:
Y! cash | Y! GPP | DK cash | DK GPP | FD cash | FD GPP
The byes this week claim the Saints and Rams D/STs, as well as our ability to stream against the Bengals. It's nice to not have to worry about your defense facing the Rams or Saints (or Falcons), so that's likely part of the reason the rankings are so robust this week.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Again, favorable matchups don't always pay off, especially for defenses, but heading into this week, you can at least feel good when setting your lineups.
WEEK 9: Waiver wire | FAAB planner | Trade values | Snap counts
Reminder: These rankings will be adjusted throughout week, so check back often for updates and analysis!
MORE WEEK 9 DFS: Stacks | Values | Lineup builder
LISTEN TO THE SN FANTASY WEEK 9 PREVIEW PODCAST BELOW
Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense
WEEK 9 DFS: Lineup Builder
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | San Francisco 49ers @ Cardinals. Rookie Kyle Murray will face his first Thursday night test -- and what a test it is. If not for the Patriots, the 49ers would be the talk of the fantasy D/ST world. Over its past four games (Browns, Rams, Redskins, Panthers), San Francisco has 18 sacks and nine takeaways while allowing 21 total points. Even on the road, the 49ers are the top play of the week. |
| 2 | New England Patriots @ Ravens. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are going to be the biggest challenge yet for the Patriots defense; however, the last time Jackson faced a solid defense was Pittsburgh in Week 5, and he throw three INTs and took five sacks. As shifty as he is, he's still a second-year signal-caller, and we all know how Bill Belichick-led defenses have tortured young QBs throughout his career. Don't be afraid to start the Pats (not that you were.) |
| 3 | Buffalo Bills vs. Redskins. Case Keenum is concussed and questionable for Week 9, and backup Dwayne Haskins has thrown four INTs on his 22 pass attempts this year. Either way, Buffalo's defense is in a good spot against a Redskins team that has allowed 20 sacks over its past six games. |
| 4 | New York Jets @ Dolphins. The Jets D/ST hasn't done much of anything since Week 3, and with C.J. Mosley (groin) out for the foreseeable future, its ceiling doesn't seem all that high -- against anyone other than the Dolphins, that is. Heading into Week 8, Miami is averaging 10.5 offensive points, four sacks allowed, and 2.2 takeaways per game. To be fair, Miami has been better the past two games, including a solid showing against Buffalo's formidable defense. Regardless, on a short week with an even more depleted roster, we think Miami can be exploited by a Jets defense that has playmakers in the secondary. |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks vs. Buccaneers. Jameis Winston is tied for the league lead in INTs (12), and he's taken 16 sacks the past three games. Seattle has proved opportunistic with multiple takeaways in three of the past four games, but it's managed just three sacks in that span. If not for that last number, Seattle would be even higher. |
| 6 | Dallas Cowboys @ Giants. The Giants have legitimate weapons on offense, but they still struggle to limit turnovers (at least two in all but two games this year, eight in their past three games) and sacks (four per game over their past four contests). Dallas managed just one sack and two fumble recoveries when these teams met in Week 1, but that was against Eli Manning, not Daniel Jones. The Cowboys are coming off a bye, and before that they had their best defensive game, allowing 10 points and racking up three sacks and four takeaways against the Eagles. We'd like them better at home, but this is still a good spot. |
| 7 | Cleveland Browns @ Broncos. Cleveland has had mostly unfavorable matchups all year, which is why its defensive numbers, particularly takeaways, are down from last year. This week, though, the Browns get to face backup Brandon Allen, who's starting in place of Joe Flacco (neck). Allen is yet to throw an NFL pass in his four-year career, so it's anybody's guess as to how he'll perform. It's fair to assume he won't light it up. Denver has allowed three or more sacks in three of the past four games, and Cleveland has recorded three or more QB takedowns in three of its past four games. If nothing else, the Browns will get some sacks and at least a takeaway or two with the upside for much more. |
| 8 | Denver Broncos vs. Browns. Baker Mayfield continues to be a turnover machine, throwing at least one INT in every game this year. He's also taken at least three sacks in all but two games this year. Denver has 12 sacks and four takeaways in its past three games, though seven of those sacks and three of those takeaways came against Tennessee, so take that for what you will. Still, this defense is playing better after a slow start, and with a big home-field advantage, it should continue to cause problems for Mayfield and the Browns. |
| 9 | Tennessee Titans @ Panthers. Tennessee doesn't do anything flashy, but it's been one of the top fantasy D/STs all season, thanks in large part to keep scores low. It's been allowing a few more points lately, but it turned up the takeaways last week, recording four against Jameis Winston and the Bucs. Carolina is coming off its worst showing off the season, scoring just 11 offensive points, allowing seven sacks, and throwing three INTs in San Francisco. Perhaps we're overreacting to good/bad matchups for both teams, but it feels like last week was the beginning of the end Kyle Allen in Carolina, and the Titans defense will continue to be a tough out for any team. |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles vs. Bears. Over its past three games, one of which featured Chase Daniel as the starter, Chicago has allowed 10 sacks and six takeaways. This isn't an overly favorable matchup, but Philadelphia's defense has shown the ability to exploit even decent matchups, posting four sacks and a takeaway while allowing just 13 points to Buffalo last week. Against the Jets in Week 5, the Eagles racked up 10 sacks, three takeaways, and two TDs while allowing just six points. At home, Philadelphia has a high floor and ceiling. |
| 11 | Carolina Panthers vs. Titans. The 49ers hung 51 points on the Panthers last week, but the offense contributed to that with turnovers and poor all-around play. Either way, it wasn't a banner performance for Carolina's defense, but it still managed three sacks and an INT. Carolina has at least three sacks in all but one of its past six games, and it's recorded multiple takeaways in all but one of its past five games. Back at home for the first time in over a month against a Ryan Tannehill-led offense should yielded solid results. |
| 12 | Green Bay Packers @ Chargers. Green Bay started off hot, but a string of bad matchups has limited its fantasy production. At first glance, this appears to be another of those matchups, as the Chargers haven't allowed more than one sack in a game since Week 3. But L.A. also hasn't scored more than 20 offensive points in a game since Week 4, and twice in that span it's turned it over three times in a game. Green Bay's pass rush has remained strong, so in this de facto home game, the Packers are a solid play. |
| 13 | Chicago Bears @ Eagles. Over the past three games (Raiders, Saints, Chargers), Chicago has just two sacks and four takeaways while allowing 75 points. Those are tough matchups, but the Eagles aren't much easier. Philadelphia struggled in Weeks 6 and 7 (five sacks allowed, seven turnovers), but it rebounded in Buffalo last week, scoring 31 points and turning it over once despite high winds. You never know which Philadelphia offense is going to show up -- or which Chicago defense, for that matter -- which is why the Bears are only a borderline play. |
| 14 | Washington Redskins @ Bills. In its two favorable matchups this year (Giants, Dolphins), Washington produced five sacks and six takeaways. The Bills have turned it over just two times over their past three games, so perhaps this isn't as favorable a matchup as it used to be, but with just under four sacks per game allowed over its past four contests, Buffalo can still be exploited for fantasy points. |
| 15 | Indianapolis Colts @ Steelers. Indianapolis hasn't been very good and Pittsburgh hasn't been particularly, but anytime Mason Rudolph is involved, there's a chance for D/ST fantasy points. |
| 16 | Houston Texans vs. Jaguars (in UK) |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Colts |
| 18 | Minnesota Vikings @ Chiefs |
| 19 | Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Texans (in UK) |
| 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seahawks |
| 21 | Miami Dolphins vs. Jets |
| 22 | Detroit Lions @ Raiders |
| 23 | Oakland Raiders vs. Lions |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals vs. 49ers |
| 25 | Kansas City Chiefs vs. Vikings |
| 26 | Los Angeles Chargers vs. Packers |
| 27 | New York Giants vs. Cowboys |
| 28 | Baltimore Ravens vs. Patriots |
