One of the biggest strategies in fantasy football is streaming defenses. Each week owners will look at matchups and make waiver wire acquisitions almost every week to find their starting defense. Here are fantasy football defenses to stream in week 8. (Note: All defense mentioned are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh’s defense is much improved over the last few seasons. They rank ninth as a fantasy defense this season. The last three games has produced double-digit scoring games for the defense. They scored 19 against the Bengals, 13 against the Ravens and 14 against the Chargers. If they continue playing this way, they will be a full-time fantasy defense and not eligible to be on these lists anymore.

Them being on the list is a lot about their talent, but also has a lot to do with their matchup. They are playing the Miami Dolphins at home on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins rank 31st in opponent position rank. The Steelers are owned in just 34.4 percent of ESPN leagues.

2. Seattle Seahawks

(Photo by seattleapi.com)

Seattle has the 21st ranked fantasy defense this year. They’ve been mostly decent, but have one great performance against the Cardinals, when they scored 15 points. The Seahawks have also had one bad performance, when they scored -2 against the Rams. With the players they have on the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks’ defense should improve as the season goes on.

This week the Seahawks play a usually good offense in Atlanta. The Falcons just traded Mohamed Sanu this morning and Matt Ryan is questionable for this game with an ankle sprain. With all of the injuries to their offensive line, the Seahawks could have a big day stuffing the run and getting after Ryan or Matt Schaub. The defense for the Seahawks is owned in 46 percent of ESPN leagues.

3. Detroit Lions

The Lions have a had a rough year on defense. They rank 27th as a fantasy defense and average 3.3 points per game. What is really bringing them down is their -9 point performance against the Vikings last week. They do have one double-digit performance, scoring 12 points against the Eagles.

While the defense is inconsistent, they do have a favorable matchup this week. The Lions play the Giants who have an opponent position rank of 30. They will have Saquon Barkley, who returned in week 7 from his ankle sprain, but the Lions should be able to force Daniel Jones into turnovers. The Lions are owned in five percent of ESPN leagues.

4. Indianapolis Colts

Darius Leonard (Photo by colts.com)

Indianapolis ranks 24th for fantasy defenses this season. They have no negative point games and are even starting to turn it on. The Colts scored nine points against the Colts and then after their bye week, scored eight against the Texans. Now that Darius Leonard is back from injury, the Colts can continue to put up good weeks.

The Colts are playing the Broncos this week, which offers up a great chance for a solid performance. Joe Flacco hasn’t looked great and the Broncos haven’t been able to get much of a running game going either. They rank 25th against fantasy offenses this season. The Colts are available in just under 85 percent of ESPN leagues.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay started the season off hot on defense. They scored 36 points over the first four weeks of the season. The Bucs then faltered a little bit with one point over their next two games. Their -4 point performance against the Saints has cost them. They are ranked 25th as a fantasy defense.

This week, the Bucs play the Tennessee Titans. The Titans look a little better with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, but still are not a great offense. The Bucs are coming off of a bye, which means they should be well-prepared for this game. This defense is available in virtually every ESPN league.

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