One of the biggest strategies in fantasy football is streaming defenses. Each week owners will look at matchups and make waiver wire acquisitions to find their starting defense. Here are fantasy football defenses to stream week 8. (Note: All defenses mentioned are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. Stats from before Monday Night Football)
Detroit has the 16th-ranked fantasy defense this season at 6.1 points per game. They have two double-digit performances this season, which came against the Falcons and Packers. The Lions have also registered two negative scoring performances, which were against the Ravens and Seahawks.
The week 8 matchup for the Lions is with the Las Vegas Raiders. Las Vegas started Brian Hoyer against the Bears in week 7 due to a Jimmy Garoppolo injury. Hoyer didn’t play well and even if Garoppolo plays, he led the league in interceptions thrown heading into last week. Detroit has 15 sacks this season and could have a big day against the Raiders. They are rostered in 49.9 percent of ESPN leagues.
Houston scores 5.7 fantasy points per game, which ranks them 21st in the country. They have three double-digit scoring games this season (vs. Ravens, Jaguars and Steelers). The Texans posted one negative-scoring game, which was a gainst the Colts.
The Texans are coming off of a bye and are playing the Carolina Panthers. Carolina scores just 18.7 points per game, with their season-high being 27. They aren’t a threat to score too many points and Demeco Ryans will have his team ready to play coming off the bye. The Texans are rostered in just six percent of ESPN leagues.
The Chargers aren’t a great fantasy defense, ranking 29th at 4.2 points per game. They scored 16 points against the Raiders, which was their only double-digit scoring performance of the year. Against the Dolphins and the Chiefs, they scored negative points showing that they aren’t a great play vs. good offenses.
Luckily for the Chargers, they play the Bears in week 8. Chicago scores 22.8 points per game. The Bears have starting quarterback Justin Fields dealing with an injury and undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent started for the team in week 7. Although he played well, the Chargers will have tape and a better defensive effort than the Raiders had fo him. The Chargers are rostered in just three percent of ESPN leagues.
Tennessee has struggled on defense, ranking 27th for fantasy at 4.8 points per game. They played well against the Bengals, scoring 11 points for their sole double-digit scoring performance of the season. Their lone negative scoring game came against the Colts.
This week, the Titans will be fresh coming off their bye and playing the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons rank near the bottom of the league with 16.4 points per game. They have had difficulty utilizing their star players correctly and try to win games by grinding them out. With time to prepare, the Titans can be ready for them and show them how they have been grinding games out for years. They are rostered in just 2.6 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Giants rank 27th for fantasy defenses at 4.1 points per game. Their only double-digit scoring game was against Washingon in week 7 when they totaled 15 points. They negative scoring performances against the Cardinals and 49ers. The Giants have shown signs of improvement, as they have improved their points each week since week 3.
In week 8, the Giants play the New York Jets. Their same-city rivals average just 18.8 points per game. Quarterback Zach Wilson has had an up and down season. The Giants will try to force him into turnovers, as they have forced six in the last three weeks. They are rostered in 21.8 percent of ESPN leagues.
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