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 9. (Note: All defense mentioned are owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues)
*All stats and rankings from before Monday Night Football
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a top 10 fantasy defense, ranking ninth at 7.6 points per game. They have two double-digit performances and have a season-low of four points, which happened three times. That’s a level of consistency that isn’t normally seen in fantasy football, especially for a team that has forced a lot of turnovers. They have 11 interceptions, three fumble recoveries and three touchdowns on the year.
This week, the Cowboys play the Broncos, who have struggled to score. They average just 19.6 points per game, which is one of the lowest marks in the league. Denver traded away Von Miller, indicating that they aren’t set to compete this season. The Cowboys should be able to win the possession battle on offense and the defense should be able to force turnovers. Dallas is rostered in just under 50 percent of ESPN leagues.
2. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta has the 27th-ranked fantasy defense, which averages 1.7 points per game. Their season-high in points was six, which was scored against the New York Jets. They have scored -3 points two times this season. Producing big plays has been a problem for the defense, as they have forced just six turnovers on the season.
Playing Atlanta this week is all about the matchup. They play the New Orleans Saints, who have scored 25.1 points per game. They will be without their quarterback in this game, as Jameis Winston tore his ACL in Sunday’s game against the Bucs. Taysom Hill is expected to clear concussion protocol, but the Falcons should be able to stack the box against him. The Falcons are rostered in just 32.5 percent of ESPN leagues.
3. Miami Dolphins
It hasn’t been a great season for the Dolphins’ defense. They are 26th in the league, averaging 1.6 points per game. Their season-high in points is five, which was done twice. They have two negative-scoring performances, which includes a -8 point performance against the Buccaneers. Miami is another defense that has struggled to make big plays with just nine turnovers forced on the year.
In week 9, the Dolphins play the Houston Texans. The Texans score just 14.9 points per game and really don’t have many playmakers ontheir offense. Miami should win the game and teh defense is capable of having their best performance of the season. They are rostered in just 11.7 percent of ESPN leagues.
4. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have a below-averaged fantasy defense that ranks 21st in the league and scores 3.3 points per game. A -8-point performance against the Browns is really bringing their average down. All other games have netted them positive points, with their high being nine points against the Raiders. On the season, they have 14 sacks, four fumble recoveries and six interceptions.
This week, the Chargers play the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles score 25.4 points per game, but struggle to run the ball consistently, which is the Chargers’ biggest defensive weakness. Their defense may be able to succeed in forcing some Jalen Hurts turnovers and be effective. The Chargers are rostered in 7.2 percent of ESPN leagues.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas ranks 20th in fantasy football defensive scoring at 4.6 points per game. The have a season-high of 10 points scored against the Broncos. They scored no points in their season-low performance against the Chargers. They have 18 sacks, four interceptions and five fumble recoveries this season.
The Raiders are coming off a bye week and will be playing the Giants, who will be on a short week. With the Giants already having major injury issues, the short week won’t help them. Las Vegas should only be played in a desperate situation, but they could put up a solid amount of points. They are available in almost 90 percent of ESPN leagues.
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