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 in Week 9. (Note: All defenses mentioned are owned in less than 55 percent of ESPN leagues. Stats are from before Monday Night Football)
The Chiefs have a solid fantasy defense, ranking 15th at 5.4 points per game. They have two double-digit scoring games, which were against the Broncos and Chargers. Kansas City has one negative-scoring outing, which was against the Seahawks in Week 7.
This week, the Chiefs play the New York Jets. The Jets score 21.3 points per game, ranking 25th in the league. While they can score some points against some bad defenses, the Jets have struggled against better defenses in the league. The Chiefs are good enough to make things tough for the Jets, and they could put up some fantasy points. They are rostered in 53.3 percent of ESPN leagues.
San Francisco has a good fantasy defense this season, ranking 10th in the league at 7.0 points per game. They have registered just one double-digit scoring performance this season, but it was a 20-point game against the Seahawks in Week 5. They have no negative-scoring games, but scored no points against the Cardinals in Week 3.
In Week 9, the 49ers have a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have a good offense this season, ranking sixth in the NFL at 27.6 points per game. San Francisco has played well this season and now has reinforcements coming with the acquisition of DeForest Buckner. The 49ers can stop the run better and also put pressure on Kirk Cousins to have a solid game. The 49ers are rostered in 35.7 percent of ESPN leagues.
The Giants have a below-average defense, ranking 20th at 5.1 points per game. They have scored double-digit points in one game, which was against the Arizona Cardinals. New York has scored negative points in just one game, which was in Week 2 against the Rams.
In Week 9, the Giants come off a bye to play the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have lost six straight games and have averaged 11.9 points over that span. Jalen Hurts is injured and the offense wasn’t functioning well even when he was healthy. With Saquon Barkley battling through injury as well, the Eagles don’t have too many hopes for explosive plays. The Giants are rostered in just 3.4 percent of ESPN leagues.
Detroit has a subpar fantasy defense this season, ranking 25th in the league at 4.0 points per game. They have no double-digit scoring games, with their highest output being against the Vikings in Week 8. They have two negative scoring games, which were against the Bills and Panthers.
The matchup for the Lions this week is with the Miami Dolphins. Miami scores just 16.7 points per game, ranking them 31st in the league. Detroit will be without linebacker Jack Campbell who is recovering in the hospital after a scary injury in Week 8. They still have enough talent to limit the Dolphins, who have scored more than 20 points just twice this season. The Lions are rostered in just 28.8 percent of ESPN leagues.
New Orleans has been below average as a fantasy defense, ranking 23rd at 4.1 points per game. They have one double-digit scoring game, which was against the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints also have just one negative scoring game, as they had a -5 point outing against the Falcons in Week 4.
The Week 9 matchup for the Saints is with the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland scores 17.4 points per game, ranking 29th in the league. They had a good start to the season, but are averaging 13.8 points per game over the last four. While the Saints have their issues on the defensive side of the ball, they can play well against the Browns. They are rostered in just 2.1 percent of ESPN leagues.
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