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Still using kickers in fantasy leagues? Why? But if you need help, here’s a ClutchPoints look at Week 9. Now, wide receivers are a different story. Everybody loves wide receivers. And, of course, even fantasy managers need to stop all of the offensive madness. So here are our fantasy football defense rankings for Week 9.
Who stands at the top this week? Hold your nose. It may be the New Orleans Saints. Yes, they’ve not been very good over the last five weeks. But the matchup is nice. There are two safer options if you feel like the Saints might lay a defensive egg.
Buckle up for a ride into the top 12 for Week 9 of the NFL fantasy football season.
Top Fantasy Football Picks
The bad: The Saints have given up at least 26 points in five straight games.
The good: Bryce Young is back at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. The last time these teams met, in Week 1, the Saints used their fantasy football defense to sack Young four times. They picked him off twice. And he only managed to complete 13 of 30 pass attempts for 161 yards.
Does the good outweigh the bad? In this case, yes. Probably. But the Saints have lost six straight games, so …
Saints head coach Dennis Allen said the Panthers looked good with Andy Dalton, but he likely won’t play, according to neworleanssaints.com.
“I thought Andy did a good job while he was in there,” Allen said. “Obviously, they went back with Bryce this past week with Andy having the thumb injury due to the car accident. So, I think we just got to kind of wait and see how they play the quarterback position.
“I think the one thing that they've been able to do really well, probably not as well last week against Denver, but in previous weeks I think they've run the ball pretty well. I think their offensive line is playing well up front. So it'll be interesting to see what they do with the quarterback position.”
If you can’t wrap your fantasy football brain around the Saints, how about the Vikings or the Chiefs?
If the Colts stuck with Anthony Richardson, picking the Vikings over the Saints would be the deal. Richardson has been historically bad at completing passes, which of course is what a quarterback needs to do to make an offense more effective than a wet paper towel. Richardson's 44.8% completion rate (59-for-133) represents the lowest mark in the NFL. It's a historically poor start over the first six games, according to Stathead. Only 14 QBs since 1970 have posted a worse clip on 130-plus attempts in their first six games; Derek Anderson in 2009 (42.9%) is the only other since 2000.
Unfortunately for the Vikings’ defense, they will see Joe Flacco. Not only will Flacco start, he’ll try to mentor Richardson in the process, according to indystar.com.
“I know that when I was that young, there's no chance that I would have been able to have the perspective and the right head on my shoulders to handle it the right way,” Flacco said. “Now, this being my 17th year, I do have the right perspective.
“If you can give any of that to him, this doesn't have to be a negative thing. There's a lot of positives on his end that can come from this.”
OK, so the Saints may be fantasy football shaky and the Vikings don’t get Richardson. What about the Chiefs. Well, they get Baker Mayfield and Buccaneers on Monday night. The thing is, Mayfield will probably chuck it to the Chiefs a time or two. But he will also probably put points on the board.
The good thing is the Chiefs have relied on their defense this year. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn’t doing wild things and putting the defense at risk, which is why the Chiefs are winning. Again.
Other Standouts
Here’s a place to go for big-play fantasy football enthusiasts. With Jameis Winston behind center for the Browns, and Joey Bosa on the edge for the Los Angeles Chargers, there’s always a chance for a few picks and maybe even a “six” on the end of it.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said his team will have a battle against the Chargers’ defense, according to clevelandbrowns.com.
“The defensive stats are really impressive,” Stefanski said. “They're not giving up points. They're not giving up red zone drives, just not a lot of plays in the red zone. So, they're doing a great job.”
Winston also gave praise to the Chargers while also pumping up his own guys.
“You've got Khalil Mack, you have Joey Bosa and you have great interior guys,” Winston said. “But, man, I believe in us. I believe that we're a great, physical team.”
Another direction to go, with fantasy football risk involved, is the Washington Commanders. They’ve been a starting defensive unit in 12-team leagues three times in the last four weeks. They’ve totaled 13 sacks in that stretch with three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown. But keep in mind this defense doesn’t have elite talent.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
The New York Jets have slipped into the abyss for the 2024 season. But they are faing a Texans team hurt at the receiver position by injuries. The Jets are a sneaky good play this week despite three straight finishes near the bottom of the fantasy football heap. But remember, it’s a gamble to go this direction.
Another sleeper pick is Tennessee. The Titans get a New England offense that hasn’t done much this season. And although the Titans got blasted for 52 points last week, they did record four sacks. Proceed with caution.
NFL Fantasy Football Week 9 Defense Rankings
1. New Orleans Saints, NO @ CAR
2. Minnesota Vikings, MIN vs. IND
3. Kansas City Chiefs, KC vs. TB
4. Los Angeles Chargers, LAC @ CLE
5. Washington Commanders, WAS @ NYG
6. Philadelphia Eagles, PHI vs. JAC
7. Baltimore Ravens, BAL vs. DEN
8. New York Jets, NYJ vs. HOU
9. Cincinnati Bengals, CIN vs. LV
10. Buffalo Bills, BUF vs. MIA
11. Chicago Bears, CHI @ ARI
12. Tennessee Titans, TEN vs. NE
