Do you need fantasy football help at the quarterback position, or perhaps need a late replacement at wide receiver? Check out those stories. But if you need fantasy football defense and special teams streaming options for NFL Week 8, you’re in the right spot.
At the top of the streaming list are the Atlanta Falcons. They may not feel like a safe pick with only two DST1 finishes this season. But remember, they performed well against Josh Allen and Buffalo. And this week they get a tons-better matchup.
Falcons DST could put up points
The Dolphins have struggled in everything this season. And one area they’ve been especially bad at is taking care of the football. And the Falcons have been opportunistic in creating turnovers.
That combination matters, according to Fantasy Pros.
“A week after criticizing team leadership, Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in a blowout loss to the Browns,” Pat Fitzmaurice wrote. “He’s thrown 10 interceptions this season, with six in his last two games.”
Atlanta has the NFL’s top pass defense in terms of yards allowed, with 26 yards fewer per game (141.2) than second-place Buffalo. There is a concern about the run defense, so the Dolphins could lean heavily on De’Von Achane.
Certainly, the Falcons are aware of what Achane and the Dolphins can do, according to Sports Illustrated.
“They have ample speed,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “It can be scary because the way they utilize motions, they create space. And then with that space, the speed increases the space. Then if these guys were to get behind you, it's over with. You don't recover from getting out of position with all three of those players.”
Head coach Raheem Morris sees it, too.
“We're talking about a team that's got great speed, very similar to the team we just played,” Morris said. “Because of Mike [McDaniel] coming from that system, a lot of the similar stuff that they do on offense.”
Still, hang with the Falcons this week and take your chances.
Bengals are worth consideration
If your fantasy league is deep, you may not have a lot of options. That’s why it’s OK to look at the Bengals. Temper your expectations, but in Week Byemageddon, the Bengals are in play, according to Sports Illustrated.
“The Bengals' defense isn’t great in real football terms, but a plus matchup against the Jets makes it a nice fantasy streamer,” Michael Fabiano wrote. “New York is starting [its] backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, and their line has allowed a league-high 31 sacks. New York has also committed 10 giveaways, so Cincinnati should be able to produce in this matchup of AFC opponents.”
This is a classic matchup choice. Normally, you would avoid the Bengals at all costs in fantasy football. But the Jets average just 18.4 points per game and look like a team with a defensive-minded head coach. Oh yeah, that’s what Aaron Glenn is.
Plus, the Bengals have catapulted themselves back in the AFC North race with the trade for Joe Flacco. This makes the team overall more enthusiastic and gives the defense a chance to play better, especially in close games, according to NFL.com.
“All three of our wins have been find-a-way-to-win games. They haven't been we race out and we hold the 14-point lead, which I'd love to do at some point,” head coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday. “But there's also an element it's good that we've had to find ways to win, and we've just got to continue to build off of that. That's a good quality to have, that you've seen yourself do that at the end of the game.
“Now we've got to focus on building a lead early, playing really solid, and putting teams to bed and winning by a larger margin.”
Give the Buccaneers a close look
The Saints have been fairly conservative with the football. That led to fewer mistakes by quarterback Spencer Rattler. However, the Bears got him for three interceptions and sacked him four times.
Rattler may be feeling the heat, and the Buccaneers' defense could take advantage. They are middle of the pack against the pass, but have been strong against the run. So they might be able to force Rattler into passing situations. And the Buccaneers have totaled 10 sacks over the last two weeks with three interceptions.
This is the kind of situation where a pick-six is in play. And that’s a game-changer for fantasy defenses. It feels like a very good week for the Buccaneers' defense to make big plays. They should definitely be in the sack-happy mood.
