Week 9 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is already here before we knew it and fantasy managers are prepping for another wild week of action inside the league. While Week 8 came with its fair share of upsets, injuries, and memorable moments, fans will have to turn the page and look ahead towards Week 9. Whether you've stuck with a D/ST all season or opt towards streaming week-t0-week, having consistency at the position could mean your fantasy matchup on any given week.
Week 8 saw defenses like the Atlanta Falcons take a step back by allowing 34 points to the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns allowing 32 points to the New England Patriots. Other defenses like the Houston Texans stepped up big against the 49ers and were the main focal point in their victory.
Aside from the top-ranked units, we'll be taking a look at which defenses you can confidently start ahead of Week 9 and which we're deciding to leave on the bench.
Week 9 BYE: Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 9 D/ST: Start ‘Em
This Week's Top D/ST Starts:
- Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (@TEN)
- Los Angeles Rams D/ST (vs. NO)
- Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST (vs. LV)
- Denver Broncos D/ST (@HOU)
- Green Bay Packers D/ST (vs. CAR)
Detroit Lions D/ST (vs. MIN)
This should be an obvious pick as the Detroit Lions land just outside our top-5 starts of the week at No. 6. They'll face a divisional test as the Minnesota Vikings come to town, but the Lions have owned this matchup with a 9-1 record in their last 10 games against Minnesota. In each of the Lions' five wins this season, they've managed to hold opponents to 30 or fewer points.
They currently rank seventh among other defenses in fantasy scoring this season, notching their second-highest point total (13.0) of the season last week against Tampa Bay. The Vikings' don't have half the offensive power of the Buccaneers, so this Lions' defense should be in for another favorable matchup in a game they should win. Newly-minted defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has this unit firing on all cylinders, so expect another double-digit performance in this one.
New England Patriots D/ST (vs. ATL)
The New England Patriots D/ST currently ranks No. 1 overall on ESPN formats and although they draw a tougher matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, this defense has shown an ability to stifle key parts of teams' offenses, most recently the running game of the Quinshon Judkins and the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. Over the last three weeks, the Patriots have totaled 38.0 total fantasy points for the most during that stretch of games.
It's worth noting that the Miami Dolphins' defense held Falcons' RB Bijan Robinson to just 25 rushing yards and a fumble, so the Patriots can certainly take a page out of Miami's book and contain Robinson the same way. With continued questions at the quarterback position for Atlanta, feel confident starting the Patriots' D/ST in the coming weeks.
Week 9 D/ST: Sit ‘Em
Chicago Bears D/ST (@CIN)
While the Chicago Bears defense has ranked within the top-15 for most of the season, they're coming in following a disappointing effort against the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed 355 total yards and 30 points to QB Tyler Huntley and the offense. It's worth noting that the Bears also allowed 24 points to the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders in two of their last four games.
They draw the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 who, under the direction of new quarterback Joe Flacco, have now scored 71 combined points in their last two games. Offensive weapons like RB Chase Brown and WR Ja'Marr Chase are able to flourish once again, calling for a new game plan for defenses facing this unit. While the Bears have been solid overall, this may be a solid week to sit them in what could be a high-scoring game.
Baltimore Ravens D/ST (@MIA)
Following a dominant home performance where they held the Chicago Bears to just 16 points, the Ravens defense will hit the road to face the 2-6 Miami Dolphins. With quarterback Lamar Jackson one step closer to returning from injury, this should be a winnable game for the Baltimore Ravens as they try to improve their own record.
However, the Miami Dolphins were the surprise of Week 8 as they managed to score 34 points against a top-ranked Atlanta Falcons defense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa erupted with four touchdown passes and the game could have been a re-awakening for Mike McDaniels and this offense. Barring any further surprises, we'll stay away from the Ravens D/ST this week who's been one of the league's worst in allowing total offense to opponents.
