Fantasy Football Week 8 Defense Rankings and Streamers feat. Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and more
Streaming defenses is a popular strategy in fantasy football, but your pick can make or break your scoring week. The NFL is a week-to-week business with new matchups to exploit and avoid to maximize our weekly point total.
Let's go through the best weekly defensive streaming options, plus give you an overview of how the top defenses rank heading into the new fantasy week. For streamers, we consider all defenses under the 60% threshold in ESPN and Yahoo! Sports leagues.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings
Fantasy Football Defense Streamers for Week 8
1] Los Angeles Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints
ESPN 36% | Yahoo! 43% | FAAB Range 1%
With all the uncertainty surrounding the Saints and their skill position players, many defenses in the league would be in play as a top streamer in Week 8. It so happens that the Chargers were the defense that was dealt an advantageous matchup against this banged-up Saints unit.
Starting with the signal callers, the Saints will be without veteran Derek Carr for the third straight game this Sunday. This leaves New Orleans with Spencer Rattler, who will be making the third start of his career and the first contest as a road quarterback.
The biggest question for the Chargers defense would be if it will have the services of Pro Bowl pass rusher Joey Bosa. Bosa's presence has been missed on a defense that has had difficulties getting to the quarterback this season. Los Angeles is 20th in pressure rate (26.0), 26th in sack rate (5.8%), and 29th in QB hit rate (10.1%) through six games this season.
The backend has done its part by allowing the third-fewest passing yards (1,192), 10th-best yards per attempt (6.7), and 10th in completion percentages permitted (67%). However, the hallmark of his defense has been the rush defense, with a -21.66 Expected Points Added - the best mark in the NFL.
Los Angeles are seven-point favorites with the league-fewest 40.5 total at the time of this publication. Fire up the Chargers as a top-five play with confidence.
2] Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN 32% | Yahoo! 61% | FAAB Range 1%
It's hard to blame the Raiders if they came into last week's game against the Rams mentally broken. In Week 8, Las Vegas will go into this matchup physically broken against the visiting Chiefs. Not only did they miss their marquee player last week, Davante Adams, but quarterback Aidan O'Connell broke his thumb on his throwing hand, which could keep him out for four to six weeks.
This unit will have to turn back to "Uncle Rico" Gardner Minshew again this week against one of the hottest defenses in fantasy football, making Kansas City one of the best streamers.
Minshew has thrown an interception in five of the six games he started this season, including three against a struggling pass defense in the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
Minshew is 20th in completion percentage (65.5%), 23rd in passing yards (1,168), and 24th in yards per attempt (6.7). The offensive front has had a tough time this season, with the 8th-highest pressure rate (31.4%) and the 10th-highest blitz rate (31.1%).
Blitzing the quarterback is a specialty for Kansas City, as this unit owns the seventh-highest rate in the league (33.8%). Selling out to the quarterback resulted in the 8th-most pressure rate (31.6%) and the fifth-highest QB hit rate (18.4%).
We typically like to stream home defenses, but Kansas City will be an exception. At the time of this publication, the Chiefs will be the most-favored team in Week 8 at +10 but with a point total of just 41.5 on Sunday.
3] Detroit Lions vs Tennessee Titans
ESPN 54% | Yahoo! 20% | FAAB Range 1%
Some thought the fantasy gods were punishing them by taking Will Levis away, but Tennessee moved veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City, putting the Titans' offense squarely as one of the best targets in Week 8. Turnover-happy Levis is trending to miss another game but his replacement, Mason Rudolph, kept the turnover streak alive in Week 7 with an interception in the 34-10 loss to Buffalo.
The Tennessee quarterbacks have thrown a pick in every game this season and have a combined eight interceptions to six touchdown passes through seven games.
The offensive line has struggled to protect Levis and Rudolph this season. Tennessee owns the fifth-highest sack rate (8.9%), seventh-highest pressure rate (32.2%), and third-highest QB hit rate (20.1%). Defenses are generating these numbers while blitzing the third-fewest rate in the league at 19.6%.
The Detroit defense has had troubles this season but will come into this matchup as the most-favored team in Week 8 at -11 against Tennessee. We love a home favorite with a backup quarterback but just be prepared for the Lions to be a one-and-done play with a showdown with the Packers in Week 9.