We are officially past the halfway point of the fantasy season and heading into our first “byemaggedon” week with 6 teams sidelined. That leaves many fantasy managers scrambling and/or streaming defenses for the first time all season. Fortunately, several widely available defenses head into smash matchups this week, and several others can be held for weeks to come while your competition is fighting over scraps on the waiver wire.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 8: BYE | Week 9: @ Las Vegas Raiders | Week 10: @ Houston Texans | Week 11: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
It feels like this pick flies in the face of the spirit of an article that spotlights DSTs that you can stream because the Jaguars start this 4-game stretch with their bye week. Setting aside that minor inconvenience, the return from the bye week marks the beginning of an incredible stretch of matchups for their defense and special teams. The Raiders, their Week 9 opponent, have been a punching bag for opposing defenses and a favorite target of this article for the entire season. Week 10 brings a rematch with the Houston Texans, who are allowing pressure at an alarming rate and gave up 2 sacks and 3 turnovers to the Jags in Week 3. The only troubling spot on the calendar for Jacksonville is their Week 11 tilt against the Chargers. It’s helpful that the game will be played in the friendly confines of EverBank Stadium, where the Jaguars trim their points allowed from 27.1 as a visitor down to just 17.0 at home. While the Chargers’ offense has been prolific this season, they are still allowing the 2nd-highest pressure rate in the NFL, and that could crack open the door for some opportunistic turnovers for the Jaguars. Better still are two more juicy matchups in Weeks 12 and 13 (@ Arizona, @ Tennessee), making the widely-dropped Jaguars a team you can add and hold for the stretch run.
Atlanta Falcons
Week 8: vs Miami Dolphins | Week 9: @ New England Patriots | Week 10: @ Indianapolis Colts | Week 11: vs. Carolina Panthers
It might be difficult to get your hands on the Falcons’ DST as their Week 8 matchup against the hapless Dolphins made them one of the hottest pickups for streamers this week. If you were one of those lucky few or you happen to be in one of the leagues where they’re still available, Atlanta could pay dividends over the next few weeks for you. After a Miami matchup that has the Falcons ranked as the #1 DST by many in the industry, comes a so-so spot against the Patriots. While Drake Maye has been a revelation this season, New England is closer to mid-pack in scoring by opposing DSTs, thanks to allowing the 4th-most sacks per game and their well-documented ball security issues. It doesn’t get much easier in Week 10 against a Colts offense that is firing on all cylinders this season. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to make other plans that week, but for the ones willing to hold steady, the improving pass-rush of the Falcons and Daniel Jones racking up 11 turnover-worthy plays this season gives some hope for a decent outing. Relief comes in Week 11 as the Panthers come to town for a divisional matchup. The Falcons will have revenge on the mind after Carolina shut them out in Week 3, but this Atlanta pass rush has rounded into form nicely in the weeks since. This coming against a Panthers line that has allowed Bryce Young to rack up the 2nd-most QB hits in the league has the makings of a big week for the Falcons’ DST.
Baltimore Ravens
Week 8: vs. Chicago Bears | Week 9: @ Miami Dolphins | Week 10: @ Minnesota Vikings | Week 11: @ Cleveland Browns
This one feels a bit awkward on the surface, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the call. The Baltimore Ravens’ defense has been an absolute turnstile through the first 7 weeks of the season. This unit is allowing a league-high 32.3 points per game and has been widely dropped by fantasy managers, but I believe a turnaround is on the horizon. The Ravens are set to welcome back several of their top-flight players on the defensive side of the ball following their Week 7 bye and are positioned to capitalize on a fairly favorable schedule ahead. Week 8 brings a Bears team that has been moving the ball more effectively under the leadership of Ben Johnson, but that can still be prone to turnovers from time to time. Caleb Williams currently has the 7th-highest turnover worth play rate among quarterbacks, and Chicago is in the bottom quarter of the league with 1.2 fumbles per game. With Chicago in the rear-view, the Ravens walk into a 3-week stretch against some of the league’s most inept offenses, some of the most turnover-prone players, and, in the case of Miami, both. This could be a hold-your-nose type of decision, but I think it can work out favorably for a Ravens defense that is getting healthy at the right time.
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads | @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)