Streaming Defense: Week 8

Another week brings another monster performance by New England’s defense against another pathetic opponent…you’ve heard this one before. The Patriots dismantled Sam Darnold and the Jets this time who the New York quarterback never looking right. New England was in the right place at the right time and capitalized on just about every mistake. I am going to make this clear if you own the Patriots defense: trade them now if someone in your league is willing to make a good offer. I would instantly trade New England’s defense for any WR2, RB2, or better. Say someone offered you Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley…take it and don’t look back. The Patriots have the hardest part of their schedule approaching, and this is unlikely to hold up. Take advantage while you can! So how did week 7 pan out for everyone else?

 

Rank	Team	% Owned	Opponent	Sacks	INTs	Fum Rec	Fantasy Points
1	New England Patriots	99%	New York Jets	1	4	3	27
2	Kansas City Chiefs	28%	Denver Broncos	9	0	1	24
3	Los Angeles Rams	85%	Atlanta Falcons	5	1	2	21
4	Baltimore Ravens	54%	Seattle Seahawks	1	1	1	18
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	86%	Cincinnati Bengals	2	3	1	17
6	Dallas Cowboys	43%	Philadelphia Eagles	3	1	3	15
7	San Francisco 49ers	92%	Washington Redskins	3	0	1	15
8	Arizona Cardinals	6%	New York Giants	8	1	2	14
9	Buffalo Bills	94%	Miami Dolphins	1	1	1	11
10	New Orleans Saints	81%	Chicago Bears	2	0	2	10
11	New York Giants	13%	Arizona Cardinals	2	0	0	10
12	Indianapolis Colts	13%	Houston Texans	3	2	0	9

 

I warned you last week that the streaming options were thin and unpredictable. I put up the Titans and Texans as options, and I was this close to adding in the Chiefs; if only, right? The Titans ended up with four points while the Texans only managed two points. If you snagged one of our under-owned teams, things were much better. The Bills were ninth with 11 points and the 49ers were seventh with 14 points. Both were reasonably available as waivers hit, so hopefully, you jumped at the chance. If you snagged the Niners, I’d keep on riding with them until they cool off. The Bills are also solid and can be kept as well. How are we looking for week 8?

 

Under Owned Teams

 

Los Angeles Rams (vs Cin, 85%)

 

Let’s start off with a trio of great matchups that might be on your waivers. This isn’t my #1 choice this week, but it’s still a great one if it’s out there. The Cincinnati Bengals are scoring less than 17 points per game. Andy Dalton gets sacked more than three times per game. The Bengals average more than a fumble and an interception per game. This is a homerun matchup, and the Rams get to play at home against this lousy (did I mention winless?) opponent. Feel free to roll with this matchup if it’s out there. If not, there are plenty of other great choices.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars (vs NYJ, 86%)

 

Did you see the Jets play the Patriots on Monday Night Football? I want a piece of that right now. Sam Darnold looked absolutely broken and I doubt that gets fixed in only a week. He was seeing ghosts in the pocket, and he threw the ball away early and often. Then there were the four interceptions which were thoroughly deserved. It is a stroke of luck that we get a strong defense (Jacksonville) to take advantage of this juicy matchup. I expect the Jaguars to give Sam Darnold hell, and I’m happy to cash in. Once again, roll with this matchup or pick your favorite from the list. There are just so many strong choices.

 

Tennessee Titans (vs TB, 62%) 

 

In his last two games, Jameis Winston has five interceptions and three fumbles. Let’s repeat that: Jameis Winston is averaging four turnovers per game over his last two outings. That’s pretty astounding. There are plenty of bad quarterbacks out there, but not many do it quite like Jameis. Now there are two ways to look at this. First, we see Winston continue the trend and stink it up against the Titans. However, we could see a trademark Winston turnaround. The moment you think Winston can do no good, he throws you for a loop…like in weeks three and four. I think Tampa Bay could surprise us coming off the bye week and I’m actually shying away from this one, just in case.

 

Streaming Options

 

Pittsburgh Steelers (48%, vs Mia) Stream of the Week

 

You should know where I’m going with this one. The Dolphins are actively trying to lose while the Steelers have been on the upswing. Pittsburgh’s defense has tallied 15 sacks, 8 interceptions, and 5 fumble recoveries over their last four games. They should eat the Dolphins alive and they get to play at home. I don’t care who Miami starts at QB or who is (or isn’t) left on the roster with the trade deadline approaching. I expect this one to be a blowout and it might just be the best matchup of the week. This is certainly the best of the streaming option you’ll find. Have I mentioned how much I love picking on the Dolphins this year? It’s great.

 

Philadelphia Eagles (@ Buf, 43%)

 

The Eagles defense certainly hasn’t been anything special this year. They only have two multi-sack games, they allow too many points, and the Eagles are 3-4 as a result. Now, they travel to 5-1 Buffalo and a loss here could mean the end of their season. So why consider the Eagles? Josh Allen. Josh Allen gives up two turnovers per game and he’s averaging less than 225 passing yards per game. I feel like this is going to be a get-right game for Philly, and that road goes through the Bills quarterback. This certainly isn’t as good a matchup as the last four I mentioned, but it could work out well if the Bills fall behind.

 

Detroit Lions (vs NYG, 9%) 

 

Let’s finish up with a team that should be available in almost every league. The Lions have only managed one total sack in their last three games and they’re on a three-game losing streak. They are the definition of a matchup-dependent unit, and luckily they have a great game this week. Daniel Jones has thrown an interception (or 2 or 3) in four straight games. The Giants offensive line has allowed 4+ sacks in three of the last five games. They’ve lost a fumble in four of the last five games, and three of those games saw multiple lost fumbles. Sure, the Lions aren’t guaranteed anything with how they’ve been playing. I’m sure someone out there is desperate, though, and you could do worse than a date with Daniel Jones.

 

 

(Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire)