Player Spotlight: Streaming D/ST Week Eight
Week seven saw a great return on streaming defenses, as three of the top four scoring defenses last week were mentioned in this column. The Giants, Ravens and Buccaneers played huge dividends. The Raiders were also good, coming in as the 13th ranked defense for the week. Apologies for the Titans, however, as they were not very good. Can’t be perfect all the time.
This week leads to a lot of interesting choices, as four of the teams that will be talked about face each other. It is that kind of week. With six teams on bye, this is when we get to the nitty-gritty. As always, these are all defenses owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues and scoring is ESPN Standard.
Tennessee Titans hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars
Ok, yes they did not perform well last week, but they are not facing Andrew Luck this week. Jacksonville is 25th in fantasy points allowed to defenses, 24th in the NFL in points per game, have given up two or more turnovers in four of six games, and have given up the ball the seventh most times in the league. The Titans, for their part, are third in the league in sacks, and 10th best in opponent yards allowed per game. Jacksonville’s offense and quarterback have been struggling, and the Titans should capitalize.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars themselves have a good argument for the start as well. The Titans are 30th in fantasy points allowed to defenses, have allowed five defensive/special teams touchdowns, have a turnover in six of seven games, and have allowed defenses to score six or more points in all but one game. The Titans are also only scoring the 20th most points per game. The over/under for this game is 44, which is the third lowest of the week. Jacksonville should be a decent spot start.
New York Jets at Cleveland Browns
Do we need to make the argument to start a defense against the Browns? Other than the Miami game, Cleveland has allowed six or more points to fantasy defenses in every game. They are 27th in fantasy points allowed to defenses and have given up a turnover in every game except one. They are 27th in points scored, 24th in pass yards, and have allowed the third most sacks in the NFL. No wonder they are winless. The Jets seemed to have put their defense back together last week, as they performed much better, particularly Darrelle Revis. This game has a low over/under as well. The Jets may have underachieved most of the season, but should break out this week.
If you are feeling desperate….
Chicago Bears hosting the Minnesota Vikings
The Philadelphia Eagles showed the world how to crack the Vikings last week and it was through pressuring Sam Bradford. The Bears hope to capitalize on this and continue their recent play on defense. They are 12th in the league in sacks, and have had nine in the last three weeks. Chicago has actually scored an average of seven fantasy points per game the last four weeks, with games against Detroit (fifth in fantasy points allowed to defenses), at Indianapolis (20th), against Jacksonville (25th) and at Green Bay(21st). They also have scored an average of 8.33 points at home. With all the byes this week, and this being the game with the lowest over/under, the Bears are a very intriguing option.
Cleveland Browns hosting the New York Jets
This is a truly desperate play. The Jets have allowed a lot of turnovers, and are dead last in fantasy points allowed to defenses. Even taking out the Kansas City game, the Jets would still be ranked 28th. Ryan Fitzpatrick is back behind center after a brief benching, and the Jets have allowed four touchdowns to opposing defenses and special teams. The Browns are a truly desperate play, but one that could pay dividends for those in need.
If you want to discuss further options for streaming defenses, or anything else, just hit me up on the Fantasy Life App. My user name is @jmarin on the app, and you can usually find me in the FL OG Podcast chat.
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