Last week was one of those weeks where using defensive streamers seemed futile, unless you picked up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All three of my recommendations gave up 24 or more points – not what you need from that one-week fill-in at defense.
At least we begin the second half of the fantasy season and the have and have-nots are starting to sort themselves out and should make it easier to find that one-week defensive streamer.
Let’s get into the Week 8 plays!
Defensive Streamers
Las Vegas (at New York Jets, 3 percent on Yahoo!, 10 percent on Sleeper)
If you look at the Las Vegas Raiders defensive statistics, you must think I’m crazy for picking them this week.
The Raiders are ranked 29th in defense in yards allowed this season after a great 3-0 start. The defense is giving up 373.7 yards a game.
And they are even worse on the road, giving up 409 yards a game.
However, the Raiders still average 2.3 sacks a game and force 1.7 turnovers a game. And they force an extra turnover in road games this season (2.7).
Even if the game turns into a shootout, the Jets are giving up 3.0 sacks a game (3.3 in home games), but the Jets have been good with ball security this season with only 1.0 turnover a game.
The Raiders are 1.5-point favorite.
Cincinnati (home against Tennessee, 12 percent on Yahoo!, 19 percent on Sleeper)
The Tennessee Titans’ offense has shown some flashes the last two weeks as they have averaged 25 points a game in their last two.
But the Cincinnati Bengals are one of those teams who see a significant difference in their defense in home games.
The Bengals give up 346.7 yards a game this season but that numbers drops to only 302.5 yards at home.
And the Bengals can put pressure on the quarterbacks as they are averaged 3.5 sacks a game and have forced a Top 10 mark of 1.5 turnovers a game.
Now for the Titans, despite the recent offensive surge, they are still only averaging 248.6 yards a game, while giving up 1.6 sacks a game and 1.4 turnovers a game.
The Bengals enter the contest as a 10-point favorite.
Detroit (home against Minnesota, 7 percent on Yahoo!, 13 percent on Sleeper)
I know you don’t see a defensive streamer recommendation against an undefeated team, but the Minnesota Vikings offense is living off of the elite defense.
The Vikings offense is ranked 29th in the NFL as they are only averaging 281.7 yards a game.
Minnesota will be hard-pressed to keep up with the Detroit Lions offense, which is averaging 30.7 points a game.
The Lions defense has been on the other end of the spectrum as they have been the worst defense this season giving up yards. The Lions have given up 391.0 yards a game.
However, Detroit has been a little better of holding down teams at home, giving up 376.0 yards a game at Ford Field. Plus, the Lions got a boost when safety Brian Branch returned the lineup last week.
The Vikings give up 3.0 sacks a game despite the mobile Kyler Murray at QB.
The Lions are 3-point favorite with a total of 46.5 points.
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tKVupvzmpm
And don’t miss out on my weekly DFS Top Plays that I provide from my spreadsheet to our Discord, and come join our other Ball Knowers for some picks, in-game analysis and good fantasy football banter while the games are being played.
And check out our weekly NFL and fantasy football and our college football coverage. And the World Series is here!
Plus, don’t forget to check out our affiliates for some bonus cash with our promos.
– Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @fantasyfbguru2 or Bluesky @fantasyfbguru2.bsky.social and don’t forget to check our main page with coverage of college football, NFL, fantasy football and a few best bets added.
