Fantasy Football Rankings: Top Five Defenses To Start In Week 9 Of Season
Week 9 could be a sneaky-good week for fantasy defenses, despite there being a slew of teams on byes.
The question, of course, is who do you trust in your lineup?
Identifying the right matchup can be difficult, especially given the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of so many NFL teams. Thankfully, we’re here to guide you through what should be a fascinating weekend in the NFL.
Let’s look at the five defenses you should start in Week 9:
San Francisco 49ers (at Arizona Cardinals)
The 49ers defense actually is better than the Patriots defense in some statistical categories — it’s that good. A bevy of sacks and turnovers should be in store Thursday night when this group faces rookie quarterback Kyler Murray.
New England Patriots (at Baltimore Ravens)
Yes, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens present the toughest challenge yet this season for New England’s ridiculous defense. Honestly, we wouldn’t be shocked if Baltimore moves the ball a bit and puts up a decent amount of points. But the floor for this unit is too high, and Bill Belichick’s record against sophomore quarterbacks is too strong to consider benching.
Buffalo Bills (vs. Washington Redskins)
Case Keenum is concussed and Dwayne Haskins is as raw as a rookie can be. How do you think a visit to Buffalo against this ball-hawking Bills defense is going to go?
Dallas Cowboys (at New York Giants)
We love this matchup. The Cowboys are coming off a bye to face a rookie quarterback who has been sacked at least four times in each of his last four games and is turnover-prone. Start Dallas with confidence.
Cleveland Browns (at Denver Broncos)
Admittedly, we’re banking on Broncos backup quarterback Brandon Allen being a complete disaster. If that indeed is the case, the Browns could be one of the best fantasy defenses this weekend. Cleveland is an excellent streaming option.
