10 D/STs for starting or sitting

Week 8 will be a gift for fantasy football managers as no team is due for a bye. This gives owners a full selection of players to choose from for their lineups, including a number of great D/ST starts on a solid roster.

It can be difficult to predict weekly fantasy defense performance outside of the league’s top units. This is why so many fantasy football players prefer to bundle up their defense and simply play solid stopping units to deal with questionable offenses.

The no-start-’em-sit-’em plan in D/ST is foolproof, as defensive and special teams touchdowns can greatly impact scoring. Still, heading into Week 8, there are a handful of defenses that look good on paper and a handful that should be avoided if possible.

Here are five D/ST sessions to start in Week 8 and five for the session.

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Fantasy Football Start ’em: Week 8 D/STs

Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New Orleans Saints)

The Saints had the NFL’s best offense through two games, but have since completely lost during their five-game losing streak. As a result, they allow 9.7 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses, which is the seventh-most in the NFL. The Chargers have the league’s best-scoring defense (13.8 points per game). So you can expect them to limit New Orleans’ offense regardless of who starts at quarterback.

Kansas City Chiefs (at Las Vegas Raiders)

The Raiders have allowed seven interceptions in the last three games, including two three-pick appearances by Gardner Minshew. With help from Aidan O’Connell (thumb), he’s back in the swing of things, so expect the Chiefs, who rank third in the NFL with a pressure rate of 29.5 percent, to allow Minshew to commit a few turnovers and mistakes will force.

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Pittsburgh Steelers (at New York Giants)

Daniel Jones threw for just 99 yards and was sacked a whopping seven times against the Philadelphia Eagles in his first game without left tackle Andrew Thomas. The Steelers have an excellent pass rush led by TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith, so they expect to be able to match Philadelphia’s excellent Week 7 performance in Week 8.

Green Bay Packers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

No NFL team has more takeaways than the Packers, who have collected 17 (9 interceptions, 8 fumble recoveries) in seven games. That — and their average of 2.9 sacks per game, the 10th-most sacks in the NFL — gives them a top spot against a Jaguars team that ranks just 21st in points per game this season (20th). ,7).

Detroit Lions (vs. Tennessee Titans)

The Titans have only played six games at the start of the 2024 NFL season, but are still in second place in the NFL with 12 games played. They threw at least one interception in every game, regardless of whether Will Levis or Mason Rudolph started. That should give the Lions — who have the eighth-most takeaways in the NFL with 11 — a chance to get some turnovers against the NFL’s sixth-worst offense (17.7 points per game).

Fantasy Football Sit ’em: Week 8 D/STs

Buffalo Bills (at Seattle Seahawks)

The Seahawks are allowing opposing defenses 7.3 fantasy points per game, which ranks 13th in the NFL. That might not seem like a bad thing, but Seattle has an offense that ranks in the top 10 (25.7 points per game), giving the teams that play them a low ceiling. The Bills have 12 takeaways this season, but their subpar run defense could give Kenneth Walker a field day. That could limit the team’s options for interceptions and sacks. So it’s best to avoid Buffalo this week if you can.

Chicago Bears (at Washington Commanders)

The Commanders allow opposing D/STs just 2.1 fantasy points per game, the second fewest in the NFL. The Bears figure to get more with Jayden Daniels sitting, but Marcus Mariota proved to be a capable replacement for the rookie phenom in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers. Mariota was always praised for his accuracy. So if he avoids turnovers instead of Daniels, it will be difficult for Chicago to be a top-12 defenseman this week.

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Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

The Eagles average a whopping 3.2 sacks per game, but are also pressured on just 19.1 percent of dropbacks, which ranks them 22nd in the NFL. Therefore, it looks like their seven-sack game against the Giants could be an outlier. The Eagles may still be able to compete against Joe Burrow, who has been sacked at least three times in five of seven games this season, but Cincinnati’s average points per game of 25.4 should be enough to convince fantasy owners to buy in this season to keep away from the Eagles spot.

Dallas Cowboys (at San Francisco 49ers)

The 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk for the season due to a torn ACL, but they still have plenty of weapons on offense, especially when Deebo Samuel is playing. Dallas’ defense has taken a huge step backwards without Dan Quinn, allowing 28 points per game, the second-most in the NFL behind only the Panthers. If Micah Parsons is out in Week 8, the Cowboys should certainly face a quality opponent.

New York Giants (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Giants are averaging 4.4 sacks per game, best in the league, and Dexter Lawrence is performing well against Steelers backup center Ryan McCollum. Still, the Steelers are starting to get going, scoring at least 32 points in consecutive games and seeing Russell Wilson unleash the deep-ball skills of George Pickens. That’s enough to keep the Giants D/ST on the bench, especially since their offensive numbers put the defense in bad positions with Andrew Thomas sidelined.

Fantasy Football: Start’em, Sit’ems, Week 8

Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports offers you:

→ A good running back makes the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start with and who to attend in Week 8.

→ Do you need an edge under the center? Here are the best quarterback options to start and sit in Week 8.

→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 8 with start ’em, sit ’em advice for wideouts.

→ Tight ends can be the perfect x-factor for any fantasy team. Here’s who you should start and sit with in Week 8.

→ Kickers Are People Too: Here are some of the most clutch kickers your fantasy team should have in Week 8.

topicnews · October 25, 2024

10 D/STs for starting or sitting

Fantasy Football Start ’em: Week 8 D/STs

Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New Orleans Saints)