“It's close to midnight and something evil's lurkin' in the dark.
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart.
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it.
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You're paralyzed.”
“Thriller” — Michael Jackson
Week 9 is upon us, and we’re back to having a few teams on bye. We say goodbye to the 49ers and Steelers this week, and their owners are hitting the wire to find a replacement. If you are one of those owners and it’s your first time reading the streaming defenses article, welcome. Let’s help you win.
We want to focus here on high-leverage spots where the DST will pressure the quarterback and force sacks and turnovers. We exploit bad lines, play-callers, and QBs. That said, how did we do last week?
Let’s look back at Week 8’s results from my top 5 adds.
- Detroit - 16 points (DST 1)
- Houston - 10 points (DST 4)
- LA Chargers - 12 points (DST 3)
- Green Bay - 5 points
- Dallas - 1 point
Fantastic week at the top. Nailing three of the top four DSTs of the week isn’t going to happen often, but it shows you that we’re on the right track with our streaming thoughts. As you get deeper, the plays become thinner; that’s why they aren’t the recommended plays. What do you say we go pick up some more week-winning defenses?
WEEK 8 BYES: San Francisco and Pittsburgh
DST ownership based on Yahoo league percentages
DRAKE’S TOP 5 DST ADDS
- Cincinnati (32%) vs LV
- Philadelphia (52%) vs JAX
- Washington (13%) @ NYG
- New Orleans (34%) @ CAR
- New England (5%) @ TEN
Higher-owned Options
Philadelphia Eagles (PHI, 52%) — OK, so the Birds are a hair over 50%, but I’m putting them on the list. Philly returns home to face Jacksonville, which could be without its top three wide receivers. Christian Kirk is done for the year. Brian Thomas Jr. has a rib injury, and reports initially claimed he could miss a few weeks, though coach Doug Pederson is playing it down. Gabe Davis (yes, he’s still in the league) also got banged up. The Eagles D is starting to gel under Vic Fangio. They forced a pair of turnovers last Sunday in Cincinnati as their young secondary is starting to figure things out. I like Philly to get Trevor Lawrence in plenty of long down and distance situations, leading to lots of dropbacks and throws to inexperienced receivers. That’s the recipe for fantasy DST success. I love the Birds in Week 9.
Top Targets
Cincinnati Bengals (CIN, 32%) — Sometimes, this game is easy. Their Week 9 opponent, Las Vegas, allows the second most fantasy points to opposing DSTs. There have been just three of eight contests thus far where Vegas hasn’t allowed double-digit DST points. Sacks, turnovers, and defensive touchdowns are all on the table against Vegas. Cincy needs to rebound after their bad home loss to the Eagles. They get right against a Vegas team with little talent to challenge the Bengals downfield — a good plug-and-play option.
Washington Commanders (WAS, 13%) — What a season thus far for Commanders fans. You nail the QB position in the draft. Your coach has changed the culture. Now you’re winning big games and are leading the NFC East. This week, Washington visits the New York Giants, who are coming off a short week and likely won’t have their electric rookie runner, Tyrone Tracy Jr., due to a concussion. The G-Men were battered and bruised Monday by Pittsburgh. Daniel Jones was sacked four times but was hit 12 times. Washington will be in the Giants' backfield all day. Over the last two weeks, Jones has been sacked 12 times. The Giants have allowed opposing DSTs 15 points in back-to-back games.
Targeting Awful Offenses
New Orleans Saints (NO, 34%) — The Saints aren’t great. I’ve said that before. This is simply targeting an offense with a shaky line and below-average QB. Carolina is allowing the 8th most points to opposing DSTs on the year. If Diontae Johnson can’t go (or is traded), the Panthers pass game will go through a pair of rookie receivers (Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker). This might be a better play for DFS, but the Panthers have allowed some monster weeks to DSTs. Just two weeks ago, Washington hung 16 points on them. I like this play more if the Saints return Derek Carr, and they can push the pace.
