As we approach the midway point of the season, I can only hope that our articles have done more good than bad in your quest for the championship. If you have a good record and find yourself near the top of the rankings in your league, then you know that now is the time to start preparing yourself for the playoffs and making sure that your team will endure the cold and bitter remaining weeks. However, if you find yourself somewhere in the bottom of your league, you must look at every matchup and every player with a critical eye to make sure that you aren’t leaving any points on your bench. It is a very stressful time indeed….
The good thing about week 8 is that there are plenty of streamer options on Team Defense to fill any bye week gaps or unfavorable matchups. As usual, below are some choices that should end up in your favor. But I have also listed some other Defenses that should matchup nicely this week if any or all of these are taken.
New Orleans vs. STL
Fresh off of completely routing the Colts in week 7, the Saints look to continue the defensive dominance against the St. Louis Rams which allow the most Fantasy Points to opposing defenses. Although the Saints allow just over 22 pts a game, they face a suspect Rams offense that has only averaged 9.3 pts per game and won’t allow nearly their average.
New York Giants vs. MIA
After an embarrassing loss to Denver last week, the Dolphins face an uphill battle against the stout New York in week 8. The Giants are currently tied for first in the league with 21 sacks over six games and will bring the pain to Matt Moore this weekend. Not only have they been able to tally up the sacks, they have also racked up 7 interceptions and 7 forced fumbles. Look to pick the G-Men up if they’re still available in your league.
Cincinnati vs. SEA
The Bengals have been one of the better surprise stories this year offensively and defensively. They’re averaging only 18.5 points allowed and only 278 total yards allowed. This does not bode well for the inconsistent Seattle offense which could only get one field goal off last week against the Browns. Seattle’s offense has given up the most sacks and the 2nd most fantasy points to defenses this year and will only continue the trend against the Bengals.
Surprise Streamer of the Week
Buffalo vs. WAS
John Beck performed better than most expected last week against the Panthers, but still couldn’t lead the team to victory. He also managed to give Carolina only their 4th interception of the year and also 3 sacks (when they were only averaging 1.5 a game.) Only Green Bay has more interceptions than the Bills this year, and although the Redskins will still put up some points, they are bound to pick off Beck at least once and also have a high chance of returning one for a TD as they have averaged on TD per 4 interceptions.
Other Favorable Matchups: Houston Texans vs. JAC, Detroit Lions vs. DEN, San Francisco vs. CLE, Tennessee Titans vs. IND
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