After a barrage of defensive and special teams touchdowns in Week 7, the storm calmed in Week 8. Kalif Raymond had a house call on a punt last Sunday, the only D/ST touchdown of the week. His trip to paydirt was actually one of seven touchdowns for Detroit.

Looking forward to Week 9, there are several favorable matchups for fantasy managers to pick on. You’ll find the defenses facing off against the Giants, Raiders, and Panthers inside our top 12 defenses this week. On top of several streaming options, a couple of the go-to options like the Chargers and Vikings are listed as starters this week.

Regardless of whether you roll with the same defense every week or utilize a streaming option, it’s important to evaluate your D/ST each week. There’s no better place to check in on where your defense stands than with the Sporting News’ Week 9 defense rankings.

WEEK 9 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers

Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 9: Who to start, sit at D/ST

These rankings will be updated throughout the week, so check back often.

Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 9?

The Ravens’ defense appeared to reclaim its 2023 form in the first half last week against the Browns. To be fair, the Cleveland offense is depleted, but they’ll get an offense of a similar quality in Week 9. Bo Nix has displayed some serious red flags as a passer, and the offense has struggled when forced to take on a pass-heavy approach. If the Baltimore offense can keep their foot on the gas and build a lead, the defense will be in a position to succeed.

The Chargers and Vikings are the other two defensive units in our top three. From an efficiency perspective, these are two of the best defenses in the NFL. Minnesota has struggled in recent weeks, but a matchup with Indianapolis creates a bounce-back spot for Brian Flores’ defense. Los Angeles will continue to build on their incredibly impressive defensive season against Jameis Winston and company.

Check out our full list of Week 9 Waiver Wire recommendations

Who are the D/STs on byes in Week 9? 

San Francisco 49ers: A few spike weeks have placed the 49ers inside the top 10 in terms of points per game. Still, they are not a team that is worth holding onto over their bye week. Send them to waivers and find a streamer for Week 9.   

Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh is averaging a shade under 10 PPG this season. As has been typical over the last 15 years, the Steelers feature one of the league’s most ferocious defensive units. But much like the 49ers, they do not warrant the use of an extra roster spot to hold onto them over their bye.

Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers in Week 9?

The Bengals’ defense has proven to be capable of containing suspect offenses. They held both the Giants and Browns to 14 or fewer points and scored at least eight fantasy points in both matchups. Cincinnati will have the opportunity to face off against another inept offense in Week 8 as they host the Las Vegas Raiders. The quartet of Gardner Minshew, Jakobi Meyers, Alexander Mattison, and Brock Bowers isn’t exactly threatening to any NFL defense. They are an offense to target with defensive streamers and make the Bengals a viable option this week.

This matchup involves two units trending in directions that make Washington a premium defensive choice this week. On one side of the ball, the Commanders’ defense has made significant improvements in the last month and has allowed fewer than 20 points in four of their last five games. On the other side of the ball, The Giants’ offense has mightily struggled in recent weeks. The offensive line is crumbling without LT Andrew Thomas and Daniel Jones is constantly under siege. Washington shouldn’t have much of an issue stymieing Jones and company this week.