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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Curtis

Fantasy football defense rankings, Week 9: From elite to streamable

You’ve got your fantasy football lineup all but set for the week, with a few tweaks to be made here and there as Sunday’s slate of games is ready to kick off.

But you’re trying to optimize your lineup to make sure you get the most points. And that’s why you have to make sure your D/ST position has the best possible squad to win you the week.

That’s what these rankings will help with: A look at the elite, solid, and streamable options that could win you some virtual games in your league.

Let’s break down the Week 9 D/ST tiers:

1
Elite

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

1. Buffalo Bills (at Jets)

2. New England Patriots (vs. Colts)

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Rams)

4. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Panthers)

5. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Titans)

The Chiefs and Bengals have been all over the place defensively, but you have to like the matchups.

2
Solid

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

6. Minnesota Vikings (at Commanders)

7. Miami Dolphins (at Bears)

8. Baltimore Ravens (at Saints)

9. Green Bay Packers (at Saints)

10. Indianapolis Colts (at Patriots)

Kind of a shaky second tier this week. But Bradley Chubb is a Dolphin now!

3
Streaming options

Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Raiders)

12. Los Angeles Chargers (at Falcons)

13. Los Angeles Rams (at Buccaneers)

Not great. But you can see paths to good weeks here.

4
Throw a dart if you're desperate

Las Vegas Raiders (at Jaguars)

Uhhh, yeah. Maybe Trevor Lawrence is underwhelming again?

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