Streaming Defenses: Week 9 Targets

Nov 02, 2021

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I’m old enough to remember a time in TV history when cable was a luxury and adjusting the “bunny-ears” antennae was a way of life. Whenever tuning the signal dial just wasn’t cutting it, you had to adjust the tin foil crunched around the end of the “ears”. Satellite TV back then sounded like a sci-fi fever dream. Even if you had the better services, there still weren’t that many channels to choose from.

Now, though, we are firmly in the era of streaming.

More Week 9 Streaming: QB | TE | K

So many options are just a click away these days, and all on-demand. You don’t have to get tied down to one provider. Sure, not every choice is available all the time, and you don’t always know where to look for among what’s available. Still, that’s what this column is for: to guide you through the world of streaming… defenses.

I explained in my introductory article to the concept that streaming defenses is one of the most sound ways to approach the position in fantasy football, as well as how to do it, and what to look for from a statistical perspective in a defensive streamer.

This column will combine that approach with our own Kevin Zatloukal’s analytical model for streaming defenses. KZ’s model utilizes Vegas lines for predicting points scored by the opposing defense, opposing quarterback history for interception rates, and both the offense and defense’s history of allowing sacks – the most predictive parts of defensive scoring on a weekly basis.

With all that out of the way, let’s dim the lights and press play on the main feature. Here are four defenses to consider picking up ahead of Week 9.

Week 8 Review

Top Streamers

Cincinnati Bengals at NYJ – 7 pts (t-DEF12)
Atlanta Falcons vs. CAR– 3 pts (t-DEF20)

Deep Plays

Seattle Seahawks vs. JAX – 13 pts (t-DEF4)
Los Angeles Chargers vs. NE – 3 pts (t-DEF20)

Unfortunately, we averaged a 6.5-point defensive performance this week; not horrible, but closer to the 16th-best defense this week than a true startable option. We’re extremely fortunate that Jets quarterback Mike White was as wild as he was because Gang Green didn’t roll over with their franchise signal-caller out – actually winning the game against our Cincinnati Bengals’ abhorrent secondary. The Jaguars’ continued ineptitude also fueled a semblance of success this week for the Seattle Seahawks, who got just one sack and one turnover, but took the T.O. to the house and held the lowly Jags to just seven total points.

As for the other two recommendations from last week, we played with fire in running back Atlanta and we got burned; it wasn’t a high-scoring game, but the edge rush for the Falcons is so bad that they weren’t able to sack punching bag Sam Darnold a single time. The Chargers just couldn’t hold it together against the efficient “grind-it-out” Patriots’ offense and ended up with a poor showing too.