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The top Week 9 defense streamers - fantasy football D/ST pickups, streamers and starts for 2025. Target these fantasy DST streaming options with strong matchups.
Picking up the right defense off the waiver wire could be the difference between winning and losing your weekly matchup. Last weekend, some streaming options paid major dividends for fantasy managers like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who allowed just three points to the Saints. However, some popular options did disappoint, like the Atlanta Falcons taking a tough loss to the Miami Dolphins.
In this week's edition, we will spotlight our top four streaming options that are available to more than 70% of all fantasy leagues on Yahoo.
Who should fantasy managers look to target on the waiver wire and plug into their starting lineup? Let's dive in!
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Top Week 9 Defense Streamers (D/ST)
Only defenses rostered in fewer than 65% of fantasy football leagues are considered potential streamers.
Jacksonville Jaguars at LV
25% Rostered
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming out of their Week 8 bye and have a prime matchup against the struggling Las Vegas Raiders. While the Raiders were expected to welcome back standout tight end Brock Bowers to the lineup, they have been one of the worst offensive units throughout the first half. Quarterback Geno Smith enters this contest holding a 7:10 TD:INT.
He has thrown six interceptions compared to just three passing scores over his last four games. During this stretch, he is averaging just 146.5 passing yards per game. Overall, the Raiders are averaging the second-lowest points pr game (14.7).
Even though the Jaguars are coming off the worst outing of their season, expect them to return to form in a smash matchup.
Josh Hines-Allen split sack with Armstead. pic.twitter.com/mFL2e1R6TY
— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 21, 2025
San Francisco 49ers at NYG
25% Rostered
While the Giants have shown some much-needed life on offense with rookie QB Jaxson Dart under center, they will face a much tougher task going forward. Breakout running back Cam Skattebo suffered a season-ending ankle injury, which significantly hinders the team's offensive upside. In their loss to the Eagles last week, the Giants scored just 20 points, their lowest total since Week 5.
Dart threw for just 193 yards and one passing score, his lowest mark since his NFL debut back in Week 4.
Prior to struggling against Houston last weekend, the 49ers were beginning to find their footing on defense. In their Week 7 victory over Atlanta, the 49ers allowed just 10 points and tallied two sacks. Expect the 49ers to shut down the New York offense, which is without its spark plug.
Chicago Bears at CIN
30% Rostered
The Chicago Bears had a modest showing last weekend, facing the Tyler Huntley-led Baltimore Ravens. In this contest, they allowed 30 points but added two sacks. While they appear to have a difficult matchup on paper, they could face another backup QB.
Starting QB Joe Flacco (shoulder) is day-to-day with an AC joint injury. He was limited during Thursday's practice and could be a game-time decision if he cannot upgrade to full participation by Friday. If Flacco were to miss this game, Jake Browning would take over starting duties.
Browning struggled in the starting role this season, posting a 6:8 TD:INT through four games while tallying just 189.3 passing yards per game.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. JAC
10% Rostered
The final streaming option to consider is the other side of the Jaguars/Raiders matchup we mentioned earlier. The Jaguars have been far from consistent on offense, but are coming off two of their worst performances. In Week 6, they scored just 12 points against the Seahawks, and then scored only seven points against the Rams in Week 7.
They surrendered seven sacks in both of these games. While QB Trevor Lawrence has thrown only one interception over his last four games, the Jaguars are still allowing sacks at a high rate, which should provide the Raiders a safe floor in deeper formats.
MAXX CROSBY TIPPED IT TO HIMSELF AND PICKED IT OFF
CHIvsLV on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/wSQp6WwsSi
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
Week 9 Defense Rankings and Tiers
| Rank | Player Name |
| 1 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 2 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers |
| 4 | Denver Broncos |
| 5 | Detroit Lions |
| 6 | New England Patriots |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 9 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 10 | Houston Texans |
| 11 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 13 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 14 | New York Giants |
| 15 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 16 | Washington Commanders |
| 17 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 18 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 19 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 20 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 21 | Buffalo Bills |
| 22 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 23 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 24 | Tennessee Titans |
| 25 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 26 | Carolina Panthers |
| 27 | New Orleans Saints |
| 28 | Miami Dolphins |
Read more defense news and updates for Week 9
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 9 Defense Decisions. Today's focus is on specific team defenses - The Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 9 for defenses like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears:
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