Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11) - Defense Streamers and Starts (2025)

Joey's best fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11 in 2025. NFL team defense streamers and starts based on strength of schedule.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the 2025 season. Each week, we will go through the best defensive streaming options that fantasy managers should pick up for the coming weeks. 

Last week, this article featured both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams. The Chiefs went on to score 13 fantasy points against the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Rams scored 11 fantasy points against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

For Week 8, we will look at several defensive targets for the next four weeks (Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11). If you want our D/ST fantasy football draft rankings, be sure to check that out. So, let's dive in and look at the best defensive streamers and starts for Week 8 and beyond.

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D/ST Strength of Schedule: Weeks 8-11

This weekly series will focus on defenses fantasy managers should consider picking up for the coming weeks. We will look at defenses fantasy managers should pick up for one week, and some defenses to pick up for the next four weeks. Sometimes, rostering two defenses isn't the worst strategy in most leagues that have a deeper bench.

So, we will break down the best defensive streamers into a few categories (Temporary, Part-Time, Recruit, and Fool's Gold) in this article below. You can see the description of each of those streamer types down below:

• “Temporary” Streamer: D/ST with a good matchup in Week 8
• “Part-Time” Streamer: D/ST with multiple nice matchups in a row
• “Recruit” Streamer: D/ST with an easy upcoming schedule that you pick up earlier to stash on your bench
• “Fool’s Gold” Streamer: D/ST that on paper looks like a good option, but should be avoided 

Week 8 D/ST Streamers

Since this is a streamer D/ST article, we will only look at defenses that are rostered in under 60% of ESPN leagues. There are other great D/ST matchups as well for this week, so check out our Week 8 defense streamers and tiered rankings article to see the full list:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST (Temporary Streamer)

• Week 8 Opponent: New Orleans Saints
• ESPN Rostership: 16.8%
• Over-Under: 47.5 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 20.5

The Buccaneers' defense has a prime opportunity in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints. Spencer Rattler was just sacked a season-high four times last week, and the Saints' offensive line ranks 31st in pass block win rate. That's key because Tampa Bay ranks sixth in pass rush win rate and top-5 in pressure rate in 2025.

Dropped by 8️⃣

📺: #TBvsDET on ESPN pic.twitter.com/fhGMg3KlAs

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 20, 2025

Therefore, the Buccaneers' D/ST is a fantastic play against the Saints. This unit has totaled 10 sacks over the past two games, which included four sacks last week against an elite Lions offensive line. New Orleans also ranks 29th in points scored per game (17.9), making Tampa Bay's defense a top-7 option in Week 8.

Unfortunately, though, the Buccaneers are only a one-week streamer. They go on a bye in Week 9, play the Patriots in Week 10, and then face the Bills in Week 11. So, if you only need/want a D/ST for this week, Tampa Bay should be your go-to option.

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (Part-Time Streamer)

• Week 8 Opponent: Minnesota Vikings
• ESPN Rostership: 18%
• Over-Under: 43.5 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 20.5

The Chargers did not have a great defensive showing in Week 7. The defense allowed 38 points to the Colts and only got to Daniel Jones once in that contest. However, Los Angeles could be a solid part-time streamer moving forward. First up is a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8.

Carson Wentz will make his fourth straight start, and the veteran has thrown four interceptions over the last three games. On top of that, the Vikings' offensive line ranks 30th in sacks allowed per game (3.8). That's good enough to start this Chargers defense in most 12-plus team leagues this week. Los Angeles has tallied multiple sacks in four of its seven games.

Andrew Mukuba with the Eagles second INT today!

PHIvsMIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/JNiEckpjAo

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

The Chargers will then play the Tennessee Titans in Week 9. The Titans have allowed the second-most sacks this season (30), and Cam Ward has been taken down 11 times over the past two games. Given that Ward has also thrown an interception in five straight contests, it would be smart to pick up Los Angeles' D/ST for Week 8 and Week 9.

Buffalo Bills D/ST (Temporary Streamer)

• Week 8 Opponent: Carolina Panthers
• ESPN Rostership: 38%
• Over-Under: 47.5 points
• Opponent’s Implied Total Points: 20

Since the Bills were on bye last week, a ton of fantasy managers dropped them. However, this D/ST will be a solid streaming option in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers. Three different defenses have scored in double figures against Carolina this year, and the Buffalo appears to be getting healthier following its bye.

Although Bryce Young (ankle) is expected to miss this week's game, the Bills will still be a top streaming option this week. In Andy Dalton's five starts with the Panthers last year, the team averaged just 19.4 points per game. Considering Buffalo ranks 12th in pressure rate and the Panthers rank 26th in pass block win rate, this D/ST will enter the week as a top-10 option.

.@JoshAllenQB and @jbbigbear just sound like they have so much fun playing football 😂@insidetheNFL Mic'd Up on X pic.twitter.com/Nn8o5a01e5

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2025

After this matchup against the Panthers, the Bills will play the Chiefs (Week 9), the Dolphins (Week 10), and the Buccaneers (Week 11) over the next three weeks. While you could use them against Miami in Week 10, they will be unplayable in both Week 9 and Week 11. So, this Buffalo D/ST is likely only a temporary streamer.

Fool’s Gold D/ST Streamers

Cincinnati Bengals D/ST vs. New York Jets

• Week 8 Opponent: New York Jets
• ESPN Rostership: 2%

Some fantasy managers might consider picking up the Bengals defense and playing them in a great matchup against the New York Jets. The Jets haven't been able to do much on offense this year, and Garrett Wilson (knee) could be out for another game. However, it might be best to avoid this Cincinnati D/ST in most formats. This unit is definitely fool's gold for Week 8.

The Bengals have not been a great defensive team for the entire year. They rank 30th in points allowed per game, 26th in pass rush win rate, and have only totaled five sacks since Week 4. If Trey Hendrickson (hip) plays in this game, Cincinnati's D/ST will be a slightly better fantasy option. But it's too hard to trust this group, especially since this defense has allowed at least 27 points in six straight contests.

Planning Ahead for Week 9

Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST (Recruit Streamer)

• Week 8 Opponent: BYE
• Week 9 Opponent: Las Vegas Raiders
• ESPN Rostership: 23.4%

If you already have your defense figured out for Week 8, it might be a good idea to pick up the Jaguars D/ST a week early. Jacksonville is on a bye this week, so no fantasy manager in your league is probably targeting this defense on waivers. But this group will go up against a poor Raiders offense in Week 9.

Defenses playing against Las Vegas' offense have scored 13 fantasy points (Week 2), 11 fantasy points (Week 3), eight fantasy points (Week 4), 15 fantasy points (Week 15), five fantasy points (Week 6), and 13 fantasy points (Week 7) over the last few weeks. So, Jacksonville's D/ST should be in for a massive game following its bye.

Geno Smith is tied for the league lead with 10 interceptions thrown, and Jacksonville currently ranks second in interceptions (10) through seven weeks. Although the Jaguars haven't been able to get much pressure on the quarterback in recent weeks, this could be the game where they rack up the sacks. The Raiders have allowed at least four sacks in four of seven games.

D/ST Streamers for Week 9

If you have Week 8 already figured out, let's look ahead at some defensive options that you could start in Week 9:

• Los Angeles Rams (62% rostership) - Week 9 opponent: New Orleans Saints
• Baltimore Ravens (32.3% rostership) - Week 9 Opponent: Miami Dolphins
• Jacksonville Jaguars (23.4% rostership) - Week 9 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders (highlighted above) 

D/ST Streaming Action Plan: Next Four Weeks

Planning out your fantasy D/ST might require some work, but it might be necessary to target the best matchups every single week. Here is how I would line up my defensive streams across the first four weeks.

• Week 8: Stream the Bills versus the Panthers
• Week 9: Stream the Chargers versus the Titans
• Week 10: Stream the Browns versus the Jets
• Week 11: Stream the Falcons versus the Panthers

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