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Fantasy football is reaching its midway point of the season and defenses have the potential to make all the difference for your line-ups. Week 8 saw the Dallas Cowboys defense rise to the top of the fantasy football rankings, making them one of the top teams to have a bye week in Week 9.
With Jerry Jones’ franchise not playing in Week 9, the experts will be looking towards both the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills as defensive selections. Individual players can make all the difference in a defense. Von Miller’s arrival in Buffalo has been a game-changer, whilst Tremaine Edmunds is one of the best performing linebackers this campaign.
Who are the best available fantasy football defenses in Week 9?
New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 8 was a promising week for the New England Patriots defense. They recorded two sacks and three interceptions, which put their haul at nine fantasy football points. Bill Belichick doesn’t have the best roster in New England right now. However, his coaching acumen is shining through as the Patriots have the second-ranked fantasy defense through Week 8.
Their pass defense has been impressive of late. They rank second in the NFL for interceptions with 10. Their ability to get to the quarterback has also helped. New England rank fifth in terms of sacks. Their Week 9 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts is a potential goldmine for fantasy football owners.
The Colts average just 6.9 yards per attempted pass, but have the fourth-highest number of passing yards in the NFL. Interestingly, the Colts have thrown the third-highest number of interceptions in the league. Belichick’s defense will like those numbers and you can expect them to score a lot of fantasy football points in Week 9.
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
The Buffalo Bills have generally teetered around the top spot for fantasy defenses in 2022. Von Miller’s arrival has given them a potent edge in their pass rushing game. Week 8 saw the Bills defeat the Green Bay Packers 27-17, but their defense didn’t do anything spectacular for fantasy owners. They returned with just five points, even though they had two sacks and one interception.
Week 9 sees the Bills travel to the Big Apple to face the resurgent New York Jets, who are statistically one of the worst passing offenses in football. Buffalo have the most interceptions in 2022 and the Jets have thrown the fifth-most interceptions. This is a favorable matchup for the Bills’ defense. The Jets have the lowest pass completion percentage in the NFL with 57.2%. They are also the sixth worst in terms of yards per completion with 6.6.
Tremaine Edmunds has led the Bills’ linebacker corps this year and has made 52 tackles. His presence will cause disruption to Zach Wilson’s field of view, and this will force Wilson to throw risky passes. Enter Jordan Poyer, the Bills’ leading backfield defender who has four interceptions this year. He is expected to score a lot of fantasy football points in Week 9 for the Bills’ defense.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Houston Texans
Philadelphia have been an outstanding team through Week 8. They don’t have the best roster or the brightest individual stars, but their teamwork has led them to a 7-0 start. There aren’t many who expect Philadelphia’s winning streak to come to an end in Week 9 either, with a trip to Houston on the schedule.
The Eagles have a solid pass defense, allowing just 4.8 yards per completion, the second-highest in the league. In Week 8, Nick Sirianni’s team had 14 fantasy football points to their name, which was the second most in the NFL.
The Week 9 game was played on Thursday night and the Texans put up a real fight, particularly in the first half. The score at the break was 14-14 but finished 29-17 to the Eagles. Houston running back Dameon Pierce ran for 139 yards in the contest.
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
The Seattle Seahawks are rapidly improving in 2022. Having started the season as one of the perceived worst teams in football, Pete Carroll has been able to rebuild his team quickly. Carroll’s principles of having a tough, dominant defense and relying on the rushing game have been adhered to perfectly since the departure of Russell Wilson. They are improving with every passing week and in Week 8 they scored 13 fantasy football points, ranking third in the NFL.
Through Week 8, the Seahawks have recorded the most forced fumbles in the NFL. Week 9 presents a challenge as the Arizona Cardinals have only turned the ball over eight times in 2022. It seems unlikely that the Seahawks will be able to force mistakes that lead to fantasy football points. Despite their good form, it may be wise to bench the Seattle defense in Week 9.
New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills
Robert Saleh is doing a fine job with his New York Jets defense. Due to bye weeks, they move into the top five ranked fantasy football defenses ahead of Week 9, but face a difficult matchup against the Bills. Despite their superior roster, the Bills do give defenses a chance to make plays. Josh Allen has six interceptions in 2022 and the Jets are the fourth-best defense in terms of picks through Week 8.
Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner has been a revelation in the secondary, giving the Jets a world-class playmaker. Allen will look to avoid him on Sunday if possible. The short gains are where Buffalo could carve open New York’s defense. Having averaged 8.1 yards per completion, the Bills will look to take advantage of the Jets allowing the seventh-highest number of third-down completions.
This game is too difficult to call, and it may be worth taking a breather and sitting the Jets’ defense from a fantasy football standpoint.
Top 15 Fantasy Football Defenses in Week 9
This list is ranked by fantasy points scored. An * indicates a bye week.
1. Dallas Cowboys* – 92 points
2. New England Patriots – 76 points
3. Buffalo Bills – 75 points
4. Philadelphia Eagles – 72 points
5. San Francisco 49ers* – 69 points
6. Seattle Seahawks – 68 points
7. New York Jets – 66 points
8. Arizona Cardinals – 63 points
9. Baltimore Ravens – 63 points
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 61 points
11. Denver Broncos* – 60 points
12. Carolina Panthers – 57 points
13. Jacksonville Jaguars – 55 points
14. Minnesota Vikings – 54 points
15. Tennessee Titans – 53 points
