In this league of offensive dominance, finding a strong defense in fantasy football is a tough task. Generally speaking, elite “set and forget” defenses are a thing of the past. The smart move is to stream your defense based on the matchup, and the New England Patriots matchup gives them one of the top fantasy football week eight defenses.
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New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals Highlight Fantasy Football Week Eight Defenses
New England Patriots
Any defense going up against the Buffalo Bills is a must-start. Yes, the Patriots defense has struggled of late, but they’re more than capable of slowing down the lackluster Buffalo Bills. Buffalo’s offense, while weak at its’ best, will be even weaker in Week Eight. LeSean McCoy is in concussion protocol and could miss the game. Additionally, quarterback Josh Allen is sidelined, meaning either Derek Anderson or Nathan Peterman will start the game.
Both quarterbacks should not be starting for any team in the league, and McCoy is Buffalo’s only dangerous weapon on offense. The Patriots should accumulate sacks, turnovers, and limit points against the Bills.
Arizona Cardinals
While the 2018 season has primarily been a disaster for the Arizona Cardinals, their defense has actually performed well in terms of fantasy. Arizona entered Week Seven as the fifth-best defense in terms of fantasy scoring, averaging nine points per game.
The Cardinals face a favorable matchup in Week Eight when they travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. These two teams met back in Week Five, with Arizona’s defense clearly winning the matchup. The unit recorded four sacks, five turnovers, and a defensive touchdown en route to earning 21 fantasy points. While they probably won’t be that productive in Week Eight, it’s an encouraging sign that Arizona can at least do something right this year.
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins defense is far from elite, but they’re not necessarily a bad unit. Over the course of the season, Washington has shown the ability to limit bad offenses and put up respectable outings. On the season, Washington is averaging 2.3 sacks per game and just under two turnovers a game. Washington has allowed more than 21 points just once on the season, and that was to the New Orleans Saints.
Washington faces a New York Giants offense that really doesn’t know what it wants to be. While Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. can score on any given play, the rest of the offense is drastically underwhelming. Eli Manning looks old and worn down while the entire offensive line has been among the leagues worst. Washington should be able to get a lot of sacks and turnovers throughout the night.
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