Fantasy Football Week 9 Defense Rankings: Steelers Must-Start, Sit Dolphins?

Welcome to our Fantasy Football Defense Rankings for Week 9 of the 2020 NFL regular season. This week we shift our focus to two of the three highest-scoring units from a week ago, the Steelers and the Dolphins.

* If you’re looking for more information on how to best set your lineup this coming week check out our Week 9 Defense Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em.

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Defense Outlook Week 9

After a rough showing the week prior, many fantasy owners chose to stream a D/ST instead of once again opting for the Steelers (DEF1) in what was perceived to be a grueling matchup with the Ravens. That decision proved to be the wrong one. Pittsburgh forced four turnovers of Lamar Jackson, scored a defensive TD, and logged four-plus sacks for the fifth time over their last six games.

If the Steelers can dismantle the league’s reigning MVP to such a degree, chances are they’re more than worthy of a play in Week 9 against the likes of either Ben DiNucci or Andy Dalton. Since Dak Prescott has gone down, opposing defenses average a whopping 17.3 ppg, with no unit scoring fewer than 15.0 points over the past three weeks. Over that span, they’ve surrendered 13 sacks.

The Dolphins (DEF18) were a running joke in this column a season ago. However, thanks to a few key roster moves, Miami’s D/ST has catapulted themselves amongst some of the fiercest in football. Over the past five games, the unit has scored 12-plus points four times. Yet, while we’d love to give them the benefit of the doubt heading into Week 9, we simply can’t, not against the high-powered offense of the Arizona Cardinals.

Only one D/ST all season long has exceeded 4.0 fantasy points against the Cardinals. Since Week 4, opposing defenses have totaled just 2.0 points.

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Week 9 Fantasy Rankings: Defense

1. 1. Rankings
   2. [QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | DEF | Ks]
   3. Start-Sit
   4. [QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | DEF | Ks]
   • Matchup: Great l Avg l Tough

1. – D/ST BYE WEEKS: Bengals DEF (CIN), Browns DEF (CLE), Eagles DEF (PHI), Rams DEF (LAR)

2. #	Defense TEAM	Opp.
   1	Pittsburgh Steelers PIT	@ DAL
   2	New England Patriots NE	@ NYJ
   3	Houston Texans HOU	@ JAC
   4	Arizona Cardinals ARI	vs. MIA
   5	Baltimore Ravens BAL	@ IND
   6	New York Giants NYG	@ WAS
   7	Kansas City Chiefs KC	vs. CAR
   8	Indianapolis Colts IND	vs. BAL
   9	Washington Football Team WAS	vs. NYG
   10	Green Bay Packers GB	@ SF
   11	Tennessee Titans TEN	vs. CHI
   12	Las Vegas Raiders LV	@ LAC
   13	Seattle Seahawks SEA	@ BUF
   14	New York Jets NYJ	vs. NE
   15	Atlanta Falcons ATL	vs. DEN
   16	Minnesota Vikings MIN	vs. DET
   17	Los Angeles Chargers LAC	vs. LV
   18	Miami Dolphins MIA	@ ARI
   19	Detroit Lions DET	@ MIN
   20	Chicago Bears CHI	@ TEN
   21	Tampa Bay Buccaneers TB	vs. NO
   22	San Francisco 49ers SF	vs. GB
   23	New Orleans Saints NO	@ TB
   24	Denver Broncos DEN	@ ATL
   25	Jacksonville Jaguars JAC	vs. HOU
   26	Dallas Cowboys DAL	vs. PIT
   27	Buffalo Bills BUF	vs. SEA
   28	Carolina Panthers CAR	@ KC

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