Every point matters when it comes to winning in season-long fantasy football, meaning you can't afford to leave points on the table. We don't spend top-notch draft capital on D/STs in our fantasy football drafts, but ignoring them during the season can cost you dearly.

Streaming defenses throughout the year is a great way to ensure you get the most out of your D/ST slot. Even the best defenses draw tough weekly matchups, and even the worst defenses are capable of strong fantasy outings in the right situations.

This article is here to help you parse through all of those situations and to present you with three streamers available in most leagues.

Fantasy Football Defenses to Stream for Week 9

All projections via numberFire.

Atlanta Falcons

Matchup: vs. Minnesota Vikings

numberFire Projection: 9.26 (D/ST1)

The Atlanta Falcons are catching a bit of a break this week. They'll take on the Minnesota Vikings, whose starting quarterback (Kirk Cousins) suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Green Bay Packers last weekend. That leaves either fifth-round pick rookie Jaren Hall or a mystery back-up/trade candidate to handle quarterbacking duties for the Vikings. Star receiver Justin Jefferson won't be eligible to return from the injured reserve yet, either, leaving whoever does take over at quarterback a little short-staffed.

To make matters even worse for the Vikings, they've struggled to field a viable running game all season. Only the Las Vegas Raiders are averaging fewer rushing yards per game than Minnesota, meaning whoever takes over at quarterback won't have a strong running game to lean on.

numberFire's schedule-adjusted Power Rankings consider the Falcons' rushing defense to be the strongest unit in the league, as well, putting the Vikings in even more of a potential bind. They're going to be forced into throwing the ball, whether they want to or not.

Atlanta has pressured opposing quarterbacks at a 28.8% rate, the second-highest clip in the league. They'll have a great opportunity to rack up sacks and generate turnovers against an inexperienced quarterback, making them one of the top defensive streamer options in fantasy.

Las Vegas Raiders

Matchup: vs. New York Giants

numberFire Projection: 9.02 (D/ST3)

If you don't want to use a waiver claim to snatch up the Falcons' defense this week, there's a good chance the Las Vegas Raiders' D/ST unit will still be available in free agency once waivers clear.

The Raiders' defense hasn't been fantastic in real football this season -- it's allowed opponents to score on 42% of their offensive drives, the sixth-most in the league -- but it has been pretty good in fantasy. That's one of the benefits of having one of the best pass-rushers in the league in Maxx Crosby.

Fortunately for Vegas, some of the worst defenses in the NFL have found success against their upcoming opponent, the New York Giants. The Giants have been a disaster on offense this year, making them the top offense in the league to stream defenses against.

New York starting quarterback Daniel Jones (neck) was cleared for contact and is on track to play this week. The fifth-year starter, who had a solid 2022 season, has turned back into a pumpkin behind the team's terrible offensive line in 2023. He has been taking sacks at an insane 15.6% clip as the starter, which in turn has caused him to chuck interceptions at a career-worst 4.0% rate (second-highest in the NFL) while dropping fumbles in four of his five starts.

It doesn't get better than a date with the Giants for fantasy D/STs this year, so the Raiders should absolutely be on your radar in Week 9.

New England Patriots

Matchup: vs. Washington Commanders

numberFire Projection: 8.95 (D/ST4)

The Washington Commanders have been one of the best offenses to stream defenses against with Sam Howell under center, putting this week's opponent -- the New England Patriots -- in position for a strong outing in fantasy.

Howell has already taken 41 sacks, 13 more than any other quarterback in the league. From a sack-based perspective alone, he provides opposing fantasy D/ST units with a strong floor. He's averaging an interception per game, as well, lifting up his opponents' fantasy prospects even further. He's been a blast to watch, but his erratic play can lead to some ideal circumstances for the D/STs he faces.

This week, it will be Bill Belichick and his Patriots taking on Howell and the Commanders. The Patriots' defense has suffered some brutal injuries this year, and as a result, they've been blitzing an uncharacteristic amount -- their 40.2% blitz rate ranks third-most in the league. It's been a high-variance approach for them so far, but it could work against Howell, who ranks 28th among qualified quarterbacks in PFF grade against the blitz this season.

New England's defense has suffered due to their offense's disastrous play. The Patriots' opponents have started their offensive drives with the seventh-best field position in the league. But the team's offense has started to look a little better in recent weeks and could fare decently well against Washington's own struggling defense.

If the Patriots can force Howell to throw the ball, their D/ST could be in for a strong Week 9 performance.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.