NFL

3 FanDuel Defenses to Target in Week 8

Selecting a defense is never the most glamorous part of fantasy football. It often goes overlooked for the more fun positions that people want to watch and root for during the game. The good news is that if our opponents aren’t putting too much thought into their defense, we can gain an advantage with some research. So let’s dig in and try to identify some defenses that could be in a good position to score fantasy points this week.

With seven weeks in the books, we have a good sample of how offenses will play and what defenses we can use to be able to exploit them. So let’s look at three defenses from the main slate at different salary tiers that will help our lineups in Week 8.

Kansas City Chiefs

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

The Kansas City D/ST are a fairly underrated unit because of the identity of the team. People think of the Kansas City Chiefs as a high-flying offense that trades touchdowns with the other team. That wasn't the case at the end of last season, and certainly isn't the case this season. The Chiefs defense ranks eighth overall and second against the pass in numberFire's schedule-adjusted metric. They've also been good for fantasy, with two games above 20 points. This week, they'll get one of the best possible matchups a defense can face.

The Chiefs play at home this week against the winless New York Jets. The Jets have multiple turnovers in three of their seven games this season. Their offensive line is also one of the worst in the league, as they rank dead last in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders. The Chiefs' pass rush has an above-average adjusted sack rate of 6.7% on the season and should be able to pressure Sam Darnold in this game. The Jets also have an implied team total of a measly 14.25 points, by far the lowest on the week.

Kansas City's defense has a salary of $5,000, which is the highest you will see a defense on FanDuel for each main slate. An argument could be made that they should be even more expensive, considering how they project compared to other defenses. Our projections have them for nearly three points more than any other defense, and even as the highest-salaried defense, they rate as the best value at the position.

Los Angeles Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $4,300

Last week, we liked the spot for the Los Angeles Chargers D/ST, and they delivered with five sacks and a fumble recovery. The return of Melvin Ingram and a week of rest for Joey Bosa did wonders for the defense, as they were able to overwhelm the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive line. These two elite pass rushers help contribute to one of the best defensive lines in football. They should be able to continue this throughout the season, and especially this week.

The Los Angeles Chargers are in a divisional matchup against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos' offense has not delivered after several promising offseason moves, as they are ranked 31st in schedule-adjusted offense, according to numberFire's metrics. Drew Lock has been turnover prone when under center this season, throwing two interceptions in each of his last two games. Denver's offensive line has also not been great this season, allowing an above-average adjusted sack rate of 8.2%.

The Chargers are three-point favorites on the road, and Denver's implied point total is just over 20. The Chargers' D is a good option in the mid-tier if you can't afford to get all the way up to the likes of Kansas City.

New Orleans Saints

FanDuel Salary: $3,600

The New Orleans D/ST have somewhat underperformed given the expectations people had for them coming into the season. They currently are numberFire's 24th best schedule-adjusted defense overall. With the talent they have on that side of the ball, and what they showed last season, you would expect them to be better. That's why their salary is down at $3,600, which could make them a value play this week.

The New Orleans Saints will face the Chicago Bears. Anyone who saw the Bears play on Monday Night Football probably wanted to take a defense against them the next time they played, with Nick Foles throwing two horrific interceptions in the loss. Foles has thrown at least one interception in every game he's appeared in this season. It would be a huge blow to the Bears' offense if Allen Robinson was to miss this game, as he is questionable due to being in the concussion protocol. Chicago's implied team total is the third-lowest on the main slate, sitting at 20 points.

This could be a get-right spot for the Saints defense against a struggling offense. Our model projects them for 7.2 points on FanDuel, and for just $3,600, that makes them the second-best value play at the position, behind only the Chiefs.


Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.