X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 8 IDP Start Em, Sit Em - Streamers and Fades for Fantasy Football Defensive Players

Aaron Donald - Fantasy Football Rankings, IDP Draft Sleepers, Defense (DST)

The NFL's trade deadline is fast approaching, and that is finally starting to mean something. After a near century of stagnant deadline behavior from NFL teams, we are starting to see contenders make a mid-season push with trades. It's a refreshing change of pace, even if it often results in a waste of money and assets.

The big mover so far this deadline was Kevin Byard, who leaves Tennessee for arguably the best defense in the NFL. This could be a positive move for Byard's fantasy value, or a negative one. On the season, Byard is just the 33rd highest-scoring fantasy DB in my standard scoring system. After regularly notching four or five picks each year, he has zero forced turnovers in 2023. So far Byard has been a good tackle provider but little else.

We hope Byard's tackle production will continue in Philly, but the big plays will increase with an elite defense around him. I am holding off on making Byard a DB1 for one reason, though. That is the presence of Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown. Both Blankenship and Brown have looked good this year, and Blankenship plays Byard's position. It's tough to put Byard or Blankenship in our top ten without knowing how the snaps will be divvied up.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

Casual IDP Streamers and Fades

Stream: Carl Granderson, DL, New Orleans Saints

Granderson has sat comfortably in our DL3 tier this season, somewhere toward the back of that class. His production over the past three weeks, 30 standard fantasy points, has raised his profile, though. While the Colts' blocking is strong enough to negate Granderson to some degree, they are the seventh-most pass-heavy offense in the league and average the fifth-most offensive plays.

Granderson has the potential for a sack in this one. However, even if Indy’s solid blocking keeps him from the quarterback, expect the Saints’ new leading pass rusher to be startable thanks to his tackle volume.

Stream: Jack Gibbens, LB, Tennessee Titans

We bumped Azeez Al-Shaair into the top tier of our LB rankings this week because of his matchup with Atlanta. The Falcons and Titans are historically run-heavy teams, with Atlanta again in the top ten in rush attempts per game. The only reason both teams aren't in the top five in rush attempts per game is that they've regularly played from behind against tough run defenses. We expect this to be a close and low-scoring game, though.

For all those reasons, we bumped Al-Shaair way up our rankings. For those same reasons, we are telling you to consider streaming Gibbens as an LB2 again.

Fade: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks

Witherspoon is currently the 11th most rostered DB in fantasy, which is understandable when you consider he averaged the most fantasy points per game of any fantasy DB through Week 6. That said, 56.1% of Witherspoon’s production comes from big plays in the passing game. While he padded the box score with 11 tackles against a pass-heavy Carolina offense, the Illinois product is as volume-dependent as any other fantasy CB.

The data suggests Witherspoon won’t get elite volume this week. The rookie lines up exclusively over the wide right receiver this season. Cleveland has targeted the right area of the field just 29% of the time. Worse, Amari Cooper has lined up wide left just 38% of the time. Add in that P.J. Walker tosses a below-league average of 33 attempts per game this year, and Witherspoon's volume could be low.

Fade: Buffalo Bills Edge Rushers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' blockers are surrendering the fewest quarterback pressures in the league this year. Their starting tackles are surrendering fewer than two pressures per game combined. Baker Mayfield is tied for the fewest sacks per game in the NFL, too. That data is seriously concerning for all Buffalo edge rushers.

 

Premium/Deep League Streamers and Fades

Stream: Blake Cashman, LB, Houston Texans

Cashman has taken advantage of injuries to Denzel Perryman and Christian Harris, earning a starter designation in Houston's past four games. He's earned 60% or more of the snaps in three of those contests. When he has played 60% or more of the Texans' snaps, he's been a high-end LB2 for fantasy purposes.

Keep a close eye on whether Perryman and Harris will play this week. It could be hard to trust Cashman's snap share if they do. Henry To'oTo'o has earned a starter role, while Harris and Perryman were starting before their injuries. Cashman may or may not eat into their time now that he's performed so well, but the risk he won't makes him tough to trust in Week 8 if all of Houston's LBs are healthy.

Cashman is a must-start LB2 in most leagues if Harris and Perryman are both out. Cashman remains viable in deeper leagues if one of Harris or Perryman is out. If both are back, closely monitor beat reporters on this matter before wadding up your Cash… see what I did there? Very clever.

Stream: Jermaine Johnson, DL, New York Jets

Johnson doesn't have the kind of volume that makes you feel safe. His advanced metrics are also decent but not great. That’s why he’s rostered in just 0.9% of IDP leagues. However, his pass rush win rate is higher than many fantasy stalwarts, like Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry, and his matchup against the Giants is very positive.

The Giants remain the lowest-rated pass-blocking team in the NFL. They are surrendering a staggering 19 quarterback pressures per game, and their blockers alone are responsible for nearly 3.3 sacks per game. It's a very beatable line and Johnson should avoid Andrew Thomas on half of his snaps, if the left tackle does play this week.

Fade: Trent McDuffie, CB, Kansas City Chiefs

McDuffie bailed you out last time he played against the Broncos, notching a forced fumble that compensated for just two tackles all game. Denver isn’t a plus matchup for fantasy cornerbacks, though, and McDuffie’s low tackle total from their past contest isn’t an outlier.

The Washington alum plays all over the field, but he spends 52% of his time in the slot. The Broncos have the sixth-lowest volume passing offense in the league this year, and they target the slot just 20% of the time. While McDuffie does play in the box enough to collect tackles in run support, the Broncos’ offense shouldn’t offer him a lot of volume. That makes McDuffie’s position as fantasy’s 31st-most-started DB seem a bit rich.

Fade: Alex Anzalone, LB, Detroit Lions

I told you to stream Anzalone recently, but I was clear about how underwhelming of a player he is. Now Anzalone has a solid matchup with the Raiders, but… he's starting over many fantasy LBs who are significantly better than he is.

As of this writing, Anzalone is the 23rd most started LB in fantasy. He is starting in more leagues than Logan Wilson, Eric Kendricks, Kaden Elliss, Kenneth Murray Jr., Germaine Pratt, and Nate Landman, just to name a few. Each of those players is well ahead of Anzalone in our rankings, with more talent and equally good matchups.

 

Defenders Worth Adding

Drue Tranquill, LB, Kansas City Chiefs

As long as Nick Bolton is out, Tranquill is worth rostering and deploying. At worst, he profiles as an LB3 in most formats. In the three games Bolton previously missed this season, Tranquill averaged 8.3 tackles per game while collecting an FF and two quarterback hits. That production is consistent with what he did as a starter with the Chargers in 2022.

Tranquill is available in 96.8% of IDP leagues.

Kwity Paye, DL, Indianapolis Colts

Paye is available in 96.1% of IDP leagues, despite regularly ranking as a high-end DL3 for us when healthy. While the Michigan alum's advanced pass rush metrics are below average, he has three games on the season with four or more tackles and he's notched a sack in half of his contests.

The Saints offer Paye a fine streaming profile this week, as well. They allow 14 pressures per game and have only one starter who scores positively in pass protection this year.

Zyon McCollum, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

McCollum is strictly a deep league and deep dynasty stash at this point in his career. That said, I loved his combination of size and speed coming into last year's NFL Draft. His playing time isn't consistent with Tampa, but he's their highest-graded corner in coverage, and he's nabbed three PDs while allowing a 50% completion rate in four games.

The Bucs are a team that should transition toward younger players soon, and McCollum could end up replacing the more expensive Carlton Davis or Jamel Dean as soon as next year. Opponents won't know to avoid him yet, so he could be a productive fantasy CB for some time.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Vince Williams Jr.56 mins ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White1 hour ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey1 hour ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.1 hour ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.1 hour ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant1 hour ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith2 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton2 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin2 hours ago

Will Open Season On IL
Aaron Wiggins2 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez2 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner2 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma2 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam2 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard2 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo2 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh2 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Andrew Wiggins2 hours ago

Iffy For Monday's Game
Zion Williamson3 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Royce Lewis3 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On IL
NFL3 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold3 hours ago

Could Opt-Out After One Season
Luguentz Dort3 hours ago

Will Miss Sunday's Game
Chet Holmgren3 hours ago

Ready For Action Sunday
Mark Andrews3 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Jalen Williams3 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Mike Conley3 hours ago

Resting Against Jazz
Kenyon Martin Jr.3 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Igor Shesterkin4 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson4 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad4 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil4 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich5 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech5 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman5 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter5 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish5 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt5 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.5 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar5 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada6 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
NFL6 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
NFL6 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers7 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams7 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flex Strain
Joey Gallo7 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke7 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee8 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler8 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano8 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland8 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis8 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías8 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera8 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
Ronny Mauricio8 hours ago

Won't Play In Spring Training Games
New York Jets9 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders9 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush10 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens12 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks12 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.12 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell13 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson14 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney14 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain14 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher14 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield14 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott14 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin14 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov15 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron15 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick15 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli15 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin15 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin15 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar15 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR15 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski15 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones15 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez15 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar16 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece16 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano17 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell17 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric17 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe17 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs17 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen17 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason23 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles1 day ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Kirk Cousins1 day ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Aaron Rodgers1 day ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]