Fantasy Player Projections

The Packers are tied for the most sacks in the NFL, with 26. Arizona has allowed more sacks than any other offense, with 39. Clay Matthews, meet John Skelton.

The Chargers allowed just seven points to the Browns in Week 8, posting two sacks but no turnovers. The Chiefs come to town in Week 8, which bodes well for this fantasy defense, so consider picking them up off the waiver wire.

The Texans are one of the top fantasy defenses so far, and the unit is coming off one of its best outings of the season. The Bills have some weapons on offense, but the Texans should still do well.

The Broncos held the mighty Saints to just 14 points and 252 total yards in Week 8. This Broncos are a top-10 unit in fantasy, and they should do well against the Bengals in Week 9.

The Vikings had their worst game of the season against the Buccaneers in Week 8, just one week after delivering one of their best weeks against the Cardinals. Expect somewhere in between against Seattle, but fantasy owners should find better options in 12-team leagues.

The league's top-ranked fantasy defense should enjoy this week's contest. Not only is the Titans' offense an easy target, but Tennessee owns a negative-three turnover ratio.

Pittsburgh has held opposing offenses in check but has not created the explosive plays the unit is known for. Part of this has to do with Troy Polamalu's absence. The Steelers cannot afford to make mistakes this week against a Giants offense that makes opponents pay for the slightest misstep.

The Falcons hope to follow the Bears' and Giants' formulas for defending Tony Romo: applying pressure to create turnovers. Atlanta has the personnel, ranking among the top 10 in opponent QB Rating.

The Bills have seven sacks, two interceptions, a safety and a defensive score in their past two games. But in Week 9, they face the Texans and their stellar offense, so leave them on the waiver wire.

Tennessee gives up 32.1 points per game -- second only to Buffalo. The defense will be able to capitalize on Jay Cutler's mistakes (every other defense has) but it may not be enough to make up for the points Chicago is able to put on the board.

The Jaguars will present the Lions with a nice midseason snack. Nothing is going right for Jacksonville on offense, and the line has allowed 20 sacks.

You have to give Jacksonville credit; the defense held Green Bay to just 238 yards of total offense last week. The results this season could be a lot worse.

Despite the absence of Sean Lee, the Cowboys' run defense held firm last week, and the pass defense remains one of the best in pro football. The pass rush, however, has been a mystery.

The Falcons exposed the Eagles' secondary last week, and the run defense ranks in the bottom half of the league. Philadelphia no longer owns a defense fantasy owners can count on.

Over the Bengals' past three outings, their defense has forced five turnovers (two interceptions) and seven sacks. But they've also allowed an average of 25 points. Slowing Peyton Manning and Co. is too tall an order for this fantasy defense.

The Dolphins broke out with a big week against the Jets, scoring on a blocked punt and holding the Jets to just nine points. This unit also registered four sacks and is now a nice sleeper pick against the Colts in Week 9.

The Panthers allowed 23 points to the Bears in Week 8, but they also held Chicago to just 210 total yards and sacked Jay Cutler six times. While the Panthers have improved defensively recently, the Redskins are too much to handle, with RGIII and Alfred Morris in the backfield.

The Redskins have not been good defensively this season, and they had their worst fantasy production of the year in Week 8 against Pittsburgh. The 'Skins do have 10 interceptions and 14 sacks, and they face a struggling Panthers offense in Week 9. Even so, you should find better alternatives.

The Raiders are coming off their best fantasy performance of the season, with three sacks and four forced turnovers. They host a Buccaneers team that is red-hot offensively, and coming off 10 days of rest.

The Seahawks were a disappointment against the Lions, allowing a season-high 28 points. The Vikings will have had 10 days to prepare for this game, but the Seahawks are still a good fantasy play this week.

Who would have ever imagined the Ravens' offense carrying the defense? Is the sky falling? Fantasy owners must understand this unit will not produce based on reputation alone -- at least not without Ray Lewis in the lineup.

For the first time last week the Saints were involved in a game in which the combined scores of both teams didn't top 50 points. Not a good thing. And the Saints rank in the bottom third in sack and turnover production. Also not a good thing.

The Chiefs got an interception and held the Raiders to less than 350 total yards, but they just don't do enough on a weekly basis to warrant using in fantasy play. The Chargers are expected to do well against this unit.

The Colts allowed just 13 points and 348 total yards against the Titans in Week 8. With two more sacks, they now have 15 on the season. While the Dolphins don't have a superb offense, they should still play well enough to make starting the Colts an unwise decision.

The Browns' defense doesn't look so good on paper -- it ranks in the bottom half of the league in yards and points allowed -- but the unit has shown improvement in recent weeks. Still, that's probably not good enough to warrant attention from fantasy owners.

The Cardinals do a good job of getting after opposing quarterbacks and generating turnovers (15). One might assume Green Bay's offense will frustrate Arizona, but the Jaguars held Aaron Rodgers and company in check last weekend.

The New York defense took its lumps in Big D and lost a few key players to minor injuries. To stop Pittsburgh, the Giants must protect against downfield passing and slow down the Steelers' power rushing attack. Sounds like a tall order.

The Bucs forced three turnovers and three sacks at Minnesota in Week 8. They face the Raiders in Week 9, but they still remain a mediocre fantasy option until they can put up consecutive big games.