While the number of appealing matchups isn't as strong this week with the New York Giants, Carson Palmer-less Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers-less Brett Hundley, we still can find some quality opportunities to take advantage of.
The elite plays are pretty obvious, with many teams having outstanding matchups to take advantage of. But there are also plenty of quality bargain defense/special teams to grab and plug into lineups.
So let's take a look at our Week 8 defense/special teams rankings.
| Rank: | Team: | Opponent: | Note: |
| 1. | Minnesota Vikings D/ST | @ CLE | Whomever Cleveland starts at QB is turnover prone, they are now without Joe Thomas and lack a running game. This should be easy for Minnesota. |
| 2. | Kansas City Chiefs D/ST | v. DEN | DEN's OL is a mess, C.J. Anderson's hot start has now cooled down and Trevor Siemian is one of the worst QBs in the NFL. Roll KC's defense. |
| 3. | Philadelphia Eagles D/ST | v. SF | San Francisco's OL has allowed fourth-most QB hits and now faces Philadelphia's pass rushers. In a projected blowout, the Eagles' defense is a top play. |
| 4. | New Orleans Saints D/ST | v. CHI | Chicago's offense is the third friendliest offense to opposing defenses. New Orleans can sell out versus the run and bring pressure, the fantasy points will come. |
| 5. | Cincinnati Bengals D/ST | v. IND | While Cincinnati's defense isn't amongst the NFL's best, they'll create havoc on the Colts' offensive line and should rack up a few sacks and turnovers. |
| 6. | Seattle Seahawks D/ST | v. HOU | Watson could pull off some surprises in this one, but Houston's depleted offensive line will struggle against Seattle's front seven and limit the offensive potential. |
| 7. | Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST | @ DET | Pittsburgh has one of the better defenses in the NFL and faces a conservative Lions' offense. They'll take away Detroit's short passing game and limit Ameer Abdullah. |
| 8. | Baltimore Ravens D/ST | v. MIA | Miami's offense enters Week 8 in the bottom half of the NFL. On a short week with Matt Moore behind center, Baltimore's defense should thrive. |
| 9. | Miami Dolphins D/ST | @ BAL | Joe Flacco is now a below average quarterback and could be without three of his top four wide receivers. Baltimore's nightmare is good news for Miami. |
| 10. | Buffalo Bills D/ST | v. OAK | We don't yet know which version of Oakland's offense will appear. But Buffalo can bring pressure and could cause a few mistakes from Derek Carr, |
| 11. | Atlanta Falcons D/ST | @ NYJ | Atlanta's defense held up well against New England and will find things much easier this week. But the upside just isn't that high with this unit. |
| 12. | Detroit Lions D/ST | v. PIT | Ben Roethlisberger continues to struggle and helps limit Pittsburgh's passing attack. But Le'Veon Bell is a menace and will hurt this defense. |
| 13. | Denver Broncos D/ST | @ KC | This is an excellent Broncos defense, but a bad offense will keep them on the field, tire them out and make things far easier for KC's offense later in the game. |
| 14. | Carolina Panthers D/ST | @ TB | Jameis Winston is still prone to some of the same poor decisions he made as a rookie. As a result, Carolina should get a few turnover opportunities. |
| 15. | Houston Texans D/ST | @ SEA | With six teams on a bye week, Houston's defense just slips into the top 15. Seattle's lack of a running game and a bad offensive line keep HOU D/ST alive. |