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Los Angeles Rams And 3 Other Fantasy Football Week 8 Must-Start Defenses

Some defenses that all fantasy managers should look to start this week.

There is a group of defenses set up to have great fantasy football outings in Week 8. Here are four of them with high fantasy point potential that every fantasy manager should be looking to have in their starting lineups in Week 8.

Cincinnati Bengals

Oct 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) gestures during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Bengals, through the first two weeks of the NFL season, ranked as the D/ST1 in fantasy football. They have had just a slight falloff, now tied for ranking as D/ST5. They have a great chance to move back up the rankings, with their opponent in Week 8 being the Tennessee Titans. 

The Titans' offense, week in and week out, continues to look poor. They are averaging the second-fewest points per game in the NFL, 15.4. Their QB Cam Ward has also, of late, not taken care of the football. He has thrown an INT in five games in a row. 

So, with the high floor due to the limited points the Titans' offense produces on average, and how Cincinnati has performed as a defense this season, they are a great play in fantasy football this week.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) celebrates his first NFL interception with Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) in the second quarter during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense has had three straight down fantasy weeks in a row. Over that span, they are tied for ranking as D/ST28. They should bounce back and be a top-performing defense in Week 8, with their opponent being the Indianapolis Colts.

 The Colts' last two opponents have been among the highest point-scoring defenses in fantasy. Their Week 6 opponent, the Titans, ranked as D/ST1, and their Week 7 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, tied for ranking as D/ST3. 

The Colts do have a strong run game, but that should be limited. The Jaguars are allowing the fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL: 72.2. That should force the Colts to utilize their pass game a notable amount, which has not been good. Their starting QB, Daniel Jones, has thrown three INTs over his last two games.

Los Angeles Rams

Oct 18, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99), center, looks on in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Rams will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, and with the Chargers being their opponent, that makes them a must-start.

The Chargers offense has been abysmal. They are averaging the fewest points per game in the league: 15.0. That gives the Rams' defense a high floor, and they also have a high ceiling with the sacks the Chargers have allowed and the INTs that they have thrown. The Chargers are tied for throwing the most INTs in the NFL so far, with eight. They are also tied for allowing the fourth most sacks in the league, 21.

Green Bay Packers

Oct 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (51) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over their last three games, the Packers rank as D/ST2 in fantasy football. They should log another good overall fantasy outing in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers have been one of the better offenses this season, but showed flaws in Week 7. They had three turnovers, two INTs, and one fumble. That is an area that Green Bay can certainly capitalize on if those issues carry over into Week 8. The Packers defense leads the NFL in forced turnovers with 13–nine interceptions and four fumble recoveries on seven total fumbles.

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