Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Stout Defenses Who'll Feast Upon Sorry QBs

Don't think defenses matter in fantasy? Think again. A ferocious defense can single-handedly take over a fantasy matchup—just ask anyone who has the Ravens defense at their disposal.

This week, there are a few defenses who are dangerous in their own right, but face worthless quarterbacks this week that make them a fantasy dream come true.

San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis and the 49ers have evolved into the best run defense in the entire NFL. While they rank 21st in pass defense, they have 16 takeaways. They've also got 17 sacks, 6.5 of which rookie Aldon Smith has produced himself.

That's not good news for John Beck, who has three picks and only one touchdown this season. Beck is going to implode and a relentless 49ers defense will terrorize him for all 60 minutes.

Kansas City Chiefs

Numbers are great, but in the Chiefs' case, their stats don't paint a picture of where they are as a football team. The team they were  the first three weeks of the season is not the same team they are today. With four straight wins, the Chiefs are rolling.

Tamba Hali put his ability to take over a game on full display last week. The pressure he and the Chiefs were able to provide helped generate two picks from Rivers. This week, they square off against Matt Moore.

Scratch that. This week, they tee off on Matt Moore. The Dolphins have allowed 27 sacks this season thus far and their erratic quarterback is only made worse when he's under fire. It's going to be another long day for Moore and the winless Dolphins.

St. Louis Rams

Chris Long racked up three sacks in the Rams' unforeseen upset win over the Saints last week. This week, it's not Drew Brees he'll be attacking. It could very well be John Skelton.

It's back to Helter Skelton for the Cardinals, though Kevin Kolb only produced one win when he had the reigns.

The Cardinals accrued just over 220 yards passing per game with Kolb in the lineup. Without him, they can't hope to compete. It's 2010 all over again for the Cardinals and this week will validate that they are once again the worst team in the worst division in football. Meanwhile, the Rams will devour their offense and take another step towards gaining some legitimacy.