Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Defense

Tony Fortier-Bensen

Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Defense image

Our Week 1 defense rankings are mainly based on 2016 stats and offseason moves -- both of which only mean so much in 2017. This initial set of D/ST rankings is similar to our preseason rankings, but matchups have some teams moving up and others moving down -- so much so that more than a few owners might running to the waiver wire for a sleeper already.

The Chiefs drop the furthest, going from No. 2 in our preseason rankings to 18th in Week 1 thanks to a matchup with the defending champs in New England. The Bills make the biggest move up, going from a draft-day afterthought to a big-time Week 1 sleeper thanks to a matchup against the Jets.

Quite a few of of our preseason sleepers have nice matchups to start the year. The Panthers (@ 49ers), Jaguars (@ Texans), and the Chargers (@ Broncos), are all legit starting units, but the Vikings (vs. Saints) and Seahawks (@ Packers), and Giants (@ Cowboys) are outside of the top 12. 

WEEK 1 RANKINGS:
QuarterbackRunning back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker

A couple all-or-nothing options (Ravens, Falcons) are also potential waiver pickups, so don't be surprised if you see more streaming than usual in Week 1.

Reminder: We'll update our rankings throughout the week and add player analysis, so please check back often.

WEEK 1 DFS:
DK cash lineup | FD GPP | DK GPP | FD cash | Top values | Top stacks | DFS lineup builder

Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense

These rankings are for standard leagues

1 Houston Texans vs. Jaguars. This game could go two ways. 1) The Texans will come out discombobulated after being displaced because of Hurricane Harvey; or 2) They will be invigorated by bringing some joy to the home crowd after the hurricane's devastation. The latter seems more likely, especially with a healthy J.J. Watt and a turnover-prone Blake Bortles on the other side of the line. Houston may be in for a much-needed feast.
2 Denver Broncos vs. Chargers. The Broncos still have their core group together with Von Miller, Brandon Marshall, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., and they're still one of the best fantasy D/STs. Philip Rivers always has the potential to throw some interceptions, and the Chargers' offensive line still has question marks. Expect the Broncos to have a big scoring night in the week's final game.
3 Carolina Panthers @ 49ers. The Panthers added key defensive players like Julius Peppers and Mike Adams, and Luke Kuechly is back and healthy. Carolina also has a history of playing against 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who was the former Falcons offensive coordinator. The Panthers struggled against Shanahan's system under Matt Ryan, but they won't be struggling against his system under Brian Hoyer.
4 New England Patriots vs. Chiefs. The Patriots were a strong defensive unit as a whole last year, holding opponents to a league-best 14.7 points a game. They added key pieces like Stephon Gilmore and David Harris to an already solid roster of Dont'a Hightower, Malcolm Butler and Devin McCourty. Opening the NFL season in front of the Pats home crowd, it's fair to assume the Chiefs will have a tough time doing much of anything to hurt the Patriots D/ST on the field and in fantasy.
5 Pittsburgh Steelers @ Browns. Pittsburgh just added former Browns cornerback Joe Haden, and Haden and the Steelers will return to Cleveland for the regular season opener. Last year, the Steelers scored a monstrous 23 fantasy points at Cleveland, followed with a nine-point showing at home in Week 17, and they'll likely fall somewhere in the middle on Sunday. Browns' rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer will get his first crack of the NFL, and the Steelers will probably welcome him accordingly.   
6 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Ravens. The loss of Vontaze Burfict hurts, but the Bengals face a familiar foe. Quarterback Joe Flacco has sat out for almost all of the preseason because of a back injury, but he's expected to start anyway. In two games against the Bengals last year, Flacco threw two interceptions and only one touchdown, and the Ravens scored fewer than 20 points each time. The Ravens aren't much better this year, and the result should be much the same.
7 Los Angeles Chargers @ Broncos. A top-10 fantasy D/ST last year, the Chargers return with a strong core of players and an arguably better defensive coordinator in Gus Bradley.  In two games last year against the Broncos, the Chargers scored 10-plus points each time and recorded at least two takeaways. Not much has changed with these two teams, and the result should be much the same from last year.
8 Buffalo Bills vs. Jets. The Bills aren't a fantasy D/ST to keep for the rest of the season, but they might be one of the best streaming options in Week 1.  The Jets have arguably one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year with Bilal Powell and not much else. If you have a good D/ST with a bad matchup, consider the Bills as one-week replacement.
9 Atlanta Falcons @ Bears. The Falcons aren't known for the defensive prowess, especially after their most recent game in the Super Bowl. But against Mike Glennon and the Bears, the Falcons have a good chance to do some damage. The Bears figure to have a mediocre offense, and they just lost their best WR (Cameron Meredith) in the preseason. Atlanta should open the season with a vengeance.
10 Jacksonville Jaguars @ Texans. The Jaguars come into this season once again expected to have an improved defense.  They failed last year to meet those expectations, but they've added Calais Campbell and former Texan A.J. Bouye. The Texans gave up the ninth-most fantasy points per game to defenses in 2016, and it's unclear just how much they'll improve with Tom Savage as their QB.  The Jaguars should start this year strong.
11 Baltimore Ravens @ Bengals. The Ravens upgraded their already stellar secondary, and the Bengals will look to improve in the air this year with the return of A.J. Green and newcomers John Ross and Joe Mixon. The Ravens are likely to teach the rookies a lesson in the NFL. Baltimore has had success in the past against Cincinnati, and it's in a good position to do the same this game.
12 Arizona Cardinals @ Lions. The Cardinals are one of the steadier defenses in fantasy, and they were one of the few teams to not record a game with negative points last year. The Cardinals, who had the most sacks last year, will put pressure on Matthew Stafford, which could lead to some bad throws, and the strong Cardinals secondary might be able to create some turnovers. The Lions were one of the better teams in terms of not allowing points to fantasy D/STs last year, but the Cardinals have the tools give them trouble.
13 Los Angeles Rams vs. Colts. After a couple strong seasons in the top 12, the Rams fell apart as a fantasy D/ST last year. With Aaron Donald currently holding out for a new contract, this unit definitely doesn't look as strong as usual, but a home matchup against a Scott Tolzien-led offense still gives them plenty of upside. This game will be low-scoring with the chance for some turnovers.
14 Minnesota Vikings vs. Saints. Despite being one of the best fantasy D/STs last year, the Vikings have a tough draw against Drew Brees and last year's No.1 offense. All is not lost, though, Brees is known to throw a couple interceptions, especially on the road, and the Vikings might know the best way to make fumble-prone Adrian Peterson lose the ball. Being at home in prime time also helps.
15 Seattle Seahawks @ Packers. What's the difference between the Vikings and Seahawks, two top-five D/STs with tough Week 1 matchups? The Seahawks are on the road whereas Minnesota is at home. Seattle still has upside, but it's tough for fantasy defenses to do much in Lambeau.
16 New York Giants @ Cowboys.
17 Philadelphia Eagles @ Redskins.
18 Kansas City Chiefs @ Patriots.
19 Green Bay Packers vs. Seahawks.
20 Oakland Raiders @ Titans.
21 Dallas Cowboys vs. Giants.
22 Detroit Lions vs. Cardinals.
23 Indianapolis Colts @ Rams.
24 Tennessee Titans vs. Raiders.
25 Washington Redskins vs. Eagles.
26 San Francisco 49ers vs. Panthers.
27 New York Jets @ Bills.
28 New Orleans Saints @ Vikings.
29 Chicago Bears vs. Falcons.
30 Cleveland Browns vs. Steelers.

Tony Fortier-Bensen