Week 1 Defense and Special Teams Rankings: Ravens and Bills Fall Outside Top 20
Every single point, for every single matchup, every single week, throughout the whole season, matters in Fantasy Football. What may seem like an inconsequential start/sit decision mishap often has lasting implications come playoff time. One point here or another point there can be the difference in a weekly victory/loss and one win/loss may be what keeps you in or out of the playoffs. So when you are evaluating your starting lineup for Week 1, of course, you’ll focus on quarterbacks, running backs, etc. But don’t overlook the importance of Defense and Special Teams.
Below you’ll find our expert rankings for Defense and Special Teams in Week 1. Even though you just drafted your squad, some of these D/ST on the waiver wire may rank higher than your current squad. Again-EVERY POINT MATTERS!
At the top of our rankings, you’ll find the Broncos, Steelers, and Eagles, all of whom were drafted in the majority of leagues. But the Arizona Cardinals are ranked 4th and are available in over 60% of fantasy leagues on Yahoo. The Cardinals get the benefit of playing against the Saints in Week 1, and New Orleans is expected to struggle on offense. Thus, the Cardinals crack our Top 5. Another example of a good streaming D/ST for Week 1 is the Bengals. Like the Cardinals, Cincinnati doesn’t have a great defense but their Week 1 opponent is the Browns and many expect Cleveland to struggle out of the gate or at the very least be able to sack the pocket statue known as Joe Flacco a handful of times.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are two teams in the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills. Both were drafted as Top 5 Defense and Special Teams by fantasy players. In fact, the Ravens are owned in 97% of Yahoo leagues while the Bills are owned in 76%. Yet both Baltimore and Buffalo are outside out Top 20 D/ST in Week 1. Primarily because they play each other and though both squads have good defenses, fantasy players and sportsbooks alike are expecting an offensive bonanza on Sunday Night Football. In fact, the Over/Under for this matchup is set at 50.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook, the highest game total of any matchup in Week 1. Points scored in bunches by both offenses is bad news for D/ST in fantasy.
And here’s the conundrum fantasy players face on a weekly basis when streaming D/ST. Is it better to start a team like the Cardinals who may only be useful for Week 1 and dump a team like the Ravens who will be start-worthy 9 times out of 10? That type of game theory analysis can drive a fantasy player into a frazzled frenzy!