New York Giants And 3 Other Must-Sit Defenses For Fantasy Football In Week 1

A bad fantasy performance from a defense can significantly decrease a fantasy manager's chance of winning a matchup. With that, here are four defenses to avoid putting in fantasy lineups for Week 1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, and the Bengals are coming into the 2026 season with high expectations.

The Bengals will have QB Joe Burrow for the start of the season. He missed some games in 2025 with a turf toe injury. Despite returning when Cincinnati’s playoff odds were essentially nonexistent, he and the Bengals’ offense as a whole ended 2025 on a high note. He had over 300 passing yards in two of their last three games and had a 9-1 TD-to-INT ratio. Over that span, the Bengals averaged 33.3 points per game.

The Buccaneers in 2025 were the DST17 in fantasy. With the Bengals close to 2025 and their offense being littered with elite offensive talent, they should not be played in a fantasy lineup in Week 1 in any scenario.

New York Giants

The Giants have devoted a lot of draft capital in the last several years to their defense. Even with that, they should not be played in fantasy lineups in Week 1 with them facing the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys in 2025 averaged the fifth-most points per game in the NFL, 27.7. They scored 40 or more points in three games last season, including a Week 2 contest against the Giants. With that in mind, and New York ranking DST27 in fantasy football in 2025, their outlook for this game is not good whatsoever.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals were tied with the Giants in fantasy in 2025 as DST27. And for at least Week 1 of 2026, they should continue to be one of the worst defenses fantasy football has to offer, with their opponent being the Los Angeles Chargers.

In 2025, the Chargers were one of the lower-scoring offenses, averaging 20.6 points per game. They should see a boost in this average with the hiring of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

In 2023, while he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, they averaged the third-most points per game in the NFL, 27.9. Now with him in the fold, the Chargers should put up big numbers against the Cardinals, as QB Justin Herbert could be in for the best statistical season of his career.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 take on the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens, with their mix of an elite run game and dynamic pass game, should expose a poor Colts' defense.

In 2025, the Colts had a falloff in their play at the end of the season. From Week 14 to Week 18, Indianapolis was DST28 in fantasy football. Also, the Ravens ended the 2025 season well offensively, scoring 24 or more points in their last four regular-season games. This includes a game against the Green Bay Packers where they scored 41 points.

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