One of the most difficult positions to draft in fantasy football is your defense, or a team’s defense & special teams. The chances of finding a defense you can set and forget in your lineup are minimal, so many fantasy managers resort to “streaming” defenses. Streaming refers to consistently adding and dropping players at a given position to attempt to field weekly high-upside starters. Successful streaming relies on the manager’s ability to identify short-term potential, as most streaming targets are utilized briefly before being replaced in favor of better matchups.
This article will examine defenses best positioned to bring your team success early in the season. Yahoo Fantasy has five defenses above 95% ownership: the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, and Cleveland Browns. I will exclude these defenses because the managers who own them are likely not looking to stream the position. Let’s dive in!
Multi-week Upside
Los Angeles Chargers: Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, KC Chiefs, BYE
Anytime you see a defense playing the Panthers, it’s a good bet they will end up on this list of best matchups. Week 1 showcased a new philosophy for the Chargers, with the team being led by a dominant defense that produced four sacks and forced three turnovers. Primed for a matchup against Bryce Young and the Panthers, expect the Chargers to once again finish amongst the highest scorers at the position in Week 2. Looking past the Panthers, the Steelers with their QB question marks should provide another good opportunity for fantasy managers. If Justin Fields is still starting for the Steelers, the Chargers’ pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack will have ample opportunities to rack up sacks and provide fantasy managers with a solid performance.
Kansas City Chiefs: Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints
In a tough Week 1 matchup against the Ravens, the Chiefs’ defense performed much better than their fantasy points scored would suggest. After only being able to record one sack in Week 1ne, DT Chris Jones and company are getting ready for a matchup against the Bengals. While many would have been expecting a high-scoring show for this game, the Bengals’ loss to the Patriots has many wondering if this won’t become a blowout. The Patriots’ defensive front spent the entire game harassing Joe Burrow, and with none of the Pats players possessing the game-wrecking ability of Chris Jones, expect the Chiefs’ defense to have a nice bounceback this week. Beyond the Bengals, matchups against the Falcons and Saints provide fantasy managers with high turnover opportunities and a good streaming option for weeks to come.
Miami Dolphins: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots
A Week 2 matchup against the Bills isn’t exactly what we are looking for as fantasy managers trying to stream defenses. Josh Allen provides a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses but is also one of the most turnover-prone QBs in the league. Hopefully, this can keep Miami relevant for managers starting them this week. Once they put the Bills in the rearview mirror, three straight matchups against projected league-worst offenses will provide the Dolphins’ defense with a great floor, perfect for fantasy managers streaming defense this season. If the Dolphins can play well during this stretch, we could be looking at a top-4 defense through the first five weeks when all is said and done.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys
With one of the most talented defensive rosters in the entire NFL, it should come as no surprise to see the Steelers as a top option moving forward. In Week 1 against the new-look Falcons, the Steelers’ defense showed out forcing three turnovers and compiling two sacks. Former DPOY TJ Watt was constantly creating pressure for Kirk Cousins, and the secondary held its own against a skill position group that includes three former top-10 NFL draft selections. The Steelers’ upcoming schedule has to look promising for fantasy managers. With a matchup against rookie Bo Nix, there will be an opportunity to rely on terrific coaching from Mike Tomlin to perform well for your fantasy teams. Matchups against two run-first teams in LA and Indianapolis both have the set-up of low-scoring games, something often helpful for fantasy DST.
Cleveland Browns & New York Jets:
This is just a short blurb since I said we’d exclude these teams from the article. Cleveland and New York have terrific upcoming schedules, so if either is available in any of your leagues, you should prioritize targeting them.
Some Good, Some Bad
Chicago Bears: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, LA Rams, Carolina Panthers
Wow. What a dominant performance by the Bears defense & special teams to begin the season. Entering Week 2 as the #1 scoring DST after scoring two touchdowns and forcing three turnovers, a matchup with the high-octane Texans will be the first true test of what looks to be a top defense. Expect the Bears to attempt to make CJ Stroud uncomfortable in the pocket, hoping to create turnovers with their ball-hawking secondary. Following the Texans, a matchup against the Colts and turnover-happy Anthony Richardson provides not a perfect matchup, but a usable one. Ending these four weeks at home against Carolina will again have Chicago projecting as the DST1 for Week 5.
Cincinnati Bengals: KC Chiefs, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens
Going against the Patriots in Week 1, many fantasy managers (myself included) thought the Bengals’ defense was primed to annihilate QB Jacoby Brissett and company. Well, that’s not what happened, and now they enter Week 2 against the Chiefs. Historically the Bengals have done mediocre against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, averaging 4 points-per-game over the last three matchups. However, this week I would be worried about how poorly Cincinnati’s offense played, and how dangerous the Chiefs can be. Luckily for fantasy managers, the Bengals get two weeks of plus matchups following the matchup against Kansas City. The Commanders and Panthers will be starting young QBs and have been proven beatable in 2024. The Bengals offense will also look to be back to full strength moving forward, hopefully helping the defense perform.
Seattle Seahawks: New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, NY Giants
The Seahawks managed to win Week 1 simply behind the strength of their defense. Forcing three turnovers, CB Devon Witherspoon and the rest of the unit held the team together while the offense got it together. Looking at the next four weeks, the Seahawks have themselves a bit of a good-matchup sandwich on their hands. Starting at the Week 1-surprise Patriots, who will be tested by Seattle’s standout secondary. You will not want to play Seattle’s defense the following weeks against Miami or Detroit, two of the highest-scoring teams from 2023 who look poised to continue that success in 2024. Week 5 brings the New York Football Giants and the train wreck of an offense that comes along. With two of Seattle’s upcoming matchups against predicted bottom-level offenses, they may have more quality fantasy finishes on the way.
Indianapolis Colts: Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars
Before Week 1, the slate of opponents facing the Colts was more intimidating than it now looks. With the Packers’ QB Jordan Love almost certainly sidelined for their game this week, QB Malik Willis looks to be the starter. Willis has played in 12 games in his career, scoring one rushing touchdown and giving up 15 sacks and 6 turnovers. This looks to be a much easier matchup for the Colts to perform well for fantasy managers. Chicago and rookie QB Caleb Williams also didn’t have the start to the season they wanted, totaling a mere 148 yards as a team in week one. If the Colts’ defensive front can put him under pressure, fantasy players could be looking at multiple top-10 finishes from the Colts’ defense in the coming weeks.
New York Giants: Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks
I know nobody wants to be starting the Giants’ defense in fantasy football. Between the offensive woes and the lack of talent, there isn’t much for fantasy managers to look at for positivity. However, the Giants have matchups against the Commanders and Seahawks coming up. The Commanders’ reluctance to throw with rookie QB Jayden Daniels may limit turnovers, but the Giants’ pass rush led by off-season addition Brian Burns will have plenty of opportunities to take Daniels down. The Seahawks offense also appeared shaky in Week 1, giving up 2 turnovers, sacks, and safeties. If you’re desperate, the Giants may be usable against these opponents.
If You Need a DST Week 2
New England Patriots: Seattle Seahawks, NY Jets, SF 49ers, Miami Dolphins
After opening the 2024 season with Vegas’ lowest expected win total the Patriots came out of the gates strong by defeating Cincinnati 16-10. The Patriots’ defense, and more specifically DE Keion White who produced 2.5 sacks, controlled the game from start to finish. With a Week 2 matchup against Seattle, the Patriots have an opportunity to provide fantasy managers a second strong showing. In Week 1, Seattle’s offense was slow starting and struggled mightily in pass protection. If White and his teammates have a repeat performance of week one, faithful fantasy managers will be thankful for a second strong week.
Washington Commanders: NY Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns
This is a scary one, just the thought of having to start the Commanders’ defense is enough to frighten even the most battle-hardened veterans of fantasy football. However, their Week 2 opponent brings a reason for hope. Since receiving his $160M contract, Giants QB Daniel Jones has thrown more pick-6s than he has touchdowns to his team. He has also been one of, if not the most turnover-prone players in the entire NFL. When your opponent is more likely to throw a touchdown to your defense than his team, you may have some luck fielding that team in fantasy football.
Photos by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire, Dave Adomson/Unsplash, and Ben Hershey/Unsplash | Featured Image by Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)