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Fly, Eagles, fly! Philly leads Week 1 fantasy football defense options
We spend a lot of time telling you how to draft quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. Kickers are basically a crapshoot, with defense/special teams (DSTs) being slightly less so.
As much as I'd like to recommend draftable DSTs that will lead you to season-long fantasy success, I don't employ the practice of trying to find them myself. Instead, I stream DSTs all year long based on quality of opponent, which is a fairly common practice.
Such a strategy is easy to pursue in Week 8: Find the free-agent DST playing against the third-string QB, hope you're at the front of the queue or make the biggest FAAB bid, and proceed to the next option if things don't work out. But in June or July, most people use published ranking lists for guidance, without thinking about week-to-week schedules.
Well, you're not going to do things that way. If you're on Team Stream, the DST you choose on draft day will be the one with the best combination of Week 1 matchup and low draft cost.
The low-cost factor is important, because you don't want to invest much in a DST that you'll throw away after Week 1. Example: The Broncos are the first or second DST on most draft boards. Maybe you think they'll step up an an emotional home opener against the Panthers. But then Andrew Luck and the Colts visit in Week 2, there's a trip to Cincinnati to face the high-powered Bengals in Week 3, and a trek to see an improving Jameis Winston on Week 4. While you spend that ninth-round pick on the Broncos, I'll wait until Round 14 for my DST, and spend all weeks beyond the opener working the free-agent pool for matchups. There's more than one way to skin this cat, but I've found better luck with the latter approach.
That brings us to Week 1, and which DST to draft. We'll leave out the units considered as top-10ish quality, because they'll be picked too early by your competitors.
DSTs not under consideration due to draft cost: Broncos, Seahawks, Cardinals, Texans, Panthers, Rams, Vikings, Chiefs, Vikings, Jets, Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Cleveland Browns)
The Eagles are far and away the best Week 1 streaming option - not because they're all that great, but because the Browns' offense could be the league's biggest dumpster fire. QB Robert Griffin III didn't play in 2015, and hasn't played well since 2012, so we can't expect much. They'll start a rookie wide receiver or two, and lost two starters (C Alex Mack, RT Mitchell Schwartz) from the offensive line. The Eagles are favored by seven points, and signs point to a blowout.
The Eagles DST is ranked 15th by the analysts at FantasyPros.com, is coming off the board 17th per the ADP at FantasyFootballCalculator.com, and you should be able to get them in Round 13 or 14 for this juicy matchup. When I rank DSTs for Week 1, the Eagles will probably be atop the list, ahead of the Seahawks, Panthers, Texans, etc.
Cincinnati Bengals (at New York Jets)
The Bengals will be without the services of suspended LB/lunatic Vontaze Burfict for the opener, but most of the key players return from a team that ranked third in the NFL with 21 interceptions last season, along with 10th in sacks, and has been a top-10 unit over the last three seasons. They'll visit a Jets' squad that will either start erratic Geno Smith or pick-prone Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, so pick-sixes are possible (particularly with Smith).
The Bengals are ranked 11th by the analysts at FantasyPros.com, and are being drafted 10th per FFC ADP.
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Detroit Lions)
Yes, we know the Colts had the NFL's 26th-ranked defense last season. This recommendation is a bet against Matthew Stafford, who was impressive in 2015 but will enter uncharted territory without Calvin Johnson. Per RotoViz.com, Stafford averaged 23.1 fantasy points in 75 games with Johnson over the last five seasons, and 18.85 fantasy points without him.
With a run game that ranked dead last in 2015 and a revamped but young offensive line, much of the Lions' fortunes will fall on the shoulders of Stafford, whose receiving corps is now led by Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and Eric Ebron. Not terrible, but not scary at all, and Stafford has averaged more than an interception per game in his career. Nobody is drafting the Colts' DST, but they're a sneaky Week 1 option.
San Francisco 49ers (at Los Angeles Rams)
This is a "bet against the rookie quarterback" pick. The Rams are likely to hand the ball off to Todd Gurley 25 times to keep Jared Goff's responsibility to a minimum, and the young Niners' defense can be expected to struggle this season. This pick might go awry, but if the logical options are off the table, take a chance on Goff serving up one big turnover.
