X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 1 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2019 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Bill Dubiel breaks down all 2019 fantasy football Week 1 defenses (DEF) -- draft targets, streamers, sits/starts, and D/ST waiver wire pickups to add. His Week 1 rankings and tiers for all of the NFL defenses.

Ohhhhh it is good to be back, RotoBallers! I'm getting this bad boy kicked off a little earlier this year since I've got a wife at home who's ready to go into labor anyyy minute now. The nerve of that kid, coming right before football season.

Below are RotoBaller's Week 1 defense tiers and rankings, or which defenses to stream, start and target off the waiver wire for Week 1 of the NFL and fantasy football season. In case you missed it, this is our seventh year now writing this weekly column. Our weekly tiered defense rankings are a guide to making waiver wire pickups to improve your lineups, and to decide which defenses to start, sit, target, avoid or stream for Week 1.

Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker. Below we have broken out our defense rankings into tiers with analysis on each matchup. Some of these Week 11 defenses have good matchups and are not widely-owned, representing fantasy scoring opportunities if they are available on your league's waiver wire for a Week 1 pickup or add. Good luck in Week 1 RotoBallers!

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

Week 1 Defenses To Start & Stream: Tiers & Rankings

Typically the top three tiers will be DSTs you should target, with Tier 4 being options in deep leagues and Tier 5 being desperation plays or good defenses in horrendous matchups.

Returning for this year: Confidence Ratings - since every league's DST scoring is different, projections don't always make a ton of sense. The confidence rating is a guideline for how much more I like one team over another instead of a straight point projection. A zero means "do not start," then the confidence rises from there. I take a lot of factors into account here--opponent injuries, home field advantage, weather, etc. The first few weeks I obviously have less data to work with, so the defense's personnel and matchups matter more significantly.

 

Tier 1 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
1 1 Baltimore Ravens Defense @ MIA 12.5
2 1 Philadelphia Eagles Defense vs. WAS 11.15
3 1 Los Angeles Chargers Defense vs. IND 10.75

With so much turmoil in the Dolphins locker room and, frankly, a lack of talent, the Ravens are the surest thing for me in Week 1 despite being on the road. While the Ravens did finish as a top-five fantasy DST in 2018, they took some major hits to their roster in the offseason, including C.J. Mosely, Terrell Suggs and Eric Weddle. They did add Earl Thomas in free agency, and the addition of third-round linebacker Jaylon Ferguson should help plug some of the holes up the middle. Ultimately the Ravens are likely a worse team than last year, but it's still a strong overall unit with a great match-up in Week 1. The Dolphins aren't even sure if they're starting Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick and we're 10 days from kickoff.

Like the Ravens, the Eagles suffered some major losses on defense in the off-season. Jordan Hicks, Michael Bennett AND Chris Long are now no longer in Philly, but they were able to add Malik Jackson and Zach Brown to replace them. This is still a talented roster despite the losses, but it's unlikely that they'll find themselves in my top five in most weeks. However, with a home matchup against the Redskins in Week 1 they are pretty much a gimme for me. Case Keenum has nobody of note to throw to besides the oft-injured Jordan Reed, and an aging Adrian Peterson leading the charge on the ground. The Eagles could pay major dividends in this one.

I'm very interested to see what happens with the Colts offense now that Andrew Luck is permanently out of the picture. Jacoby Brissett started 15 games in 2017, and his numbers were anything but inspiring (13:7 TD-INT, 41.5 QBR). He led the league in sacks taken, which is proof of just how putrid the Colts' offensive line was. That line is now anchored by talented stalwarts Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith (among others), and they allowed a league-low 18 sacks in 2018. Unfortunately, they'll be tasked with stopping Joey Bosa, Thomas Davis and first-round pick Jerry Tillery in Week 1, and Brissett brings the entire offense down simply by not having the gun-slinging firepower of Andrew Luck. In his first start on the road, I'll bet on the defense all day, especially one as talented as the Chargers.

 

Tier 2 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
4 2 Seattle Seahawks Defense vs. CIN 9.6
5 2 Cleveland Browns Defense vs. TEN 9.3
6 2 Dallas Cowboys Defense vs. NYG 8.65
7 2 Denver Broncos Defense @ OAK 8.2

The Browns' roster improved in just about every facet over the last two years, and their defense is no exception. They finished second in the NFL in takeaways in 2018, and although the 14 fumble recoveries are unlikely to be repeated, they also scored ZERO defensive touchdowns. By sheer probability they should be able to add enough to make up for the regression in fumble recoveries. The addition of Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson should be huge for their sack totals, and the game plan is for second-rounder Greedy Williams to fill the hole left by Jabrill Peppers' departure. Toss in a home matchup against Marcus Mariota and the Titans' bottom-six offense from last year (they didn't improve much in the off-season) and you've got a recipe for fantasy success.

With the defensively-minded Vic Fangio at the helm of the Broncos, I expect big things from this DST this year. They lost Bradley Roby and Darien Stewart in the secondary, which will likely be felt, but Kareem Jackson was added to hopefully ease the blow. They also have probably the best one-two punch as far as pass-rushing is concerned in Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, so you can expect the sacks to come early and often. They'll face a Raiders line that improved in the off-season thanks to the addition of Trent Brown, and we'll see what Richie Incognito has left in the tank. The Broncos may rank higher as the year goes on, but the Raiders offense SHOULD be improved with the additions of Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and rookie running back Josh Jacobs. The Broncos are still in the top two tiers and should be a fine play this week, simply not as a top-five option.

 

Middle and Lower Tier Defenses

Tier 3 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
8 3 Chicago Bears Defense vs. GB 7.5
9 3 Arizona Cardinals Defense vs. DET 7.35
10 3 Los Angeles Rams Defense @ CAR 6.9
11 3 Buffalo Bills Defense @ NYJ 6.5
12 3 Detroit Lions Defense @ ARI 6.1

I don't think I need to go into too much detail on the Bears. Khalil Mack leads a defense that is stacked with talent, almost all of which is returning from last year. They were third in the NFL in sacks, and first in picks, touchdowns and total takeaways. The only reason they're in Tier 3 is the matchup against the Packers. They look like they're going to unleash Aaron Jones finally, Aaron Rodgers is healthy and has a potent trio of wide receivers to throw to (Davante Adams, Marques Valdez-Scantling, Geronimo Allison). The Bears are startable still but their upside is limited.

The Bills are going to be under-ranked just about everywhere this year, and I swear I don't think that just because I live in Buffalo. The Bills led the NFL in passing yards allowed per game in 2018 (179.2), but their middling defense against the run brought their overall numbers down pretty significantly. Still, they allowed fewer than five yards per play, one of only three teams in the NFL to do so. This is a talented overall defense, and they've got some legit playmakers in Jerry Hughes, Tremaine Edmunds, Jordan Poyer and Lorenzo Alexander. Top-10 overall pick Ed Oliver should help the Bills step up against the run, and they've got a pretty easy schedule to start the season. This is a DST I'm particularly interested in adding since they'll be useful for more than just Week 1. My expectations are tempered given that the Jets will test that run defense with a fully-functional Le'Veon Bell, but this is still a very under-rated unit that should give Sam Darnold fits.

 

Tier 4 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
13 4 New York Jets Defense vs. BUF 5.7
14 4 New England Patriots Defense vs. PIT 5.45
15 4 Kansas City Chiefs Defense @ JAC 5.2
16 4 New Orleans Saints Defense vs. HOU 4.8
17 4 Minnesota Vikings Defense vs. ATL 4.35
18 4 Oakland Raiders Defense vs. DEN 3.5

The Chiefs are an absolute question mark for me heading into Week 1. They hemorrhaged yards last year (405.5 yards per game), but still finished as a capable fantasy DST thanks to an NFL-best 53 sacks and 27 takeaways. They turned over their defense almost entirely, trading Dee Ford, Justin Houston and Steven Hunter (among others) for Frank Clark, Alex Okafor and Tyrann Mathieu (among others). There is talent to be found here, but the complete overhaul has me scratching my head on how to project them. I've got them dead-center of my rankings on the road against the Jaguars, who have a theoretically healthy Leonard Fournette and Nick Foles now under center.

The Vikings Defense bounced back in a big way last year, ranking fourth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (309.7) and tied for third in sacks (50). They'll have to deal with the departure of Sheldon Richardson, but they've got studs at every line of the defense. Linval Joseph anchors the run-stopping unit, a hopefully rejuvenated Everson Griffen and Anthony Barr lead the pass rush and Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith should provide stability in the secondary. This team will be a top-10 option for me most weeks, but on the road against the Falcons it's tough to rank them as such. Matt Ryan's got a lethal tandem of weapons in Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, and Devonta Freeman looks fully healthy and ready to do damage.

The Raiders were pretty darn bad last year, but I've got some faith in them to rise up the ranks in 2019. LaMarcus Joyner will be a big asset when it comes to stabilizing rookies Jonathan Abram and Trayvon Mullen in the secondary, which will hopefully lead to an improvement over last year's middling pass defense. First-round pick Clelin Ferrell is going to have to help support the Raiders run defense, which was bottom-three in the NFL in 2018. They'll rarely find themselves any higher than Tier 4 for me, but a home matchup against the Joe Flacco-led Broncos offense leaves the door open for them as a desperation play this week.

 

Tier 5 Defenses

Rank Tier DST Opponent Confidence Rating
19 5 San Francisco 49ers Defense @ TB 2.9
20 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense vs. SF 2.5
21 5 Green Bay Packers Defense @ CHI 2.25
22 5 Houston Texans Defense @ NO 1.8
23 5 Pittsburgh Steelers Defense @ NE 1.5
24 5 Jacksonville Jaguars Defense vs. KC 1.15

More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Los Angeles Clippers

Nicolas Batum Staying with Clippers
Jurickson Profar

to Return on Wednesday
Jordan Clarkson

Jazz Finalize Contract Buyout for Jordan Clarkson
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Staying with Nets
Colby Thomas

Called Up From Triple-A
Shea Langeliers

A's Reinstate Shea Langeliers From Injured List
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Jalen Williams

will Undergo Surgery on Right Wrist
Bryce Harper

Activated and Starting on Monday
Deandre Ayton

Finalizing Contract Buyout with Portland
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Lands on Injured List With Fractured Ribs
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Kerry Carpenter

Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Heads to Free Agency
Santi Aldama

Receives Qualifying Offer
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner has Team Option Declined
Jabari Smith Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Jusuf Nurkić

Hornets Trading Jusuf Nurkic to Utah
Collin Sexton

Heading to Charlotte
Cam Thomas

Set for Restricted Free Agency
Milwaukee Bucks

Bobby Portis Staying in Milwaukee
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Los Angeles Clippers

James Harden, Clippers Agree on a New Contract
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Oneil Cruz

Smacks Two Homers
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Aaron Judge

Blasts Two Homers, Dealing With Back Issue
Claude Giroux

Signs One-Year Deal with Senators
Yordan Alvarez

has Chance to Return Next Weekend
Minnesota Timberwolves

Julius Randle Signs Three-Year Extension
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Opts into Player Option
Luis Robert Jr.

Heads to Injured List
Gabriel Arias

Carted Off on Sunday
Bryce Harper

Faces Live Pitching
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Remains Out on Sunday
Utah Jazz

Bojan Bogdanovic Retiring From Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers

Dorian Finney-Smith Declines Player Option
Jaylin Williams

Signing Three-Year Extension
LeBron James

Accepts Player Option
Anfernee Simons

"a Possible Re-Trade Candidate"
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Yordan Alvarez

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Quinn Priester

Fans 11 in One-Hit Gem
Spencer Schwellenbach

Dominant in Victory
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Out of Lineup Saturday
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Garrett Mitchell

to Undergo Shoulder Surgery
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez in Guardians Lineup on Saturday
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Chase Burns

Slated to Make Next Start on Monday
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Cedric Tillman

Should Have Full-Time Role
Bryce Young

Looking More Comfortable, Showing More Intensity
Charlie Coyle

Blue Jackets Acquire Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood From Colorado
Jack Quinn

Signs Up for Two More Years with Sabres
Brandon Saad

Stays in Vegas on One-Year Deal
Trent Frederic

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Josh Naylor

Exits Friday's Contest Early with Neck Stiffness
Emil Heineman

Shipped to the Islanders
Noah Dobson

Traded to Montreal
John Tavares

Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Sam Bennett

Signs Eight-Year Extension with Panthers
NYI

Islanders Select Matthew Schaefer With No. 1 Pick in NHL Draft
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
Josh Simmons

on Schedule to Open the Year as a Starter
Micah Parsons

Contract Length an Issue for Cowboys, Micah Parsons
Denver Broncos

Broncos Unsure How Their Running Back Room Will Look
Russell Wilson

Not the Only Leader in Giants Clubhouse
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Daniil Tarasov

Panthers Bring in Daniil Tarasov
Frederick Gaudreau

Kraken Pick Up Frederick Gaudreau From Wild
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
Emiliano Grillo

Rolling into the Summer Season
Rickie Fowler

Looking for More Magic at Rocket Classic
Wyndham Clark

Brings High Upside to Detroit Golf Club
Max Greyserman

Could Make Noise at Rocket Classic
Akshay Bhatia

a Strong Value Play at Rocket Classic
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF