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The top Week 1 defense streamers - fantasy football D/ST pickups, streamers and starts for 2026. Target these fantasy DST streaming options with strong matchups.
Hey RotoBallers! The 2026 NFL season is about to kick off, which means it's time to set our first lineups of the season. Even with limited data to analyze, it is never too early to identify streaming targets.
In this piece, we will look at some high-upside defense streamers to consider putting in your Week 1 fantasy football lineup.
Who should fantasy managers look to target on the waiver wire and plug into their starting lineup? Let's dive in!
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Top Week 1 Defense Streamers (D/ST)
Only defenses rostered in fewer than 65% of fantasy football leagues are considered potential streamers.
Chicago Bears D/ST at CAR
10% Rostered
Sitting on nearly 90% of the waiver wire are the Chicago Bears. The Bears did not have the most dominant defense in 2025, but they have a favorable matchup in formats that reward units for allowing few points. They will travel to Carolina to face the Panthers, who scored the sixth-fewest total points per game in the league last season.
Much of Carolina's offensive inconsistency stemmed from QB Bryce Young. While he began to find his footing in the second half, he endured some growing pains early in the season. Over his first nine games, Young posted an 11:7 TD:INT while totaling 168.2 yards per game, compared to the 213.9 yards per game he averaged over his last seven games.
If these early struggles show again, the Bears could find themselves in a prime spot in Week 1.
Baltimore Ravens D/ST at IND
60% Rostered
The next streamer is a target for those shallow leagues. The Ravens sit just below our 65% benchmark and could turn in a very productive showing in Week 1, as they are No. 5 in our rankings. In the off-season, the Ravens took a major swing in bolstering their defense by adding superstar Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 but tallied 17.5 sacks in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
While their matchup on paper may not look as ideal as the Colts posted a solid 27.4 PPG last season, they do have concerns to open the season. Quarterback Daniel Jones will return to the field after suffering a serious Achilles injury, which cut his season short in 2025. Jones was sharp before the injury, but given his lack of extended success in the NFL and recovery from a major injury, he could struggle early on.
Another Trey Hendrickson sack!
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/IgcaDFWOFX— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
Tennessee Titans D/ST vs. NYJ
15% Rostered
The next two names are both widely available, like the Bears. The Titans have one of the easiest matchups on paper, facing the New York Jets. In 2025, the Jets scored the fourth-fewest points per game (17.6) and allowed the most sacks in the sport (60). While they did make some additions to their team, most notably adding veteran Geno Smith, they are still a top matchup to target for D/ST streamers.
While the Titans were not the most dominant defense in football last season (allowed the fifth-most points per game), they could enjoy a hot start facing the Jets. They hired a defense-minded head coach in Robert Saleh and have many key contributors who can make an impact, like Jeffrey Simmons (11 sacks last season) and first-round rookie Kedrick Faulk.
This game also carries a low 38.5 implied point total, suggesting it could be a defensive showdown.
Las Vegas Raiders D/ST vs. MIA
5% Rostered
Lastly, the final streaming target is to secure the Las Vegas Raiders. Like the Titans, the Raiders were an inconsistent defensive unit in 2025, allowing the eighth-most total points per game in the sport (25.4 PPG). They tallied 37 sacks as a unit, placing them just below the league average.
However, they have what could be the best matchup on the Week 1 slate, facing the Miami Dolphins. In the offseason, the Dolphins parted ways with top wideout Jaylen Waddle and released Tyreek Hill, leaving De'Von Achane as the only proven option in the offense. They will also turn to QB Malik Willis, who has logged more than 35 offensive snaps in just five total games in each of the last two seasons.
Willis will take on his first full-time starting role with the league's worst WR room, headlined by Malik Washington and rookies Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. While Willis may eventually showcase some upside in the QB1 role, managers should expect some early-season growing pains given the lack of talent around him.
Week 1 D/ST Rankings
| Rank | Team Defense (D/ST) Name |
| 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST |
| 2 | Los Angeles Chargers D/ST |
| 3 | Houston Texans D/ST |
| 4 | Denver Broncos D/ST |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens D/ST |
| 6 | Los Angeles Rams D/ST |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks D/ST |
| 8 | Chicago Bears D/ST |
| 9 | Tennessee Titans D/ST |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST |
| 11 | Philadelphia Eagles D/ST |
| 12 | Green Bay Packers D/ST |
| 13 | Minnesota Vikings D/ST |
| 14 | Buffalo Bills D/ST |
| 15 | Las Vegas Raiders D/ST |
| 16 | New York Jets D/ST |
| 17 | New England Patriots D/ST |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs D/ST |
| 19 | Dallas Cowboys D/ST |
| 20 | Atlanta Falcons D/ST |
| 21 | Cleveland Browns D/ST |
| 22 | Detroit Lions D/ST |
| 23 | New York Giants D/ST |
| 24 | Indianapolis Colts D/ST |
| 25 | Miami Dolphins D/ST |
| 26 | San Francisco 49ers D/ST |
| 27 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST |
| 28 | Arizona Cardinals D/ST |
| 29 | Cincinnati Bengals D/ST |
| 30 | Carolina Panthers D/ST |
| 31 | New Orleans Saints D/ST |
| 32 | Washington Commanders D/ST |
Read more defense news and updates for Week 1
Who Should I Start Tool
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Week 1 Defense Decisions. Today's focus is on specific team defenses - Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for defenses like the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens:
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