Rex's Rankings
Week 1 Defense Rankings
32 defenses ranked · HALF scoring · Updated
Week 1 baseline. No 2026 games have been played yet, so these rankings are built from current depth charts, last season's usage, and Vegas Week 1 totals — not from observed play. They are replaced by the full usage model once Week 1 is complete.
Jacksonville Defense is the number one fantasy defense in Week 1 at home against CLE, an offense implied for 16.5 points, projected for 8.9 points. 5 defenses project above six points this week, and everything below that line is a coin flip you should be streaming rather than rostering. The best streaming option outside the top eight is Los Angeles Chargers Defense at DST9 vs ARI (18.0 implied) at 5.5 projected points — the matchup, not the unit, is doing the work.
Tier 1
Jacksonville Defense
vs CLE
CLE is implied for just 16.5, heavy sack and turnover production.
Tier 2
Atlanta Defense
@ PIT
PIT implied for 23.0, heavy sack and turnover production.
Tier 3
Denver Defense
@ KC
KC implied for 22.8, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Tier 4
Chicago Defense
@ CAR
CAR implied for 22.5, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Houston Defense
vs BUF
BUF implied for 23.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Minnesota Defense
vs GB
GB implied for 22.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Las Vegas Defense
vs MIA
MIA is implied for just 18.5, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Pittsburgh Defense
vs ATL
ATL implied for 19.5, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Los Angeles Chargers Defense
vs ARI
ARI is implied for just 18.0.
Carolina Defense
vs CHI
CHI implied for 25.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Cleveland Defense
@ JAX
JAX implied for 24.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Los Angeles Rams Defense
vs SF
SF implied for 22.5.
Cincinnati Defense
vs TB
TB implied for 24.0.
Kansas City Defense
vs DEN
DEN implied for 19.8.
Philadelphia Defense
vs WAS
WAS implied for 19.5.
New Orleans Defense
@ DET
DET is implied for 28.2, a tough draw, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
Detroit Defense
vs NO
NO implied for 21.2.
Baltimore Defense
@ IND
IND implied for 22.5.
Washington Defense
@ PHI
PHI implied for 25.0.
Seattle Defense
vs NE
NE implied for 20.5.
New York Giants Defense
vs DAL
DAL implied for 25.5.
Miami Defense
@ LV
LV implied for 22.0.
Buffalo Defense
@ HOU
HOU implied for 21.5.
New England Defense
@ SEA
SEA implied for 24.0.
Tennessee Defense
vs NYJ
NYJ is implied for just 18.5, little big-play production.
Tier 5
San Francisco Defense
@ LA
LA is implied for 26.0, a tough draw, little big-play production.
Dallas Defense
@ NYG
NYG implied for 23.0, little big-play production.
Tampa Bay Defense
@ CIN
CIN is implied for 27.5, a tough draw, little big-play production.
Tier 6
New York Jets Defense
@ TEN
TEN implied for 20.0, little big-play production.
Indianapolis Defense
vs BAL
BAL is implied for 26.0, a tough draw, little big-play production.
Green Bay Defense
@ MIN
MIN implied for 23.5, little big-play production.
Arizona Defense
@ LAC
LAC is implied for 28.5, a tough draw, little big-play production.
Tier 1
- DST1—start
Jacksonville Defense
vs CLE
CLE is implied for just 16.5, heavy sack and turnover production.
vs CLE · 8.9 PROJ · 16.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
Tier 2
- DST2—start
Atlanta Defense
@ PIT
PIT implied for 23.0, heavy sack and turnover production.
@ PIT · 8.0 PROJ · 23.0 OPP IMP · medium confidence
Tier 3
- DST3—start
Denver Defense
@ KC
KC implied for 22.8, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
@ KC · 6.8 PROJ · 22.8 OPP IMP · medium confidence
Tier 4
- DST4—start
Chicago Defense
@ CAR
CAR implied for 22.5, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
@ CAR · 6.3 PROJ · 22.5 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST5—start
Houston Defense
vs BUF
BUF implied for 23.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
vs BUF · 6.1 PROJ · 23.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST6—start
Minnesota Defense
vs GB
GB implied for 22.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
vs GB · 6.0 PROJ · 22.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST7—start
Las Vegas Defense
vs MIA
MIA is implied for just 18.5, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
vs MIA · 6.0 PROJ · 18.5 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST8—start
Pittsburgh Defense
vs ATL
ATL implied for 19.5, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
vs ATL · 5.9 PROJ · 19.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST9—stream
Los Angeles Chargers Defense
vs ARI
ARI is implied for just 18.0.
vs ARI · 5.5 PROJ · 18.0 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST10—stream
Carolina Defense
vs CHI
CHI implied for 25.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
vs CHI · 5.4 PROJ · 25.0 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST11—stream
Cleveland Defense
@ JAX
JAX implied for 24.0, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
@ JAX · 5.3 PROJ · 24.0 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST12—stream
Los Angeles Rams Defense
vs SF
SF implied for 22.5.
vs SF · 5.1 PROJ · 22.5 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST13—stream
Cincinnati Defense
vs TB
TB implied for 24.0.
vs TB · 4.9 PROJ · 24.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST14—stream
Kansas City Defense
vs DEN
DEN implied for 19.8.
vs DEN · 4.9 PROJ · 19.8 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST15—sit
Philadelphia Defense
vs WAS
WAS implied for 19.5.
vs WAS · 4.8 PROJ · 19.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST16—sit
New Orleans Defense
@ DET
DET is implied for 28.2, a tough draw, solid pressure and takeaway rate.
@ DET · 4.6 PROJ · 28.3 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST17—sit
Detroit Defense
vs NO
NO implied for 21.2.
vs NO · 4.6 PROJ · 21.3 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST18—sit
Baltimore Defense
@ IND
IND implied for 22.5.
@ IND · 4.6 PROJ · 22.5 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST19—sit
Washington Defense
@ PHI
PHI implied for 25.0.
@ PHI · 4.3 PROJ · 25.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST20—sit
Seattle Defense
vs NE
NE implied for 20.5.
vs NE · 4.1 PROJ · 20.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST21—sit
New York Giants Defense
vs DAL
DAL implied for 25.5.
vs DAL · 4.1 PROJ · 25.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST22—sit
Miami Defense
@ LV
LV implied for 22.0.
@ LV · 3.8 PROJ · 22.0 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST23—sit
Buffalo Defense
@ HOU
HOU implied for 21.5.
@ HOU · 3.8 PROJ · 21.5 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST24—sit
New England Defense
@ SEA
SEA implied for 24.0.
@ SEA · 3.8 PROJ · 24.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST25—sit
Tennessee Defense
vs NYJ
NYJ is implied for just 18.5, little big-play production.
vs NYJ · 3.7 PROJ · 18.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
Tier 5
- DST26—sit
San Francisco Defense
@ LA
LA is implied for 26.0, a tough draw, little big-play production.
@ LA · 2.5 PROJ · 26.0 OPP IMP · medium confidence
- DST27—sit
Dallas Defense
@ NYG
NYG implied for 23.0, little big-play production.
@ NYG · 2.4 PROJ · 23.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST28—sit
Tampa Bay Defense
@ CIN
CIN is implied for 27.5, a tough draw, little big-play production.
@ CIN · 2.1 PROJ · 27.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
Tier 6
- DST29—sit
New York Jets Defense
@ TEN
TEN implied for 20.0, little big-play production.
@ TEN · 1.4 PROJ · 20.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST30—sit
Indianapolis Defense
vs BAL
BAL is implied for 26.0, a tough draw, little big-play production.
vs BAL · 1.4 PROJ · 26.0 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST31—sit
Green Bay Defense
@ MIN
MIN implied for 23.5, little big-play production.
@ MIN · 1.3 PROJ · 23.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
- DST32—sit
Arizona Defense
@ LAC
LAC is implied for 28.5, a tough draw, little big-play production.
@ LAC · 1.1 PROJ · 28.5 OPP IMP · high confidence
Underlying NFL data via nflverse. Betting lines from Lee Sharpe's games file. Rankings are FantasyWeek.us originals.