Fantasy Football Week 1 defense rankings: Jets, Ravens lead contenders but Browns signal risky business

Streaming defenses has become one of the most popular strategies for approaching this position in fantasy football. Managers can analyze all of the available options each week and determine which unit to start based on many factors, including their recent success and weekly matchup. Here's how all of the defenses stack up in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.

Fantasy Football Week 1 defense rankings

Week 1 DST rankings

#10 - Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks' defense gets an extremely favorable matchup in Week 1 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix will be making his first NFL start for the Denver Broncos and will have to do so in Seattle, one of the most difficult road stadiums to play in.

#9 - Los Angeles Chargers

With Jim Harbaugh taking over as the Los Angeles Chargers coach, their defense should improve. This has been a staple of his coaching history, and having superstars like Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Derwin James should help his cause.

#8 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Todd Bowles' aggressive and creative blitzing style has been the overall identity for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense. This could cause major problems for quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is making his first career start for the Washington Commanders this week.

#7 - Baltimore Ravens

While the Baltimore Ravens have a challenging Week 1 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs' elite offense, they still make for a solid choice in fantasy football. They were consistently dominant last year, regardless of their weekly matchup, and are returning basically their entire defensive roster.

#6 - San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers' defense will go toe-to-toe against the New York Jets, who were one of the worst offenses in the NFL last year. That could change this season with a healthy Aaron Rodgers, but the veteran quarterback has an extremely challenging road matchup in his first game back from major surgery.

#5 - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears' defense consistently improved last season and became a reliable unit toward the end of the year. They will look to carry that momentum into a favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans, one of the weakest offenses in the NFL from a season ago.

#4 - New York Jets

The New York Jets relied on their defense last season to keep them in games, and they will likely have to do so again in Week 1 against the 49ers. They still make for a solid option in fantasy football, as they performed well even in unfavorable matchups last season.

#3 - Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are always one of the best defenses to consider when determining Who Should I Start in fantasy football each week. Linebacker Micah Parsons gives them plenty of opportunities to record sacks, and they had a cornerback lead the NFL in interceptions for each of the past two seasons.

They have also finished among the top two fantasy football defenses in each of the past three seasons.

#2 - Cincinnati Bengals

While the Cincinnati Bengals don't necessarily qualify as an elite season-long defense in fantasy football, they are one of the best options in Week 1 this year. The New England Patriots have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, so the Bengals' matchup is ideal.

#1 - New Orleans Saints

With weekly matchups being so important when determining a defense to target, the New Orleans Saints top the Week 1 rankings. The Carolina Panthers were the weakest overall offense in the NFL last season and didn't improve their roster much during the offseason. They also have to play in New Orleans, one of the biggest home-field advantages in the league.

Some notable fantasy football defenses that rank outside of the top 10 for Week 1 include the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. While they both make for solid season-long options, their matchups this week make them fades. The Browns will have to deal with the Cowboys' elite offense, while the Chiefs face a run-heavy offense in the Ravens. Here's where they fall in Week 1 rankings:

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Saints	Panthers
2	Bengals	Patriots
3	Cowboys	Browns
4	Jets	49ers
5	Bears	Titans
6	49ers	Jets
7	Ravens	Chiefs
8	Buccaneers	Commanders
9	Chargers	Raiders
10	Seahawks	Broncos
11	Bills	Cardinals
12	Eagles	Packers
13	Giants	Vikings
14	Chiefs	Ravens
15	Falcons	Steelers
16	Browns	Cowboys
17	Steelers	Falcons
18	Packers	Eagles
19	Vikings	Giants
20	Texans	Colts
21	Dolphins	Jaguars
22	Lions	Rams
23	Raiders	Chargers
24	Jaguars	Dolphins
25	Titans	Bears
26	Rams	Lions
27	Broncos	Seahawks
28	Colts	Texans
29	Commanders	Buccaneers
30	Cardinals	Bills
31	Panthers	Saints
32	Patriots	Bengals