Fantasy football rankings, Week 1: Defense/Special Teams

A decent unit might have a weakness against the run; if it's playing the Rams, who aren't a good offense but do have a top running back, do you lower that unit because it'll struggle against Zac Stacy, or bump it up because it'll destroy the rest of the teams? A great unit against a great offense is one question; a bad unit against an awful offense is another.

Sure, when the Seahawks play the Jaguars, or the Jaguars play the Broncos, ranking the defenses is easy. But in between are a thousand different permutations.

Seattle Seahawks (Consensus Rank: No. 1; opponent: Green Bay Packers) - The Seahawks were legendary a year ago, finishing first among defenses with 195 fantasy points, 10 more than the second-place Panthers. They enter 2014 as the No. 1-ranked unit again. Most weeks, they'll be ranked No. 1. Of course, this week they open the season hosting what should be a stellar offense in Green Bay. Interestingly, only one ranker listed the Seahawks No. 1, but no one had them worse than No. 3. Even against a great offense, the Seahawks ought to perform.

New York Jets (Consensus Rank: No. 6; opponent: Oakland Raiders) - The Jets play the Packers, Bears, Lions, Chargers, Broncos and Patriots in Weeks 2-7. Basically, they'll be fantasy-unplayable after Week 1. But this week, it's a middle-of-the-road unit going against a mishmash Oakland offense headed by a rookie quarterback no one expected to see the field a couple of weeks ago. In true "what does the opponent mean?" fashion, the Jets were ranked anywhere from third to eighth in our group rankings.

San Francisco 49ers (Consensus Rank: No. 11; opponent: Dallas Cowboys) - The 49ers have been a stout defense for several years now, but between departures, suspensions and injuries, there's reason for concern, if not outright panic. In Week 1, they take on the Cowboys, who at least should have a good offense. It'll be a battle to see what gives.