Finally, the regular season has arrived. With it comes the true start of fantasy football.
Fantasy football rankings, 2017: Defense/Special Teams for Week 1
With the regular season now here, we update the Week 1 rankings for the top fantasy defenses/special teams.
Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images
By now, you should have your league’s draft completed as you set your Week 1 lineups. That may include a defense that you’re not too high on this year and are merely streaming week to week. The good news is this is very doable with some sneaky-good matchups in Week 1 with low-end defenses.
One such defense is the Cincinnati Bengals, who are hosting a depleted Baltimore Ravens offense this Sunday. Baltimore just got Joe Flacco back at practice this past Saturday after missing training camp and the preseason with a back injury. The offensive line is also in shambles, and Kenneth Dixon is out for the year with a knee injury, so the Bengals could be one of the better fantasy defenses in Week 1, especially since they typically terrorize the Ravens in Paul Brown Stadium.
But, if you’re focusing more on top-end defenses, you may not have quite as favorable of a matchup. The Seattle Seahawks figure to have one of, if not the best fantasy defense this year, but a Week 1 road clash with the Green Bay Packers is less than ideal.
We will help address all of your fantasy defensive concerns with a fresh batch of rankings for the top 25 defenses and special teams.
Defense/special teams rankings, Week 1
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
D/ST rankings, Week 1
Rk | Consensus | Opp | SK | JG | DG | AW | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Texans | vs. JAC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | vs. NYJ | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Denver Broncos | vs. LAC | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | @ SF | 6 | 2 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers | @ CLE | 3 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Rams | vs. IND | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 7 | New England Patriots | vs. KC | 5 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 13 |
| 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars | @ HOU | 7 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 12 |
| 9 | Arizona Cardinals | @ DET | 10 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| 10 | Atlanta Falcons | @ CHI | 8 | 4 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Chargers | @ DEN | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| 12 | Seattle Seahawks | @ GB | 11 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
| 13 | New York Giants | @ DAL | 16 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 14 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | @ MIA | 14 | 10 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 10 |
| 15 | Kansas City Chiefs | @ NE | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 9 |
| 16 | Baltimore Ravens | @ CIN | 15 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 |
| 17 | New York Jets | @ BUF | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- | 5 |
| 18 | San Francisco 49ers | vs. CAR | -- | 14 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| 19 | Detroit Lions | vs. AZ | -- | 16 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | vs. BAL | 17 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 16 |
| 21 | Minnesota Vikings | vs. NO | 13 | -- | 8 | 24 | -- | -- |
| 22 | Dallas Cowboys | vs. NYG | 23 | -- | 16 | 17 | 16 | -- |
| 23 | Philadelphia Eagles | @ WAS | 18 | -- | 13 | 22 | -- | -- |
| 24 | Miami Dolphins | vs. TB | 22 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 23 |
| 25 | Green Bay Packers | vs. SEA | 21 | 21 | -- | -- | 18 | 21 |
| -- | Washington | vs. PHI | 24 | 24 | -- | 23 | 22 | -- |
| -- | Indianapolis Colts | @ LAR | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | -- | 22 |
| -- | Tennessee Titans | vs. OAK | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21 | 24 |
| -- | Oakland Raiders | @ TEN | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Cleveland Browns | vs. PIT | -- | -- | 23 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | New Orleans Saints | @ MIN | -- | 25 | -- | -- | 25 | 25 |
