Fantasy Football Week 1 D/ST Start/Sit: Saints, Vikings, Cowboys, Jets, Steelers

The fantasy football season is finally here! However, with the return of the fantasy season comes the return of every fantasy manager’s natural enemy: start/sit decisions. There is nothing worse than assembling a stacked roster only to end up with the wrong players in your lineup each week.

Today, we will focus on defense, which luckily happens to be one of the easiest positions for which to make start/sit decisions. When in doubt, the best play is always to just start the defense with the better matchup, as matchups have a massive impact on fantasy defense success. Still, if you’re struggling with any particularly difficult decisions, read on for my take on which units can (and can’t) be trusted in your lineup this week.

For more help with your toughest Start/Sit decisions, check out FantasySP’s NFL Start/Sit tool!

Fantasy Football Defenses To Start Week 1

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants

The Vikings already featured in my top Week 1 streaming defense picks for this week, so I’ll keep this one relatively short. Even though the Vikings’ defense isn’t a particularly impressive unit, the Giants’ offense should be worse. To the Giants' credit, they have attempted to improve their offensive line and added Malik Nabers over the offseason. But they also lost Saquon Barkley, and their offense was so bad last year that it could be vastly improved and still awful. Even if the Giants reach competency, Daniel Jones’ tendency to take sacks is still a fantasy gold mine. The Vikings are a priority streaming option and absolutely worth starting in this matchup. 

New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers

Like the Giants, the Panthers should theoretically be improved on offense this year. But, like the Giants, Carolina’s offense was so truly terrible last year that fantasy managers should target them until proven otherwise. In 2023, the Panthers ranked dead last in yards, points, and yards per play; they averaged less than 14 points per game.

Meanwhile, the Saints allowed the eighth-fewest points of any team in the league last season. They don’t have the elite defensive line we like to chase in fantasy defenses, but their secondary is one of the best in the NFL. With Bryce Young and Co. still unproven, if we’re being generous, roll out the Saints at home as a top-five option this week. 

Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns

The Cowboys are the reigning top defense in all of fantasy football, but I wouldn’t consider them a truly elite unit heading into 2024. Despite their abundance of big-name talent, they don’t have the same level of depth and consistency as the league’s best defenses.

With that said, I am absolutely happy to roll them out against the Browns this week. In his 12 starts in Cleveland, Deshaun Watson has thrown nine interceptions to go with just 14 passing touchdowns. With or without Watson (and they were better without him), the Browns allowed the sixth-most points per game to opposing defenses in 2023. Micah Parsons and the rest of the Cowboys' defense should feast in Cleveland this week. 

Fantasy Football Defenses To Sit Week 1

New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers 

Many are projecting the Jets’ defense to be one of the best fantasy options in the league this year. You probably had to spend up to get them on your roster, and for good reason. Despite being shackled to a truly miserable offense, New York allowed the third-fewest total yards in 2023. They tied for the fewest yards allowed per play and ranked among the top eight teams in both turnovers forced and sacks. Heading into this season, PFF has the Jets ranked as the league's best defensive line, best secondary, and best linebacking unit ...  that's the whole defense.

Even still, I recommend benching the Jets in Week 1. This is exactly why drafting a defense early is usually a mistake: Even the best defense can’t be trusted against an elite offense. And the Jets are up against arguably the leauge's best offense on Monday Night Football this week. The 49ers were the toughest matchup for opposing defenses in 2023, allowing just 3.3 points per contest. They led the league in yards per play en route to nearly 400 yards and 30 points per game. There is not a defense in the league that you can confidently start against this 49ers team, especially in San Francisco, so look elsewhere if you are trying to maximize your chances in Week 1.   

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons

This may be my first truly controversial pick of this article. After all, the Steelers were a good defense in 2023, allowing the sixth-fewest points and scoring the eighth-most fantasy points. Meanwhile, the Falcons were mediocre at best offensively, allowing the 12th-most points to opposing defenses. It’s not too surprising that the Steelers rank as a top-10 unit in consensus rankings for Week 1.

However, there are reasons for concern. For one, the Steelers’ defense wasn’t as good as it seemed in 2024: Despite succeeding at keeping points off the board, the unit ranked 12th-worst in both total yards and yards per play allowed. Meanwhile, the 2024 Falcons’ offense is not the same as its 2023 self. The upgrade from Desmond Ridder and Arthur Smith to Kirk Cousins and Zac Robinson is massive. Unlike with Carolina and New York, where I’ll have to see it to believe it, I’m scared enough of the new-look Falcons to avoid them if at all possible. Luckily, every team in the league is playing in Week 1 and there are plenty of exploitable matchups, so you should be able to find a better option for your fantasy roster this week.