Fantasy Football Week 1 Defense/Special Teams Streamers: Bengals, Dolphins, and a Surprise Top Streaming Team?

Lineup decisions start in Week 1 in fantasy football. Sure, every team is in action with no byes, and players are mostly healthy and active, but matchups dictate as much as anything else once you get past the top guys, and nowhere is the matchup more important than with your fantasy defense.

Scoring points with your fantasy D/ST is often random: you can't count on touchdowns, which are the most random of all the random events, and even turnovers often come down to luck rather than anything repeatable most times. Finding a group that gets after the quarterback helps, as sacks are more consistent and flustering the QB causes more bad throws and chances to strip the ball.

The worst offenses score the fewest points, another measure that adds fantasy points to a defense's performance. There is more to be gained from finding the right matchup for your defense than any other position in your fantasy lineup.

With that in mind, let's look at some of the teams with the best matchups in Week 1 who might be free to pick up in your fantasy league. Each of the three listed below was drafted outside the top 10 at the position in most fantasy leagues. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints

Arizona is my favorite early-season streamer. I think the Saints are going to be the worst offensive team in football this season, so why not go after them early? The Cards then play the Panthers in Week 2 followed by the 49ers, Seahawks, Titans, and Colts; this could be a long-term option early in the season.

The Cardinals spent a few years adding defensive talent that raises both their floor and ceiling. Darius Robinson and Walter Nolen III (who will miss the first four games) were first-round picks on the defensive line, and this year's second rounder, cornerback Will Johnson, was projected as high as a top-10 pick but fell due to injury concerns. They signed pass rusher Josh Sweat to a rich contract after he put together 33 sacks in the past four seasons in Philadelphia.

Arizona also brought in veterans like Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, among others, and have built a defense that has both depth and possible top-line talent. I wouldn't be surprised to see this team finish in the top 10 in defensive fantasy scoring, and that could start as early as the first week.

The Saints had a camp battle for the starting quarterback spot between second-year player Spencer Rattler (a fifth-round pick last year) and rookie Tyler Shough (the 40th pick this year). I figured Shough would get the job both because of his higher draft stock and because Rattler wasn't good in his short time last year. The rookie (who is actually exactly one year older than Rattler) must not be ready, though, so the relative “veteran” gets the call.

Rattler played in seven games last season, throwing 228 passes. It didn't go well: 57% completion percentage, a paltry 5.8 yards per attempt, and four touchdowns to five interceptions. The offense looks much the same as last year: Alvin Kamara does his thing, but the pass-catching group is weak, including a big down arrow on Chris Olave after a rough 2024. The offensive line ranked 29th in pass block win rate and 19th in run block win rate (according to ESPN), and while they added a first-round rookie at left tackle, those young linemen often struggle in their first season, even guys who eventually become stars.

So, we have a potentially budding defense against maybe the worst offensive team in the league; that sounds like a strong streamer. Pick up the Cardinals defense and plan on maybe keeping them for the first month-plus of the season.

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

This is a scary one. Cincinnati was worse than average in terms of points per game, passing yards per game, and rushing yards per game allowed last season. The secondary was porous and doesn't look much different from a personnel standpoint. The pass rush was already short, and then Trey Hendrickson missed essentially the entire offseason/preseason program because of a contract dispute; first-round pick Shemar Stewart also missed a lot of offseason work because of his own contract standoff.

Internal progression could be expected, but this is likely to be a below-average defense based on the initial on-paper look. This is more about the matchup.

The Browns are another group who could fight for worst in the league and a team we will likely look to target often. Joe Flacco, Jerome Ford, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash; these aren't names that scare me. Jerry Jeudy had a breakout 2024 (90 receptions, 1,229 yards, four touchdowns), and David Njoku does his thing, but Cleveland projects as a well-below-average offensive group.

I'm not excited about counting on Cincinnati's D, but the matchup is right if you're looking to stream in Week 1. The Bengals will probably be a little better just by pure luck if nothing else.

Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts

This is another defense with a clear weakness, as Miami's defensive backfield has been decimated by injuries, trades, and free agency losses since last year. Minkah Fitzpatrick was brought in, but that came at the expense of Jalen Ramsey. More guys have been lost to injury, and there is a ton of inexperience on the depth chart, both in terms of young players and guys new to the Miami system.

We're looking more at the matchup here again. Indianapolis announced that Daniel Jones will be their starting quarterback, a fact that must make opponents feel confident. Jones had one good season in six tries with the Giants and is a low-ceiling player. He can be competent, but that's not something to fear.

The Colts are also dealing with a reworked offensive line after losing multiple starters, so Miami's good pass rush (including players like Chop Robinson, Bradley Chubb, and Zach Sieler) could cause chaos. Indy was just 25th in pass block win rate last season, so while they could see improvement from the change, this is likely to be an average unit at best up front (and probably worse).

Rookie tight end Tyler Warren is seen as a potential star, and Jonathan Taylor can do his thing as a veteran back, but this group has the makings of unit that will struggle and might eventually bounce between quarterbacks, with Anthony Richardson waiting for his next (and maybe last) chance. I'm banking on the Colts as a team we can target often, starting with Week 1.