Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings: Week 1 2026

September 8, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings: Week 1 2026 appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.

There is plenty of fantasy football speculation running backs. And there are some undervalued tight ends. But people often forget about the defenses. Don’t do it! Pick a good one and stick with it. And here are the fantasy football defense and special teams rankings for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.

The Week 1 list looks a lot like the usual suspects. Let’s take a look at which ones to grab first.

Fantasy Football standouts

It’s a good week to lean on the Jaguars. They have the best matchup in Week 1 because the Browns don’t figure to scare any defenses with their offense. There’s a lot to like about this defense, according to NFL.com.

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

“Liam Coen rightfully received praise for his debut season as an NFL head coach, but it felt like Anthony Campanile didn’t get proper shine for his maiden voyage as an NFL defensive coordinator,” Gennaro Filice wrote. “It took a little bit for the D to hit its stride under new leadership, but over the final eight weeks of the regular season, Jacksonville allowed the fewest points in the league (116, or 14.5 per game) while tying for the most takeaways (14).

“They essentially added a potential star to the secondary. Thanks to a knee injury in mid-October, Travis Hunter’s highly anticipated rookie season ended before it really got off the ground. And before he was sidelined, the rookie spent nearly twice as many snaps on offense as on defense. Apparently, the plan has changed in Year 2, with Hunter primarily focusing on the defensive side of the ball.”

The defense should ride hot because of the overall aggressive attitude of Coen, according to ESPN.

“We haven’t done anything to rest on our laurels here,” Coen said. “We’re not in a place to hang out and just kind of chill, right? Everything we’re doing is trying to attack an edge. Last year was about finding an edge and creating an edge. And now we are attacking these edges with a relentless pursuit.”

While the Browns have a few weapons and some exciting young players, the quarterback situation will likely hold this offense back. And that’s another reason the Jaguars should be primed for some big defensive players. Get a lead and then wreak havoc on the Browns’ offense.

Look for a two interceptions and three turnovers overall.

Also a good bet this week are the Broncos. Yes, they face Patrick Mahomes. But this is Mahomes coming off an injury. And no matter how much he says he’s back, it’s probably going to take him until October before he can get back in the neighborhood of his usual game.

But Broncos head coach Sean Payton said his team will expect better from Mahomes, according to Sports Illustrated.

“I think we’re looking at it and expecting someone who’s 100 percent, someone who’s moving well based on what limited footage you get,” Payton said of Mahomes on Monday. “He’s going to be one of those guys that threatens you not only in the pocket, but out of the pocket. So our approach has been pay close attention to what we’ve seen historically film-wise, how we defend not only him, but their team.”

Other standouts

Matching up against the 49ers offense may not seem like a great thing for the Rams. However, this unit is good enough to handle a 49ers offense that has playmakers but also a lot of questions.

The Rams can bring it, according to Fantasy Pros.

“It’s scary to think that the Rams were the second-best defense last season in fantasy points per game, and they added more firepower to the depth chart this offseason,” Derek Brown wrote. “Yes, their big-ticket adds of Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie stole the headlines, but adding Jaylen Watson to start opposite McDuffie should be a massive upgrade at CB2 for 2026. The Rams were fourth in pressure rate, seventh in sacks, and sixth in interceptions last season, and they could improve upon all of those marks this season.”

And that’s why they will be a tough solve for the 49ers.

Also, the Steelers should be OK against the Falcons, according to Sports Illustrated.

“The Falcons’ offense has two stars in Bijan Robinson and Drake London, but their quarterback situation is one of the most unsettled in the league,” Michael Fabiano wrote. “Tua Tagovailoa will start this week, but it’s not a good matchup for him against the Steel Curtain, which should be able to produce several sacks and force the Falcons quarterback into a few giveaways.”

Fantasy Football sleepers

A surprise candidate for a big week is the Cowboys. The can fly under the radar because nobody knows what to expect from them. They have a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker and a lot of new faces. It could be a very exciting group.

And the Cowboys could unleash a fury against the Giants. There’s reason to believe in this bunch, according to The Athletic.

“Anything is better than what they did last year on defense,” the voter placing Dallas second in the NFC said. “They shocked the system by trading Micah Parsons, and I just think generally speaking, new coordinators on defense create variance.”

Parker should have them ready.

“I like the coordinator,” a voter from The Athletic query said of Parker. “He is going to help maximize what they have. The secondary is still not a strength, but they have an impressive front seven.”

Giants beware.

Another sleeper is the Raiders. Sure, it’s not the most comfortable thing to start a questionable defense that hired an offensive head coach. But the Dolphins are a pick-on fantasy offense in 2026. So, pick on them in Week 1.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Defense Rankings

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (JAC) vs. CLE
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) vs. ATL
3. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) vs. ARI
4. Denver Broncos (DEN) at KC
5. Dallas Cowboys (DAL) at NYG
6. Philadelphia Eagles (PHI) vs. WAS
7. Houston Texans (HOU) vs. BUF
8. Los Angeles Rams (LAR) vs. SF
9. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) vs. NE
10. Baltimore Ravens (BAL) at IND
11. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) vs. GB
12. Tennessee Titans (TEN) vs. NYJ
13. Detroit Lions (DET) vs. NO
14. Buffalo Bills (BUF) at HOU
15. Green Bay Packers (GB) at MIN

Read full story at source