Week 1 D/ST Streamers

Did you forget to draft a D/ST that you can start in Week 1? If you’re stuck streaming, have no fear. There are plenty of options available to bolster your fantasy football squad. Even in deeper leagues, most of these teams should still be available.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!

Week 1 D/ST Streamers

All D/STs are rostered in under 50% of Fantrax leagues

Chicago Bears (at Carolina Panthers)

Fantrax Rostership: 36% (Other Platforms: 8% – 10%)

Things have quickly turned around in Chicago. Last year, the Bears led the league in turnovers with 33. That’s unlikely to continue, but it’s certainly encouraging. The Bears have been in the top half of the league in turnovers for a few years. They visit Bryce Young in a season where he desperately needs to take the next step with HC Dave Canales.

Last season, the Panthers allowed the 11th most fantasy points to opposing D/STs, and not much has changed. Former first-round WR Tetairoa McMillan could step up, but the offense still rests on Bryce Young. Young, the 1st overall pick in 2023, took three seasons to finally throw for at least 3,000 yards and 20 TDs. While Young has improved in the sack department – down from 62 in his rookie year to under 30 in each of the past two years – he has not done enough to prove the doubters wrong. Perhaps it’s his height, or lack thereof, or maybe he just isn’t going to be an elite QB.

At best, this Panthers offense will be fine and fairly boring. Young most likely won’t light the world on fire. That alone could make the Bears worth streaming at D/ST. Chicago will be missing a slew of players, including CB Kyler Gordon and S Coby Bryant, but their defense gets to face a Panthers offensive line also dealing with injuries. Bryce Young is already a below-average QB and may have his hands full against a big-play defense. The Bears D/ST should feast.

Tennessee Titans (vs New York Jets)

Fantrax Rostership: 27% (Other Platforms: 6% – 15%)

Geno Smith went from a 10th-year breakout to leading the league in interceptions in just a few years. Whether that’s because he went from Seattle to Las Vegas, or him just showing his true colors, it’s a good sign for opposing D/STs. Along with his high interception numbers, Smith tied with rookie QB Cam Ward for the league lead in times being sacked with 55. Over the last 4 seasons, Smith has thrown 52 interceptions and has been sacked 182 times.

While Tennessee may not boast the best defense in the league, they can make things happen. The Titans sacked opposing QBs 42 times last season, though they only forced 14 turnovers – tied for the 4th lowest in the league. All-Pro DT Jeffrey Simmons had a career year, forcing 3 fumbles and accumulating 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, per Pro Football Reference. The Jets have some weapons but this is a good matchup for a Titans D/ST that should be available in most leagues.

Las Vegas Raiders (vs Miami Dolphins)

Fantrax Rostership: 14% (Other Platforms: 2% – 15%)

The Raiders finished with the worst record in football last year, but their defense was encouraging. Vegas finished 14th in defensive DVOA and 20th in EPA/play. While first-round draft capital has been used exclusively on offense for the past three drafts, day two picks have been used to shore up a rough defensive unit. A lack of turnovers and sacks was evident in their finish as the DST26 on Fantrax. You would only consider them in a truly great matchup. Perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby is still an X-factor for the Raiders.

Miami has been trending downwards for a few years now, but they may hit new lows this year. Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Darren Waller are all gone. Former Packer Malik Willis will take over at QB and has shown a knack for making plays when all seems lost, but he has a significantly better surrounding cast. Willis will have his hands full every week this season, which makes the Raiders an enticing D/ST streamer for Week 1.

New York Jets (at Tennessee Titans)

Fantrax Rostership: 9% (Other Platforms: 2% – 4%)

After failing to record a single interception last year, the Jets are a hard sell. The team is still far from a competitive roster after trading away CB Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams. New York used the 2nd overall pick on LB David Bailey and the 50th overall pick on CB D’Angelo Ponds. Other off-season additions include veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, LB Demario Davis, and DE Joseph Ossai. The Jets won’t boast an above-average defense but they should be better than the second half of 2025.

Cam Ward was sacked a league-high 55 times last season, but he also had a ton of dropbacks. Ward’s 540 pass attempts ranked 8th in the league last year. The offense could improve as Ward enters his sophomore season, adding first-round WR Carnell Tate, but the Titans still project to field a bad offense.

New York’s turnover luck should improve, and they should generate pressure on a young Cam Ward behind a shaky offensive line. It’s going to be hard to find a better D/ST streamer in Week 1 that is as widely available as the Jets.

D/STs to Stash

If you read my draft day D/ST sleepers article, you know that I love stashing defenses. Bench space is at a premium in most leagues. If you can afford to use a slot on a stash, you’ll be a step ahead of your league mates. These D/STs may not be worth starting this week, but they offer value in the immediate future.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs Cleveland Browns)

Fantrax Rostership: 25%

Unless Deshaun Watson turns back into his 2020 form, you can start nearly any D/ST against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have some young skill position players like Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin, and KC Concepcion, but that won’t be enough to overcome awful QB play. Tampa Bay boasts about an average defense, but they did spend their first two draft picks on this side of the ball. They can excel in a great matchup like this.

San Francisco 49ers (vs Miami Dolphins)

Fantrax Rostership: 32%

Much like the Cleveland Browns, you want to target the Miami Dolphins. QB Malik Willis was solid in his time filling in for Jordan Love in Green Bay but this is a different team. The Dolphins are down to Malik Washington and some rookies at WR, though they still have speedy RB De’Von Achane. Without a stout offensive line and on a team looking like one of the league’s worst, you can start most D/STs with confidence against the Dolphins. While the 49ers were quite bad on defense last year, they will look much healthier this year. They’re worth a stash, especially with the Arizona Cardinals coming up the week after.