Unless you’re locking down an elite group like the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, or Buffalo Bills, the idea of streaming your defenses week-to-week through the season based on matchups can be the best way to go. With that in mind, here are three teams poised to deliver good early season value thanks to potentially advantageous schedules.
Before we get to our main three, here’s a bonus selection: the Cleveland Browns. That comes with an asterisk, however, as they open against the Cincinnati Bengals, which may not have quarterback Joe Burrow (calf) available. If he misses the game, that becomes a great matchup, and Cleveland then faces the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans, neither of whom are offensive powerhouses.
3
New Orleans Saints
There’s considerable full-season upside with the Saints to be sure, though their ADP has them outside the top-10 fantasy defenses being drafted, so that’s enough to qualify them as a streaming option. Only four teams allowed fewer yards last season than New Orleans, which also finished ninth in scoring at 20.3 points per game. They made life particularly tough on opposing quarterbacks, racking up 48 sacks (tied for fifth in the NFL) with Philly being the only club to give up fewer passing yards. Where they struggled was in creating turnovers as their 14 takeaways tied for second to last. It’s rare to see that much pressure result in so few takeaways.
They’ll have a chance to hit the ground running in 2023 with just three of their first eight opponents starting the same quarterback they had last year. Among the new starters they’ll face are Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young in Week 2, the Green Bay Packers‘ Jordan Love in Week 3, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield in Week 4. In all, they’re set to see three rookies in those eight games, alongside middling holdovers like Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill and New England Patriots QB Mac Jones. If you grab the Saints in the final round, you’ll be staring at a lot of plus-matchups early on.
2
Denver Broncos
For much of 2022, Denver’s defense was a solid group, surrendering just 17 points per outing through 12 games. They faded badly down the stretch, though, allowing 31 per game in their final five. With a new defensive coordinator and an offense that hopefully won’t break their spirit, the Broncos defense will be looking to reassert itself as a force to contend with. That journey begins in Week 1 against a Las Vegas Raiders squad with new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and perhaps no running back Josh Jacobs, who has yet to sign his franchise tender.
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Week 2 brings a visit from the Washington Commanders. While the Commanders have some talent on the outside, their calling card has always been defense under head coach Ron Rivera, and second-year QB Sam Howell would be making just his third NFL start. A Week 3 showdown with the high-octane Miami Dolphins in muggy Florida is a matchup to avoid, but that’s followed by a trip to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bears, which were the NFL’s worst team last year. That looks like three high-upside plays in four weeks.
1
Green Bay Packers
We already banged the Packers’ drum as an underrated defense, but even if you don’t want to view them as a potential top-10 group, their early prospects are promising. An opening weekend matchup with division rival Chicago will be interesting, given all the changes the Bears have made to infuse life into their dormant passing game, but they didn’t get the No. 1 overall pick last year on accident. Even though they should be improved, the Bears still look like a positive matchup for the Packers.
The Atlanta Falcons are a dangerous running team, but quarterback Desmond Ridder is unproven, and with Green Bay’s talented cornerbacks they should feel confident loading up to stop the run. Their home opener comes against the dome-based Saints, and running back Alvin Kamara will be serving his suspension, weakening a unit that has made a lot of changes. The Detroit Lions on a Thursday night should be a challenge, though bear in mind last year’s Lions were much more dangerous at home. The Packers will then get extra rest before traveling to Las Vegas to play the Raiders, followed by a bye, and then a trip to Denver. There’s a case to be made for making Green Bay your starting D in all six of those games.
