August 11, 2021
This position matters, but it's likely going to be one of your last two picks in your fantasy draft.
There do not appear to really be any juggernauts on the defensive side of the ball that are worth pouncing on earlier, though the buzz around Washington's pass rush and the always stout defenses of the Rams and Ravens do round out our top three.
For many team owners, streaming defenses is the strategy of choice. If you are looking to use this tactic, the following are the best Week 1 matchups:
| Defense | vs. Offense |
| Jaguars | Texans |
| 49ers | Lions |
| Panthers | Jets |
| Seahawks | Colts |
For those looking to pick a D, and stick with it, here's a look at our defense and special teams unit rankings for the entirety of the 2021 fantasy football season:
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Rams |
| 2 | WFT |
| 3 | Ravens |
| 4 | Steelers |
| 5 | 49ers |
| 6 | Buccaneers |
| 7 | Patriots |
| 8 | Broncos |
| 9 | Bills |
| 10 | Seahawks |
| 11 | Saints |
| 12 | Dolphins |
| 13 | Browns |
| 14 | Chiefs |
| 15 | Chargers |
| 16 | Colts |
| 17 | Vikings |
| 18 | Cardinals |
| 19 | Panthers |
| 20 | Packers |
| 21 | Bears |
| 22 | Eagles |
| 23 | Titans |
| 24 | Giants |
| 25 | Cowboys |
| 26 | Falcons |
| 27 | Jaguars |
| 28 | Bengals |
| 29 | Jets |
| 30 | Raiders |
| 31 | Texans |
| 32 | Lions |
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