Fantasy football is all about matchups, and our NFL position vs defense hub answers the only question that matters on a Sunday morning: does the player on your bench face a defense that gets beaten by his position, or one that erases it? Season-long points-allowed rankings can't answer that, because they average four different problems into one number.
The 2025 Bengals make the case. Cincinnati allowed 14.2 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the worst mark in football by a distance, and 23.8 to running backs, second-worst. Against wide receivers they were mid-pack. One defense, catastrophic in the middle of the field and functional on the perimeter. A single defensive ranking flattens that into one number and gets you the wrong answer twice.
Every figure below comes from the RotoWire NFL Defense vs. Position tool, set to Standard scoring and the 2025 regular season. Week 1 kicks off Wednesday night, so this is the last look at 2025 data before Last 4 Weeks numbers start to matter more than full-season ones.
NFL Position vs Defense: Week 1 Matchups at a Glance
| Position | Softest Spot | 2025 FPts/G Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Jaxson Dart vs. Cowboys, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET | 26.7, most in the league |
| RB | Tony Pollard vs. Jets, Sunday 1 |
Fantasy football is all about matchups, and our NFL position vs defense hub answers the only question that matters on a Sunday morning: does the player on your bench face a defense that gets beaten by his position, or one that erases it? Season-long points-allowed rankings can't answer that, because they average four different problems into one number.
The 2025 Bengals make the case. Cincinnati allowed 14.2 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the worst mark in football by a distance, and 23.8 to running backs, second-worst. Against wide receivers they were mid-pack. One defense, catastrophic in the middle of the field and functional on the perimeter. A single defensive ranking flattens that into one number and gets you the wrong answer twice.
Every figure below comes from the RotoWire NFL Defense vs. Position tool, set to Standard scoring and the 2025 regular season. Week 1 kicks off Wednesday night, so this is the last look at 2025 data before Last 4 Weeks numbers start to matter more than full-season ones.
NFL Position vs Defense: Week 1 Matchups at a Glance
| Position | Softest Spot | 2025 FPts/G Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Jaxson Dart vs. Cowboys, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET | 26.7, most in the league |
| RB | Tony Pollard vs. Jets, Sunday 1 p.m. ET | 24.4, most in the league |
| WR | Malik Nabers/Malachi Fields vs. Cowboys, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET | 27.0, most in the league |
| TE | Cade Otton vs. Bengals, Sunday 1 p.m. ET | 14.2, most in the league |
How Each Position vs Defense Matchup Behaves Differently
The four positions don't behave the same way, and treating them identically is the most common mistake in reading position vs defense data.
QB vs. Defense
Quarterback data is the most stable of the four. Quarterbacks touch the ball on nearly every snap, so their volume doesn't swing the way a running back's does, and what's left is mostly a read on pressure rate and secondary talent.
| Rank | Most generous to QBs | FPts/G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys (Jaxson Dart) | 26.7 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Joe Burrow) | 23.9 |
| 3 | Chicago Bears (Bryce Young) | 23.6 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers (Tua Tagovailoa) | 23.4 |
| 5 | Washington Commanders (Jalen Hurts) | 23.0 |
| 6 | Tennessee Titans (Geno Smith) | 22.5 |
Dallas is the clearest outlier in the dataset. The gap from first to second is 2.8 points, while the gap from second to eighth is 1.8. That spread isn't sample noise. The Cowboys allowed 4,521 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns while generating six interceptions, which is a defense that got beaten in every way available.
MORE: NFL Defense vs. Position — QB
RB vs. Defense
Running back data requires reading the components rather than the total, and this is where the tool earns its keep. A defense can post a high number because it can't stop the run, or because it plays zone and surrenders volume receiving work to a back. Those two causes point you toward different players on the same roster.
The 2025 Jets and Bengals finished first and second, and they got there differently. The Jets allowed 17 rushing touchdowns to backs at 4.36 yards per carry, plus 11 receiving touchdowns on 80 targets. The Bengals allowed 5.19 yards per carry on the ground and 81 receptions for 729 yards through the air on 103 targets. Cincinnati's leak was volume in both phases. New York's was the end zone.
| Rank | Most generous to RBs | FPts/G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Jets (Tony Pollard) | 24.4 |
| 2 | Cincinnati Bengals (Bucky Irving / Kenny Gainwell) | 23.8 |
| T3 | Arizona Cardinals (Omarion Hampton) | 22.7 |
| T3 | New York Giants (Javonte Williams) | 22.7 |
| 5 | Washington Commanders (Saquon Barkley) | 21.9 |
| 6 | Dallas Cowboys (Cam Skattebo) | 20.9 |
Buffalo at 20.7 is the number worth remembering. The Bills ranked seventh-most generous to backs while ranking among the stingiest defenses in football against quarterbacks and tight ends, which means you can fade their pass-game matchups and still start a back against them.
MORE: NFL Defense vs. Position — RB
WR vs. Defense
Receiver data is the noisiest of the four, because it applies a team-level number to a position group that gets used unevenly. A defense with a legitimate No. 1 cornerback can grade out mid-pack against receivers while completely removing the specific player you're deciding on. Use the team number to judge the passing environment, then check whether a shadow corner is in play.
| Rank | Most generous to WRs | FPts/G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys (Malik Nabers / Malachi Fields) | 27.0 |
| 2 | Detroit Lions (Chris Olave / Devaughn Vele) | 24.5 |
| 3 | Chicago Bears (Chuba Hubbard / Jonathon Brooks) | 24.4 |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans (Breece Hall) | 23.6 |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens (Alec Pierce / Josh Downs) | 23.2 |
| 6 | Washington Commanders (Devonta Smith / Makai Lemon) | 22.9 |
The Dallas receiver line is worth sitting with. Opposing wideouts caught 206 balls for 2,907 yards and 26 touchdowns on 302 targets, a 68.2 percent catch rate at 9.63 yards per target. High volume and high efficiency together is rare, and it is what separates a genuinely broken coverage unit from one that simply faced a lot of passing.
MORE: NFL Defense vs. Position — WR
TE vs. Defense
Tight end has the widest proportional spread of any position, which makes it the most actionable of the four. Cincinnati allowed 14.2 per game and 16 touchdowns to the position on 164 targets. Second place was 3.4 points behind. When your options are two replacement-level tight ends, the matchup is the whole decision, and this is the one position where the data alone can reasonably make it.
| Rank | Most generous to TEs | FPts/G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Bengals (Cade Otton) | 14.2 |
| 2 | Arizona Cardinals (Oronde Gadsden / David Njoku / Charlie Kolar) | 10.8 |
| 3 | Washington Commanders (Dallas Goedert) | 10.7 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers (Kyle Pitts) | 10.5 |
| 5 | Miami Dolphins (Brock Bowers) | 10.0 |
| 6 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mike Gesicki / Erick All) | 9.9 |
MORE: NFL Defense vs. Position — TE
Week 1 Position vs Defense Matchups to Target
Cowboys at Giants, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET
The best spot on the board. Dallas ranked last against quarterbacks at 26.7 and last against receivers at 27.0, and sixth-most generous to running backs at 20.9. Every Giants skill position gets a green light in primetime.
It runs both directions. The Giants tied for third-most generous to running backs at 22.7 and ranked 10th against receivers at 21.6. Two leaky defenses in a division game with the whole audience watching.
Jets at Titans, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
The most double-sided matchup of the week. New York allowed a league-worst 24.4 to running backs and 22.1 to quarterbacks, eighth-most, which opens up Tennessee's backfield and passing game at once. Tennessee was sixth-most generous to quarterbacks at 22.5 and fourth against receivers at 23.6.
Buccaneers at Bengals, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
The tight end spot of the week, and the largest single edge on the slate. Cincinnati's 14.2 was 3.4 points clear of second place, and at tight end that gap separates a bye-week fill-in from a top-five weekly finish. The Bengals were also second-most generous to running backs at 23.8.
The reverse side has value too. Tampa Bay allowed 9.9 to tight ends, sixth-most, so both tight end rooms in this game draw a top-six matchup.
Bears at Panthers, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
The game nobody will look at, and the third-best passing matchup on the board. Chicago allowed 23.6 to quarterbacks and 24.4 to receivers, both third-most in the league. Carolina's passing game gets a real runway in a 1 p.m. game with no national attention attached to it.
Commanders at Eagles, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
Washington ranked top six in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends. There is no position you need to talk yourself out of starting against them.
Philadelphia is the reverse, and they were the stingiest tight end defense in football last season. The play here is the Eagles' offense rather than Washington's.
Falcons at Steelers, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh was fourth-most generous to quarterbacks at 23.4, eighth against receivers at 22.5 and fourth against tight ends at 10.5. Three of four positions in the top eight, in a 1 p.m. game most of your league won't examine closely. Atlanta's offense is the beneficiary at every spot except running back.
Saints at Lions, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
Detroit allowed the second-most fantasy points to receivers at 24.5 and 21.9 to quarterbacks, tied for ninth-most. That supports New Orleans pass-catchers even in a game the Lions are likely to control, because matchup quality and game script are separate questions and only one of them is measured here.
Week 1 Matchups to Fade
RotoWire's free view surfaces the 17 most generous defenses at each position and stops there, so the figures in this section come from Pro Football Reference's 2025 regular-season data rather than the tool. The teams are the point; treat the exact numbers as a second-source approximation.
- Packers at Vikings. Minnesota was the best defense in football against both quarterbacks and receivers, at 11.1 and 14.9. The clearest fade of the week.
- Patriots at Seahawks. Seattle allowed a league-low 13.2 to running backs. New England was third-fewest at 14.1. Neither offense draws a favorable skill-position matchup in Wednesday's opener.
- Cardinals at Chargers. Los Angeles posted bottom-nine marks at all four positions. Nothing found room.
- Bills at Texans. Houston was top-three against quarterbacks and top-eight against backs. The exception is Houston's ground game, given Buffalo's 20.7 allowed to backs.
- Browns at Jaguars. Jacksonville allowed 13.9 to running backs, second-lowest in the league.
Why Week 1 Is the Worst Week to Trust Position vs Defense Data
Read this before acting on anything above.
Every number here comes from last season, because no 2026 sample exists yet. A defense that finished last against tight ends may have spent the offseason fixing that, and you won't know until October. Free agency, the draft and coordinator changes all break year-over-year continuity, and Week 1 is the point where that continuity is weakest.
Coordinator turnover distorts these numbers more than personnel does. Scheme drives position vs defense splits, so a unit flipping from man-heavy to zone-heavy can swing its tight end and receiving-back figures with the same eleven players on the field.
Small samples also hide inside season-long totals. A team can post a middling tight end number after surrendering three enormous games to good tight ends and shutting down everyone else. That's a schedule artifact rather than a tendency, and only the weekly views will show it.
The practical fix for Week 1: use this data as a tiebreaker between two players you already rate similarly, not as a reason to bench a starter. By Week 4 you'll have real 2026 data, and the tool's Last 4 Weeks filter becomes far more useful than any full-season figure.
How to Run the NFL Position vs Defense Tool Yourself
Everything above took about five minutes in the Defense vs. Position tool. Here is the exact sequence, because the default view is not the one you want.
- Set Scoring Type to match your league. The presets are Standard, PPR, FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo, FantasyDraft and Head2Head. This matters more than it sounds. Standard scoring puts Chicago third-most generous to quarterbacks in 2025; a preset that weights passing touchdowns differently moves them toward the middle of the league. Running the wrong format gives you a leaderboard that doesn't describe your league.
- Set the Season to the year you actually want. The page defaults to the most recent completed season and runs back to 2017. Two seasons of the same weakness is a tendency. One is a coin flip.
- Set the Time Period deliberately. All Games includes the playoffs, which is why some teams show 18 or 19 games and their per-game averages shift. Regular Season is the apples-to-apples view. Once real games are played, Last 4 Weeks and Last 8 Weeks are the two that matter, and there is a Customize option for isolating a specific stretch of weeks.
- Pick the position tab. QB, RB, WR, TE and K each get their own column set. This is the step most people skip, and it's the whole point of the tool.
- Read the component columns, not just Pts/G. Every position shows fantasy points and points per game, then position-appropriate splits. Running backs, receivers and tight ends get REC, YDS, TD, TAR, YPT and Catch %, alongside rushing attempts, yards, touchdowns and yards per carry. Quarterbacks get completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, interceptions and yards per attempt. This is how you tell a run-defense problem from a coverage problem, which is the difference between starting an early-down back and starting a receiving back.
- Use the Add Filter control to cut the noise. It opens a column picker so you can switch off everything except the two or three splits you care about. On a phone, that turns an unreadable table into a usable one.
- Sort by any column. Click a header to reorder. The rank column handles ties properly, so you can see when four defenses are genuinely level rather than artificially ordered.
- Check the This Week column. It shows each defense's upcoming opponent alongside the specific opposing players at that position, which is what turns a season-long table into a start/sit decision. One caveat: heading into Week 1, that column can still show the previous season's final week until the schedule rolls over. Confirm it's updated before you lean on it Wednesday night.
- Export when you want to build on it. Excel and CSV buttons sit at the bottom of the table. If you keep your own projections or a start/sit spreadsheet, that's the fastest way in.
Why position vs defense is a weekly habit rather than a one-time read
Full-season data is the least useful version of this tool, and the days right before Week 1 are the least useful moment of the year to read it. The value compounds once games are played.
By Week 5, the Last 4 Weeks filter shows you which defenses have changed since September, and that's information the season-long column actively hides. A unit that lost its starting safety in Week 2 looks fine on the year and terrible over the last month. Injuries, coordinator adjustments and scheme shifts all show up in the four-week view weeks before they show up in the season number. Waiver claims and trade offers get easier for the same reason, because the upcoming schedule tells you whether a mid-tier player is walking into three soft matchups or three brick walls.
One thing to know about the free page: it surfaces the 17 most generous defenses at each position and stops there. That's enough to find who to target and not enough to confirm who to avoid, which is half of every start/sit decision. A RotoWire NFL All-Access subscription opens the full 32-team view and pairs it with daily-updated projections, the lineup optimizer and start/sit tools. The matchup data locates the points; the projections tell you which of your players is positioned to take them.
NFL Week 1 2026 Schedule
Wednesday, Sept. 9
- Patriots at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Thursday, Sept. 10
- 49ers vs. Rams in Melbourne, Australia, 8:35 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Sunday, Sept. 13
- Bears at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Saints at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Falcons at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Cardinals at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Packers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Dolphins at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Cowboys at Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, Sept. 14
- Broncos at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN)
