Streaming Defenses: Picking a Week 1 Team Defense

TOP STREAMING OPTIONS

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Cleveland Browns)
47% Yahoo ownership - 22% ESPN ownership

The ownership numbers are a bit misleading, as savvy fantasy players have now had weeks (okay, months) to realize that the Eagles start their season with an A+ home matchup, facing a Robert Griffin-led Browns squad that won't have the services of suspended wideout Josh Gordon. While Cleveland does still have a decent offensive line, the wideout duo of Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pryor is entirely unproven, and a backfield comprised of Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson isn't causing defensive coordinators to lose sleep. Did we mention that Griffin is the quarterback?

What's more, the Eagles were actually a respectable unit last season, finishing 12th on Yahoo (132 points) and 16th on ESPN (91 points). The cornerback group is an obvious weakness this season, but without Gordon in the lineup, Cleveland probably doesn't have the personnel to exploit Philadelphia's deficiency. The Philly front seven is led by DT Fletcher Cox, MLB Jordan Hicks and a deep stable of pass-rushers, likely making it one of the more underrated groups in the leagues. The Eagles also have a strong safety duo in Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod, which should help to cover for the mistakes made by the cornerbacks.

Baltimore Ravens (vs. Buffalo Bills)
7% Yahoo ownership - 10% ESPN ownership

While no longer a perennial defensive powerhouse, Baltimore wasn't exactly awful last season, finishing 20th on Yahoo (103 points) and 19th on ESPN (85 points), despite being ravaged by injuries up and down the roster. With OLB Terrell Suggs returning and S Eric Weddle signed in the offseason, the Ravens should at least meander back to the middle of the pack this year. As a bonus, this unit should be useful for more than one game, with the Ravens heading to Cleveland to face Griffin and Co. in Week 2.

The only thing that gives me pause is a Buffalo offense that could be a force when Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins are all at full strength, which appears to be the case this week. However, the Ravens do have homefield advantage and are listed as three-point favorites in a game with a modest over/under of 44.5.

Tennessee Titans (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
3% Yahoo ownership - 1% ESPN ownership

If recent seasons are any indication, the Tennessee defense will look bad on paper and perform even worse in reality. Call me an optimist, or perhaps a lunatic, but I don't think that's how it will actually play out. No, I'm gonna go ahead and be bold, predicting that the Titans defense will improve from 'grotesque' to 'regular old sub-par'. For starters, Tennessee is fully handing the keys over to the legendary Dick LeBeau, who will serve as the lone defensive coordinator after working alongside Ray Horton last year. And while they didn't get any splashy additions in free agency, the Titans defense does enter the season with good health, having avoided any crippling injuries during training camp and the preseason.

Of course, as is usually the case with a streamer defense, the primary appeal here is matchup. With Teddy Bridgewater (knee) out for the season, Minnesota had less than two weeks to change its plans, leaving either Shaun Hill or an underprepared Sam Bradford as the Week 1 starter. The Titans are two-point underdogs, but the game has an over-under of just 41 -- tied with Cleveland-Philadelphia for the league's lowest in Week 1.

San Francisco 49ers (vs. St. Louis Rams)
2% Yahoo ownership - 2% ESPN ownership

The 49ers defense has some promising young pieces….buuuuut I'm not actually going to waste your time talking up the unit's 2016 potential. Realistically, this bunch probably needs everything to break in its favor just to achieve mediocrity. But let's not dwell on San Francisco's shortcomings, of which there are many. Instead, let's get really pessimistic about a Rams offense led by Case Keenum, with Tavon Austin as the closest thing to a viable receiving threat. Even if Todd Gurley does come up big, Keenum is more than capable of handing the 49ers a big fantasy day on a silver platter. Sadly, I'm already 100 percent certain that I'll stay up late watching this game, because football. You don't have to make the same mistake.

Cleveland Browns (at Philadelphia Eagles)
1% Yahoo ownership - 1% ESPN ownership

There's a reason I'm listing Cleveland last among the five streaming options -- namely, this defense is probably going to be hideous for a second straight season. However, there is some streaming appeal for deeper leagues, strictly because the Browns are facing a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start. I'd still avoid this unit if the rest of Philadelphia's offense looked good, but Wentz's supporting cast consists of Jordan Matthews, Zach Ertz, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor. I can maybe talk myself into calling that a mediocre supporting cast, but I'm not feeling particularly generous this week, so let's just say it's kind of stinky. And that's coming from Ertz's biggest fan, besides maybe his immediate family members.

Here are my rankings for this week and for the rest of the season: