Top 12 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings for Week 1 (2022)

Defenses are usually just an afterthought in fantasy football. That's leaving points on the board though. Savvy fantasy managers will be scouring the waiver wire to capitalize on the best defensive matchups each and every week.

With that in mind, here are the top-12 fantasy football defenses for Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 1

12. Cleveland Browns (at CAR)

11. Philadelphia Eagles (at DET)

10. Miami Dolphins (vs NE)

9. Washington Commanders (vs JAX)

8. Carolina Panthers (vs CLE)

7. Tennessee Titans (vs NYG)

The New York Giants led the league with 30 turnovers a year ago, and not much has changed save for a new coaching regime. The Titans aren't projected in as a top-threat The Duel's season-long rankings, but should get the season started off on the right foot. Look for Denico Autry (9.0 sacks) and Jeffery Simmons (8.5 sacks) in the backfield, pressuring Daniel Jones into turnovers.

6. New Orleans Saints (at ATL)

5. Cincinnati Bengals (vs PIT)

4. Denver Broncos (at SEA)

The Denver Broncos have one of the most intriguing matchups in Week 1, Russell Wilson's return to Seattle. Wilson makes a huge difference on Denver's offensive attack, but also leaves the Seahawks offense without any true identity. Keep in mind, Seattle ranked just 20th in yards 16th in points per game, with Wilson at the helm. Trotting out a career backup in Geno Smith against a Broncos' secondary headlined by Pat Surtain II spells trouble.

3. Baltimore Ravens (at NYJ)

2. Indianapolis Colts (at HOU)

1. San Francisco 49ers (at CHI)

The 49ers actually checked in at No. 1 in the 2021 Week 1 defense rankings, and find themselves in the same exact spot this year thanks to another easy matchup to open the year. The Chicago Bears put together a bottom-10 offense a year ago before losing a No. 1 wideout in Allen Robinson. Not only did Chicago score less than 20 points per game, but also tallied 29 turnovers, ranking behind only the New York Giants (30). Expect a healthy 49ers defense to come out swinging on the road.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.