We at Gridiron Draft think the best method to use for defenses is streaming (changing defenses each week based on matchup using the waiver wire). This is because it's very hard to predict success for fantasy defenses because the best fantasy defenses aren't usually the best actual defenses. The best fantasy defenses usually just score a ton of defensive touchdowns, which isn’t predictive year-to-year. In fact, over the last 10 seasons, there has been ONE defense that was drafted inside the top-5 fantasy defenses that finished the year inside the top-5 fantasy defenses. It's nearly impossible to predict success for fantasy defenses, so streaming is the best option. There are three factors used to determine which defense to stream:

1. They are favored to win their actual NFL game

• Why would you start a defense that’s projected to lose their game? The bigger the spread, the better the choice.

2. They are playing at home

• Home field advantage plays a major role in the outcome of games and defenses perform much better at home. There’s a reason why the spreads shift a full 3 points on the road, 0 points at a neutral location, and 3 points in favor of the home team. People underestimate how big of an advantage playing at home is from a real life standpoint. The players get to sleep at home, get into their routine, be with their family all week, the crowd is behind them, etc.

3. Projected Low Point Total

• Going back to betting, we want to look at the projected over/under for the game. A lower point total means less fantasy points deducted for points allowed by your fantasy defense. The lower the total, the better the choice.

With all this in mind, our defense rankings are based on which defenses we think will be the best over the course of an entire season, but we advise that you draft a defense in order to stream it for week one. Our top streaming options for week one are the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks, so we would advise targeting them in your draft. We advise that you don't draft a defense until the second to last round with the last round being used on a kicker.

1. Chicago Bears

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

3. Houston Texans

4. Los Angeles Rams

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. New England Patriots

7. Los Angeles Chargers

8. Dallas Cowboys (Great Week 1 Streaming Option)

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Denver Broncos

11. Buffalo Bills

12. Cleveland Browns

13. Green Bay Packers

14. Philadelphia Eagles (Great Week 1 Streaming Option)

15. New Orleans Saints

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

17. Seattle Seahawks (Great Week 1 Streaming Option)

18. Carolina Panthers

19. Tennesee Titans

20. Detroit Lions

21. Atlanta Falcons

22. San Francisco 49ers

23. Indianapolis Colts

24. Washington Redskins

25. New York Jets

26. Cincinnati Bengals

27. Kansas City Chiefs

28. Arizona Cardinals

29. Miami Dolphins

30. Oakland Raiders

31. New York Giants

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers