10 D/ST sleepers to target for fantasy football in Week 1

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have some individual talent on the defensive side of the ball. Whether that translates to success as a unit this year remains to be seen, but Week 1 brings a good matchup.

With Deshaun Watson out of the mix, the Houston Texans will go into the season with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback. To be fair, Taylor has not played a lot over the last three seasons. But an offensive line that has one above average player (Laremy Tunsil) and a depleted set of skill talent around him will combined to make things tough on him.

Taylor’s 9.4 percent career sack rate is high, and it’s as much a nod to him being mobile as it is a statistical sign he lacks pocket awareness. Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen would do well to come after him relentlessly on Sunday, and the results should follow.

1. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have talent across all three levels of their defense, and with a normal offseason to fortify the unit as a whole could be pretty good this year. Week 1 is an opportunity to get off on the right foot.

Jets quarterback Zach Wilson had a nice preseason, but the reality is he’ll be making his first NFL start on Sunday. The offensive line doesn’t look great at a glance, wide receiver Jamison Crowder (COVID-19 list/core muscle injury) may not play and the stable of running backs (whatever order they’re in on the depth chart) is unproven/not imposing. It all yields a low implied point total (if you’re so inclined) for the Jets in Week 1.

The Carolina defense may rattle Wilson just enough to get multiple takeaways off him, with something like 3-5 sacks and less than 20 points allowed. That makes them a certified fantasy sleeper for Week 1.