DFS players, you know the drill: offense often hogs the spotlight. But if you’re sleeping on defense in Week 1, you’re leaving points on the table. This isn’t just about stopping the other team; it’s about racking up serious fantasy points for your lineup. And let me tell you, some of these defenses are stepping into 2026 looking completely different, for better or worse.
It’s early, so we can’t fully trust last year’s numbers. Some teams did a complete defensive rehaul out of pure necessity. Others are putting in new schemes with new defensive coordinators, shaking things up big time. Then you’ve got those squads that look exactly like they did in 2025, and for the Houston Texans, we’re just hoping they don’t regress. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, we’re flat-out praying they get better. Right now, four games are coming in below that crucial DFS “threshold.” The Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans matchups have already seen their lines move up a point. We gotta keep our eyes peeled on all these shifts, but the Jets and Titans game, man, that’s where the intrigue really starts.
The Jets @ Titans game originally kicked off with an over/under at 39.5 points. After Week 1 of preseason, it jumped to 40.5, even with the Jets not having played yet. Both teams are practically starting fresh. The Jets went all-out in the offseason, getting ultra-aggressive with their acquisitions, especially on the defensive side of the ball. On the other sideline, the Titans are rolling into the season with a new head coach, Robert Saleh. Remember him? He was the Jets’ head coach, then the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers just last season. Saleh didn’t stop there, bringing in Gus Bradley as his defensive coordinator, though Saleh himself is still calling the defensive plays. His traditional style is all about an aggressive attacking front. He loves a fast, penetrating front four to generate pressure without having to blitz heavily. He’s counting on those front-four guys to win their one-on-one matchups. Here’s the kicker: last season, the Titans were tied for 12th in the league with 42 sacks. Saleh’s 49ers? They were dead last with just 20 sacks. You feeling the tension there?
Looking at the 2025 stats, these two teams were not exactly defensive powerhouses. The Titans were 28th in points allowed, giving up 28.1 points per game. They were 14th against the run, allowing 111.6 rushing yards, but 23rd against the pass with 230.5 passing yards given up. The Jets were even rougher, sitting 31st in points allowed at 29.6 per game. They ranked 29th against the run, giving up 139.5 rushing yards, and 17th against the pass at 216.1 passing yards.
So, what are we watching for as Week 1 looms? Can Robert Saleh bring his “aggressive attacking style” to Nashville and somehow boost those Titans sack numbers beyond his Niners’ 20-sack finish? And can the Jets’ so-called “ultra-aggressive” offseason acquisitions turn around those abysmal 2025 defensive stats? This Week 1 showdown is going to be a fascinating look at some serious defensive questions.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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