Fantasy football managers know that every lineup decision can make or break a week, and choosing the right players to start or sit is where championships are won. With the 2026 NFL season underway, matchups, stats, and trends are more important than ever. From favorable matchups and scoring trends to players you should avoid in tough spots, my weekly positional start and sit guide is built to give you an edge.
Want your start/sit questions answered within minutes? Join the Blitz Community for free fantasy football advice all season long.
DEF to Start
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco is probably my favorite defensive start of Week 2, and this is one of the rare times where I’m chasing both the defense and the offense it’s facing. The 49ers held the Rams to seven points and 290 total yards in Week 1 while forcing two turnovers. They didn’t record a sack, which is obviously something I’d like to see change, but Nick Bosa and Fred Warner being healthy gives this unit considerably more upside than the final fantasy score suggests. The bigger story this week is the opponent. Miami scored only 13 points in its opener with Malik Willis at quarterback, and that’s the type of offense I want to target when streaming defenses.
Everything about the projected game script helps San Francisco. The 49ers are heavy home favorites, and if they build the lead we’re expecting, Willis could be forced into obvious passing situations where Bosa and the pass rush can start generating sacks. That’s where the ceiling comes from. I’m not simply betting on San Francisco holding Miami to a low point total; I’m betting on sacks and turnovers eventually following if the Dolphins are forced to chase points. After shutting down Matthew Stafford and the Rams in Week 1, the 49ers get a significant matchup upgrade and are an easy top-five D/ST for me.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay allowed 33 points to Cincinnati in Week 1, so this isn’t a start based on the final defensive box score. It’s almost entirely about attacking Cleveland. The Browns were down 24-0 by halftime against Jacksonville and ultimately lost 34-10. Until Cleveland proves it can consistently protect the quarterback, sustain drives and avoid negative game scripts, I’m going to continue looking at the defense playing against it as a potential fantasy starter.
There were also some encouraging signs underneath Tampa Bay’s Week 1 performance. Josiah Trotter Jr. returned an interception for a touchdown, while according to Next Gen Stats, Calijah Kancey generated pressure on 18.5% of his pass-rush snaps, the second-highest rate among qualified interior defensive linemen in Week 1. His 0.69-second average get-off was also the fastest at the position. Tampa Bay only recorded one sack against Joe Burrow, but the ability to create interior pressure should matter considerably more against Cleveland. Jacksonville already showed us how profitable this matchup can be for fantasy defenses. I’m going right back to it with the Buccaneers.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are the riskiest of my three defensive starts because Week 1 wasn’t particularly encouraging. Arizona generated 393 total yards and reached the red zone five times against Los Angeles, while the Chargers finished with only one sack and no interceptions in a 26-14 loss. If we’re evaluating these defenses strictly by what happened in the opener, Los Angeles doesn’t belong anywhere near the other two starts.
I’m willing to give them another chance against Las Vegas. The Chargers did at least hold Arizona to touchdowns on only two of its five red-zone trips, and now they get a home divisional matchup where I’m expecting their pass rush to be much more impactful. This is primarily a bet that one sack and zero takeaways aren’t representative of what this defense will produce going forward. I don’t have the Chargers in the same tier as San Francisco or Tampa Bay, but the combination of home field, underlying pass-rush talent and a more favorable matchup gives them enough upside for me to go back to them as a Week 2 streamer.
DEF to Sit
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota won its opener against Green Bay, but I’m not interested in carrying the Vikings defense into Chicago. The Bears just produced one of the most explosive offensive performances of Week 1, scoring 59 points and piling up 552 total yards against Carolina. One game doesn’t suddenly make Chicago an unstoppable offense, but it gives us enough evidence that this is no longer the type of matchup I want to attack with a fringe fantasy defense.
That’s especially true because Minnesota wasn’t dominant defensively against Green Bay. The Packers still scored 22 points and had success moving the football before Minnesota’s late comeback changed the game. Now the Vikings have to deal with a Bears offense coming off a 59-point performance. Defensive fantasy scoring is heavily dependent on sacks, turnovers and keeping the opponent’s scoring under control, and this matchup creates too many paths toward Minnesota losing the points-allowed portion of that equation. There are enough strong streaming defenses available this week that I don’t need to bet against an offense that just produced 552 yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh’s Week 1 fantasy performance was excellent, which makes this one of the more aggressive defensive sits. The Steelers generated a 15.4% sack rate against Atlanta, while T.J. Watt produced two sacks and a pick-six. Those are exactly the types of plays that win fantasy matchups, and I’m obviously not questioning the talent of this defense after one game.
The issue is projecting those splash plays forward against New England. Drake Maye wasn’t sacked once against Seattle in Week 1 despite dropping back more than 30 times, and his mobility gives him another way to escape pressure when the pocket breaks down. That’s a much different setup than Pittsburgh faced against Cooper Rush. A defensive touchdown can completely change the final fantasy score, and I’m never projecting a pick-six forward as part of a defense’s weekly baseline. Pittsburgh’s talent keeps it playable, so I’m not dropping the Steelers because of this matchup. But if I have access to San Francisco, Tampa Bay or another strong streamer, I’m willing to pivot rather than chase last week’s defensive touchdown and two-sack performance from Watt.
Kickers to Start
Trey Smack GB
Trey Smack went 3-for-3 on field goals in Week 1, including a 59-yarder, as Green Bay consistently moved into scoring range against Minnesota. That’s exactly what I want from a fantasy kicker: a productive offense creating opportunities combined with a kicker capable of converting from distance. Against the Jets, I’m going right back to Smack as one of my preferred Week 2 options.
Cairo Santos CHI
Chicago created nine kicking opportunities while scoring 59 points in Week 1, with Cairo Santos making his lone 40-yard field goal and all eight extra points. I’m obviously not projecting another eight touchdowns, but that’s actually part of the appeal. If Chicago continues moving the football, some of those touchdown drives should eventually become field-goal attempts against a tougher Minnesota defense. Santos is a strong Week 2 start.
Kickers to Sit
Wil Lutz DEN
Wil Lutz made his only field-goal attempt and extra point in Week 1, but Denver’s offense gave him almost nothing to work with in a 10-point performance against Kansas City. Lutz’s ability isn’t the concern; the lack of scoring opportunities is. Until Denver proves it can consistently sustain drives and get him into range, I’m looking elsewhere.
Harrison Mevis LAR
Harrison Mevis didn’t attempt a single field goal against San Francisco, finishing with only one extra point. The Giants matchup should help the Rams offense rebound, but I’m not automatically assuming that creates field-goal opportunities. Mevis remains a good kicker, but after receiving zero attempts in Week 1, I’d rather use someone attached to an offense that’s already creating consistent kicking chances. Butker will have plenty of better weeks this season, but I’m willing to stream another option in Week 1.
