Fantasy Football 2023: Five Defenses To Target Based On Schedule

There's no clearcut strategy for fantasy football managers when it comes to drafting a defense.

Some managers will spend a mid-round pick on a defensive unit to ensure they have a lineup mainstay. Others will stack their roster at wide receiver and running back and wait until the late rounds to draft a serviceable group that elicits less confidence. And others, perhaps the more daring owners, will pass on drafting a defense until their penultimate or final pick because they're content with streaming a new unit every week.

For those interested in the streaming option, it's beneficial to know early-season opponents. We've highlighted a few defenses with favorable matchups, some of which will be available for streaming and others who will be rostered for the long haul.

San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are widely regarded as the top defense entering the 2023 fantasy football season. And for good reason. San Francisco is loaded in the front seven with Nick Bosa leading the charge, along with linebacker Fred Warner and former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. In addition to the talent on the roster, the 49ers also have a very favorable schedule. Sharp Football Analysis ranks San Fran with the fifth-easiest strength of schedule. Kyle Shanahan's team opens with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals -- they'll face the Rams and Cardinals twice in NFC West competition. And they also have the regressing Minnesota Vikings, unproven Jacksonville Jaguars and Tom Brady-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers elsewhere on their slate.

New Orleans Saints
The Saints should benefit from playing in arguably the worst division in football: the NFC South. It's why New Orleans has the easiest strength of schedule entering the 2023 season, per Sharp Football Analysis. The Saints open against the Tennessee Titans with early-season games against the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Buccaneers, Mac Jones-led New England Patriots and rebuilding Houston Texans. On paper, that figures to be a favorable six-week stretch. They also have the Indianapolis Colts, who might be without star running back Jonathan Taylor, and the Atlanta Falcons (twice). New Orleans is listed as Yahoo's 11th-ranked defense.

Denver Broncos
The Broncos were let down by their offense in 2022, and it greatly impacted the unit's standing in fantasy football. Head coach Sean Payton should improve that offense and thus not put its defense in terrible situations -- like everyone saw in a 51-14 Christmas Day loss. Denver ranks 23rd in strength of schedule, largely because of two divisional contests against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers and conference matchups against the AFC East. But the Broncos open the season with a seemingly favorable slate against the Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. They have future matchups with the Vikings, Browns, Texans and Patriots, as well. Denver is listed as Yahoo's sixth-ranked defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars
On paper, the Jaguars have three favorable matchups in their first four weeks, save for Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Doug Pederson and company open their campaign against the Indianapolis Colts and then face the Texans and Falcons in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively. It likely means Jacksonville will have two rookie quarterbacks in its first three games and three unproven signal-callers in their first four. Yahoo ranks the Jaguars as the 17th-ranked defense, but early matchups could help them fare better early on. Competing in the AFC South and playing the NFC South shouldn't hurt either, equating to the 12th-easiest strength of schedule.

Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens' depth in the secondary will be tested early given some preseason injuries, but Baltimore's group headlined by linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen figures to have a few favorable matchups. Baltimore will open the season against the new-look Texans, then travel to the Bengals who might be without injured quarterback Joe Burrow. From there, the Ravens will have the Colts and Browns to close out their unofficial first quarter of the season. Sharp Football Analysis ranks the Ravens in the middle of the pack in strength of schedule while Yahoo has Baltimore as its eighth-ranked defense in fantasy football.