Hey there, reader! I'm Matt. Most people call me Okada (there are too many Matts in the world). For the next 17 weeks, I'll be your guide on the Start 'Em, Sit 'Em fantasy journey.
As always, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is geared toward helping fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. You won't see "start Jahmyr Gibbs" or "sit Ben Skowronek" here. Instead, I'm exploring the players closer to the perceived fringe and aiming to optimize your lineups for another weekly win! Importantly, the new "Start of the Week" and "Sit of the Week" are the calls I have deemed the most notable in each category, not necessarily the most necessary players to start or sit.
Also, you'll see quite a few references in this year's column to NFL Pro, and the insights it provides through Next Gen Stats data dashboards, matchup evaluations, All-22 film, and the uniquely trained Fantasy AI Assistant. You can get access to all those tools yourself with an NFL+ Premium subscription!
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X -- @MattOkada -- and hit me with your questions, congratulations or complaints throughout the year.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Between a revamped offensive line, Deshaun Watson at quarterback and a very young skill-position corps, it’s going to take a while for the Browns offense to click ... if it ever does. Meanwhile, the Jaguars defense logged 31 takeaways last season -- second most in the league -- and finished fifth in fantasy scoring. Jacksonville might be available on your waiver wire and has a legitimate shot to be the top-scoring fantasy defense in Week 1.
Notable starts
The Titans rebuilt their defense in Robert Saleh’s image this offseason and their first test comes against the Jets’ Geno Smith, who has the second-most giveaways (33) and has taken the most sacks (105) in the NFL the last two years.
The Raiders added pieces on defense this offseason, and they still have Maxx Crosby. More importantly, everyone is playable against the rebuilding Dolphins until further notice.
The Chargers ranked seventh in sack rate and eighth in EPA per play last season, and after Jacoby Brissett took over as QB1 in Week 6, the Cardinals were 31st in pressure rate allowed. Sign me up.
While the Lions lost some important pieces on defense this offseason, they still have Aidan Hutchinson and are heavy favorites against the Saints, who allowed the seventh-highest sack rate after Tyler Shough took over in Week 9 last season.
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Yes, the Broncos defense is ferocious. And yes, Patrick Mahomes might be less than 100 percent (SEE: my QB sits) in his expected return from a knee injury. But I think Mahomes and the Chiefs go full “2025 Aaron Rodgers” early in 2026. What do I mean? Last season, per NFL Pro, Rodgers got rid of the ball at the quickest rate in the league (2.59 seconds) and took very few risks (league-low 6.0 air yards per attempt). As a result, Pittsburgh wasn’t a fruitful matchup for fantasy defenses. The Chiefs likely won’t hang 30 points on their division rival, but they might not make many mistakes that result in fantasy points for Denver’s D, either.
Notable sits
The Vikings were a top-10 fantasy defense last season, but the Packers were a bottom-five matchup for fantasy defenses, with just 29 sacks taken (tied for seventh fewest) and 13 giveaways (third fewest).
The Browns defense was great for fantasy in 2025 ... with Myles Garrett. They’re much less attractive in his absence, particularly against a Jaguars offense that finished 2025 on an absolute heater.
There’s some optimism around the Cowboys defense entering the season, but Dallas’ D scored the second-fewest fantasy points last year, so let’s leave it on the backburner until we get reliable (and promising) 2026 data.
