Should I Start The Commanders DST In Week 1? Fantasy Football Defenses

Spoiler alert! Have you ever become so invested in a TV show that has already aired, forcing you to dodge spoilers left and right? Don't tell me who or what is at the bottom of the hatch! Don't tell me who is a host and who is a human! Don't tell me who belongs in The Good Place and who belongs in The Bad Place!

This is one spoiler alert you won't be able to avoid. Yes, you should start the Washington Commanders' defense in Week 1.

But just like a good TV show, sometimes you want to keep watching (or in this case reading) even if you know the end result. The how and the why is just as intriguing. So, keep reading to find out why the Washington defense is a slam-dunk start this week.

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Who Is The Commanders' Opponent In Week 1?

The offense opposite of your fantasy football DST is just as important as the talent on the defense. In Week 1, the Washington Commanders host the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals will be without star quarterback Kyler Murray, recently traded away two starters for late-round draft picks, and will be starting a quarterback (Joshua Dobbs) who wasn't even on the roster three weeks ago.

With all those moves that clearly point toward a tanking season, the Cardinals' over/under total now sits at 3.5 wins. They are only the fourth team since 1989 with a projection under four wins. Two of those were expansion teams. The Cardinals implied total of 15.5 points is the lowest in the league.

Should I Start The Commanders' DST In Week 1?

There's a clear top-four at the DST position this week and the Commanders are part of that group. In fact, our RotoBaller rankers placed Washington atop the list for Week 1.

Washington finished the 2022 season as a top-12 defense and nine of the projected 11 starters have been with the team for three seasons. Linebacker Cody Barton and rookie first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes are the only new faces. The defense boasts one of the best defensive tackle pairs in the league (Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne).

Until they show us otherwise, starting the opposing defense against the Arizona Cardinals is a savvy strategy for fantasy managers. It's even better when the defense is actually a strong unit, like the one in our nation's capital.

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