San Francisco 49ers

Start the 49ers defense — they’re at home against Arizona, which has struggled to move the ball and been sloppy with turnovers, so San Francisco should have chances for sacks and takeaways. It’s early in the season so things can change, but all the experts agree this is the safe play.

Start San Francisco's defense — they dominated last week and their strong pass rush should make the Saints' backup throw mistakes. Just check late updates on Brock Purdy and George Kittle, because if either sits the game plan could change and the defense may be less reliable.

Start the 49ers defense — their big pass rush should create sacks and turnovers against shaky quarterbacks, and not many people have them this week so they’re a smart pick. Check the 49ers’ inactive list around 3pm ET; if a key defender is out, swap to a backup defense.

Draft them in the late rounds — they’ve got a big pass rush, a solid secondary, and a kind early schedule, so they can be one of the best defenses some weeks. If your league is shallow or you don’t want to swap defenses often, take them a little earlier.