Start Packers D/ST over Cowboys D/ST — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Start the Packers — the opponent giveaway and lineup-share edges are too wide to ignore.

Packers D/ST faces the more giveaway-prone offense (4.0 sacks and 1.8 turnovers allowed per game to 2.8 and 1.0) and is started in more leagues (started rank 14 to 18). No signal favors the Cowboys this week. The gap is wide.

Cowboys D/ST

D/STDALvs NYG

4.94.94.9 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Packers D/ST

D/STGBvs MIN

5.45.45.4 Projected Points

Start

Why Cowboys D/ST

Toss-Up

Toss-up — a middling defensive matchup (No. 16 this week): on the road, and 4.9 pts projected vs NYG.

NYG's offense gives up 2.8 sacks and 1.0 turnovers a game (2025), near league average.
Vegas has NYG at 23.5 points as 1.5-point dogs.
Started in 8% of leagues, 18th among defenses, in line with a No. 16 matchup.

Why Packers D/ST

Start

Start — the No. 13 defensive matchup this week: MIN gives up 4.0 sacks and 1.8 turnovers a game, and 5.4 pts projected vs MIN.

MIN's offense gives up 4.0 sacks and 1.8 turnovers a game (2025), well above league average.
Vegas has MIN at 21.5 points as 1.5-point dogs.
Started in 12% of leagues, 14th among defenses, in line with a No. 13 matchup.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Cowboys D/ST	Packers D/ST
Projected points	4.94.94.9	5.45.45.4
Projection rank	Proj.DST16	Proj.DST13
Started in	8% of leagues	12% of leagues
Opponent sacks allowed / game	2.8(2025)	4.0(2025)
Opponent turnovers / game	1.0(2025)	1.8(2025)
Opponent implied total	23.5	21.5
Home / away	Away	Away