Cowboys D/ST or Texans D/ST: Who Should You Start?
Preliminary board2026 Week 1 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.
Start the Texans — the lineup-share and home-field edges are too wide to ignore.
Texans D/ST is started in more leagues (started rank 5 to 18) and plays at home. 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
Texans D/ST
D/STHOUvs BUF
5.35.35.3 Projected Points
Sit
Why Cowboys D/ST
Toss-UpToss-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 Texans D/ST
SitSit — a bottom-tier defensive matchup this week (No. 15): 5.3 pts projected vs BUF.
- BUF's offense gives up 2.9 sacks and 1.1 turnovers a game (2025), near league average.
- Vegas has BUF at 23.5 points as 1.5-point favorites.
- Over-started: 87% of leagues have them in, 5th among defenses, against a No. 15 matchup.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Cowboys D/ST | Texans D/ST |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 4.94.94.9 | 5.35.35.3 |
| Projection rank | Proj.DST16 | Proj.DST15 |
| Started in | 8% of leagues | 87% of leagues |
| Opponent sacks allowed / game | 2.8(2025) | 2.9(2025) |
| Opponent turnovers / game | 1.0(2025) | 1.1(2025) |
| Opponent implied total | 23.5 | 23.5 |
| Home / away | Away | Home |
Signal breakdown
- 4.9 vs 5.3 projected PPR pointsTexans D/ST +
- Started rank 18 vs 5 (8% vs 87% of leagues)Texans D/ST +
- 2.8 sacks / 1.0 TO vs 2.9 sacks / 1.1 TO per game allowedTexans D/ST +
- Opponent implied 23.5 vs 23.5 pointseven
- Away vs HomeTexans D/ST +
Compare different players
Week 1227 players
Player A
vsPlayer B
Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.
More D/ST comparisons
More D/ST comparisons
This week’s toughest calls
- K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs SF
T. Etienne Jr.Travis Etienne Jr.RBNOvs DET
- T. Etienne Jr.Travis Etienne Jr.RBNOvs DETC. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs DAL
- C. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs DALD. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs CAR
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs CARB. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs CLE
- B. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs CLEB. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs CIN
- B. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs CIND. MontgomeryDavid MontgomeryRBHOUvs BUF
- T. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs TB
D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs SF
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs SFD. MooreDJ MooreWRBUFvs HOU
- D. MooreDJ MooreWRBUFvs HOUJ. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs NO
- J. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs NOR. OdunzeRome OdunzeWRCHIvs CAR
- R. OdunzeRome OdunzeWRCHIvs CARC. SuttonCourtland SuttonWRDENvs KC
- C. SuttonCourtland SuttonWRDENvs KCC. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs MIN
- K. Pitts Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.TEATLvs PIT
G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs LAR
- G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs LARS. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs NO
- S. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs NOT. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs MIN
- T. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs MINT. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs DEN
- T. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs DEND. GoedertDallas GoedertTEPHIvs WSH
- D. GoedertDallas GoedertTEPHIvs WSHJ. FergusonJake FergusonTEDALvs NYG
- J. HurtsJalen HurtsQBPHIvs WSH
D. PrescottDak PrescottQBDALvs NYG
- D. PrescottDak PrescottQBDALvs NYGJ. DartJaxson DartQBNYGvs DAL
- J. DartJaxson DartQBNYGvs DALJ. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs ARI
- J. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs ARIC. WilliamsCaleb WilliamsQBCHIvs CAR
- C. WilliamsCaleb WilliamsQBCHIvs CART. LawrenceTrevor LawrenceQBJAXvs CLE
- T. LawrenceTrevor LawrenceQBJAXvs CLEB. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs LAR
- C. DickerCameron DickerKLACvs ARI
J. BatesJake BatesKDETvs NO
- J. BatesJake BatesKDETvs NOT. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs IND
- T. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs INDH. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs DEN
- H. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs DENC. BoswellChris BoswellKPITvs ATL
- C. BoswellChris BoswellKPITvs ATLE. McPhersonEvan McPhersonKCINvs TB
- E. McPhersonEvan McPhersonKCINvs TBC. McLaughlinChase McLaughlinKTBvs CIN
- Jaguars D/STJaguars D/STDSTJAXvs CLE
Chargers D/STChargers D/STDSTLACvs ARI
- Chargers D/STChargers D/STDSTLACvs ARITitans D/STTitans D/STDSTTENvs NYJ
- Titans D/STTitans D/STDSTTENvs NYJJets D/STJets D/STDSTNYJvs TEN
- Jets D/STJets D/STDSTNYJvs TENEagles D/STEagles D/STDSTPHIvs WSH
- Eagles D/STEagles D/STDSTPHIvs WSHBears D/STBears D/STDSTCHIvs CAR
- Bears D/STBears D/STDSTCHIvs CARPackers D/STPackers D/STDSTGBvs MIN
- T. Etienne Jr.Travis Etienne Jr.RBNOvs DETD. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs SF
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs SFK. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs SF
- J. PriceJadarian PriceRBSEAvs NE
T. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs TB - T. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs TBM. LloydMarShawn LloydRBGBvs MIN
- B. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs CINR. OdunzeRome OdunzeWRCHIvs CAR
- R. OdunzeRome OdunzeWRCHIvs CARB. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs CLE
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs CARJ. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs NO
- J. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs NOJ. BrooksJonathon BrooksRBCARvs CHI
Want full matchup analysis & AI picks? →
Save your roster and get a Start, Sit, or Toss-Up call on every player, every week — plus prop pages, matchup data, and AI-powered NFL analysis.
Add to My Team — freeOr browse NFL player props or this week’s Start/Sit board.