Texans D/ST or Seahawks D/ST: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 1 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Seattle's home edge comes with the better script; Houston needs Buffalo to cooperate

Start Seahawks D/ST: the lower-scoring opponent and Seattle's stronger pressure outlook create a sturdier path to splash plays than Houston has against Buffalo. Houston's higher turnover rate allowed is its real counter, but Buffalo's offensive ceiling makes those chances less dependable, while Seattle's home favorite script supports a safer floor. This is not a runaway call, but the separation is meaningful for a D/ST, where sacks and points allowed can swing the week.

What flips it: A sharp rise in New England's implied total.

AI editor

Texans D/ST

D/STHOUvs BUF

Projected Points

Sit

Seahawks D/ST

D/STSEAvs NE

Projected Points

Start

Why Texans D/ST

Sit

Sit — a bottom-tier defensive matchup this week (No. 15): 5.2 pts projected vs BUF.

  • Houston's best route is Buffalo mistakes; the matchup offers little margin if those chances do not arrive.

Why Seahawks D/ST

Start

Start — the No. 4 defensive matchup this week: 7.4 pts projected vs NE.

  • Seattle can win without a turnover: pressure and a lower opponent scoring expectation provide multiple scoring paths.

Head-to-head stats

MetricTexans D/STSeahawks D/ST
Projected points
Projection rankProj.DST15Proj.DST4
Started in86% of leagues92% of leagues
Opponent sacks allowed / game2.9(2025)3.0(2025)
Opponent turnovers / game1.1(2025)0.9(2025)
Opponent implied total23.520.5
Home / awayHomeHome

Signal breakdown

  • 5.2 vs 7.4 projected PPR pointsSeahawks D/ST +
  • Started rank 5 vs 1 (86% vs 92% of leagues)Seahawks D/ST +
  • 2.9 sacks / 1.1 TO vs 3.0 sacks / 0.9 TO per game allowedTexans D/ST +
  • Opponent implied 23.5 vs 20.5 pointsSeahawks D/ST +
  • Home vs Homeeven

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