Fantasy Football: 5 Things We Learned From Week 1

The Patriots' Defense May Be One To Pick On This Year

Each year, there are defenses to target in fantasy, units we want to pick on. These defenses are typically weaker than others in one or more areas. For example, last year, the San Francisco 49ers were a goldmine matchup for running backs not named Todd Gurley, surrendering an average of 27.32 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields.

This year, the New England Patriots might be one of those teams. In case you somehow didn't hear, the Kansas City Chiefs took the Patriots defense for a ride on Thursday, posting 42 points on the night. The Chiefs weren't exactly an offensive powerhouse last season, but the Patriots defense made them look like one on Thursday.

So what can we learn from this? Kareem Hunt had success as a rusher (148 yards) and as a pass catcher (98 yards). Sure, it was only one game, but Hunt's performance indicates that the Patriots are hurting from losing Rob Ninkovich to retirement, rookie Derek Rivers to a torn ACL and Dont'a Hightower to a mid-game knee sprain.

With a severely hampered defensive corps, the Patriots could be a soft matchup for both of the New Orleans Saints' running backs in Week 2, and they could be a team to target until they get healthy.