Footballguys on Joe Burrow

ArticleTeam Defense Tiers, Targets, and Teams to Avoid 2026August 23, 2026

From the article

Houston has a great defense and could very likely finish as the best defense in fantasy, but they kick off the year against Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.

STACKED’s take

Negative signalMatchup

Burrow matchup makes top-ranked Texans defense a Week 3+ play, not a draft target.

Joe Burrow is cited as a reason to avoid drafting the Houston Texans defense early, despite Houston being the source's top-ranked defense overall. The Texans open their season against Josh Allen and Burrow in Weeks 1-2, creating unfavorable fantasy matchups that make the defense unappealing to start until Week 3, despite its elite real-world defensive talent.