NFL teams are beginning summer practices. It’s not long before preseason action begins. Now is the time to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. We’ll have you covered with our Defense (DST) fantasy football draft rankings and Fantasy Football Draft Kit to help you dominate your leagues. And be sure to sync your league to practice with fast and free fantasy football mock drafts. Below we dive into 2024 Defense (DST) fantasy football draft rankings from some of our fantasy football expert community.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Most Accurate Fantasy Football Rankings
- Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Draft Rankings: Defenses (DST)
Defense wins championships — and in fantasy football, the right D/ST can rack up serious points with sacks, turnovers, and special teams scores. In 2025, savvy fantasy managers know not to overlook this position (or overvalue the position), especially when elite defensive performances are almost solely tied to favorable matchups.
Simply put….who is playing the New Orleans Saints / New York Giants this week?
We are looking for defenses that can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, such as the Dallas Cowboys, to create consistent pressure and turnover opportunities. Add in dynamic returner KaVontae Turpin, who remains one of the most explosive special-teams weapons in the NFL, and you have a unit that can score in all phases. Especially with the newer kickoff rules, further incentivizing more returns.
In this article, we break down the top fantasy football D/STs for 2025, including favorable early-season schedules, streaming defenses by matchup, and late-round sleepers that you can draft confidently with your last pick.
Whether you want a set-it-and-forget-it defense or a rotation of matchup-based plays, these rankings will give you the edge.
But keep in mind. If your league doesn’t require you to draft one…don’t! Take another RB/WR instead before Week 1 starts. I guarantee that you will still be able to find a useable DST off waivers even after the draft concludes.
Fantasy Football Draft Rankings: Defenses
Here are our latest Defense (DST) Fantasy Football Draft Rankings from our consensus of fantasy football experts. You can find the latest Defense (DST) rankings here and sync your league for specific advice.
| RK | TIERS | PLAYER NAME | TEAM | BYE WEEK | SOS SEASON | ECR VS. ADP |
| 1 | 1 | Denver Broncos | DEN | 12 | 4 out of 5 stars | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | PHI | 9 | 2 out of 5 stars | 0 |
| 3 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | PIT | 5 | 3 out of 5 stars | 1 |
| 4 | 1 | Baltimore Ravens | BAL | 7 | 3 out of 5 stars | -1 |
| 5 | 2 | Minnesota Vikings | MIN | 6 | 2 out of 5 stars | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Houston Texans | HOU | 6 | 2 out of 5 stars | 0 |
| 7 | 2 | Buffalo Bills | BUF | 7 | 5 out of 5 stars | -2 |
| 8 | 3 | Detroit Lions | DET | 8 | 1 out of 5 stars | 0 |
| 9 | 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | KC | 10 | 1 out of 5 stars | 0 |
| 10 | 3 | Los Angeles Chargers | LAC | 12 | 5 out of 5 stars | 10 |
| 11 | 3 | Los Angeles Rams | LAR | 8 | 3 out of 5 stars | 10 |
| 12 | 3 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA | 8 | 3 out of 5 stars | 7 |
| 13 | 3 | Green Bay Packers | GB | 5 | 2 out of 5 stars | -1 |
| 14 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers | SF | 14 | 5 out of 5 stars | -3 |
| 15 | 4 | New York Jets | NYJ | 9 | 5 out of 5 stars | 9 |
| 16 | 4 | Dallas Cowboys | DAL | 10 | 0 out of 5 stars | -6 |
| 17 | 4 | New England Patriots | NE | 14 | 4 out of 5 stars | -2 |
| 18 | 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TB | 9 | 3 out of 5 stars | -4 |
| 19 | 4 | Arizona Cardinals | ARI | 8 | 4 out of 5 stars | -3 |
| 20 | 4 | Chicago Bears | CHI | 5 | 2 out of 5 stars | -7 |
Fantasy Football Player Notes: Defense (DST)
Denver was the DST1 in fantasy points per game last year, and I don’t see any reason why they can’t repeat that in 2025. Last year, they ranked second in pressure rate and seventh in blitz rate, so sacks should be arriving in bunches again (they led the NFL in sacks last year). Denver will arguably field the best cornerback room in the NFL in 2025.
Houston was the DST5 in fantasy points per game last year, and they should be in the running for a top-five finish again in 2025. Last year, they ranked 13th in pressure rate and fourth in sacks (tied). The addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson could help force a few more turnovers weekly, which wouldn’t hurt (fifth-most turnovers forced last year).
Despite losing Aaron Glenn in the offseason, Detroit should repeat as a top-12 DST in 2025. Last year, they were decimated by injuries, but they still finished as the DST10 and tenth in turnovers. If Aidan Hutchinson comes back fully healthy, the pass rush should be fine, and the addition of D.J. Reed will make a sizable impact in the secondary.
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