We’re one week into NFL preseason, and fantasy football draft season is heating up. I know defenses are almost always an afterthought in your fantasy football draft prep, but every position on your team is worthy of some modicum of thought, so this article can be your one-stop shop for all things fantasy football defense.
Not only am I going to give you my pre-season DST rankings for the 2026 fantasy football season, but, before I do that, I’ll briefly go over my strategy for drafting fantasy football defenses based on some extensive offseason research I did this year. If you want to just skip below to the rankings, you’re more than welcome to do that as well, but I do think the research is worth reading through.
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Fantasy Football Defense (DST) Draft Strategy
While many people will say, “Who cares? I just stream” or “Just take whoever’s left in the last round,” I believe we can maximize the effectiveness of our drafts with just a touch of strategy. Drafting a D/ST doesn’t have the same make-or-break consequence as drafting your first-round wide receiver or your sleeper RB in the middle rounds, but it is still a decision with ripple effects that can cost you one week or potentially more during your season.
My first rule has always been to never be the first person to draft a defense. Last year, I went over a few years of previous data that has borne out that it’s very rare for a D/ST that was drafted first, second, third, or fourth, according to ADP, to finish as the top-ranked fantasy defense at the end of the season. My calculations from that article were that selecting one of the top three defenses by that year’s ADP gives you a 3.8% chance of landing the top overall defense in fantasy football. That’s simply not trying to jump your leaguemates and get the “safe” elite defense.
I will also never draft more than one defense. I do believe in holding two defenses later in the season, but not coming out of drafts. I also don’t believe in thinking about “Rest of Season” rankings until about Week 10 or 11. I get many “Who do you prefer ROS?” questions in the first few weeks of the season, and I always urge people to recalibrate how we approach that. We’re not looking to find the top D/ST when we leave the draft room. The defensive landscape changes very quickly, so we want to just plan two or three weeks at a time with our DST picks and try to get ahead of poor or good schedules.
Lastly, we have a tendency to focus too much on advanced data when it comes to fantasy football. Sometimes, simple is better.
In the offseason, I looked at the defenses that finished top 10 in fantasy football in each of the last five years. I then looked at which, if any, defensive stats they had in common to see if any defensive metrics tend to signal a strong fantasy defense. What I found was that the stats most commonly connected to top 10 fantasy defenses were first downs allowed, points per game allowed, and third-down conversion rate allowed.
Saying points per game allowed is most connected to the top 10 fantasy defenses is fairly obvious, but I just wanted to put it out there. The logical case for first downs allowed and third-down conversion rate allowed is clear too: the more a defense lets the offense stay on the field, the more yards and points an offense is likely to put up.
The next four most predictive defensive stats were pressure rate, passes defended, turnover rate, and explosive play rate allowed (plays over 20+ yards). Yes, pressure rate has been more predictive over the last five years than just pure sacks. Explosive play rate allowed also makes sense as a predictive stat; if a defense lets an offense hit big plays, then they increase the chances that those lead to long scores or set up scores. Passes defended was a bit of a surprise, but it does indicate coverage skill, so I guess that makes sense.
With that in mind, I decided to update my Best Overall Defense (BOD) formula to include just these seven stats. I have doubled the weight of the first three stats, which are more predictive, and then had a single weight on the other four stats. When we get opponent stats, then we will also include strength of schedule, so, for these rankings, I’m using strength of schedule to assume which defenses will benefit the most or least from their opponents; however, that’s a pretty small part of this analysis until we get actual in-season strength of schedule information.
Now, let’s get to the rankings.
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2026 Fantasy Football Defense (DST) Rankings
Seattle finished as the top defense last year and the 6th-ranked defense in 2024, so it’s probably not a shock to you that I have them here. They’ve proven to be elite across the board, finishing last year as the best scoring defense in football, the best defense in terms of third-down conversion rate, and a top 10 unit in pressure rate and many other stats. They lost Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen, and Coby Bryant in free agency, but all of their starters are returning players, and the team also added Dante Fowler for depth in free agency and drafted Bud Clark and Julian Neal on day two to help solidify their secondary. It’s hard to bet against Seattle right now.
The Broncos also have a perennially strong defense. They did lose Jim Leonhard to the Bills, but he was a defensive assistant, and they should be able to replace him. Last year the Broncos had the best pressure rate in the league (30.5%), were second in third-down conversion rate, and third in points per game allowed. They drafted defensive end Tyler Onyedim in the third round and have an entire starting defense of returning players. They’re one of the safer bets on the board.
The Texans are another supremely talented defense. Last year, they were the best 1st-down defense, 2nd in the league in points per game, and a top ten defense in third-down conversion rate and sacks. They added Reed Blankenship from the Eagles and E.J. Speed from the Colts to help their starting lineup, and they also added eight free agents and draft picks to beef up their defensive rotations.
Last year, the Chargers were consistent across all the key categories we’re looking at today. Their offense is likely to score a lot of points, which will put pressure on opposing offenses to keep up, and that usually leads to sacks and turnovers. The Chargers revamped their defensive coaching staff with Chris O’Leary coming in to be the defensive coordinator and also drafting Akheem Mesidor in round one of the draft. Adding NT Dalvin Tomlinson will also help in the middle.
The Rams are obviously the big storyline of the offseason with their acquisition of Myles Garrett and the potential return of Aaron Donald. Last year, they were a solid defense when it came to pressure rate and 9th in points per game allowed. They also added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Chiefs defense. We’re still waiting to see how the Aaron Donald situation plays out, but this should be a solid defense again this year.
Last season, the Vikings last season were top three in the NFL in pressure rate, but were solid everywhere, also ranking top five in third-down defense and top 10 in points per game allowed. They drafted Caleb Banks in round one and added four other draft picks to their defensive rotations. They did lose big names like Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Greenard, but those were not longer irreplaceable pieces. With the offense also likely going to be better this year, I expect another strong season from the Vikings defense.
The Jaguars are a tough one. They had a solid fantasy season, but they had a shaky 3rd-down defense, a poor pressure rate, and not many sacks. They were heavily reliant on turnovers. Travis Hunter should be more impactful on defense, and their entire starting defense is returning players. I can’t help feeling I may be a touch too high on Jacksonville’s defense.
The Patriots benefited from an easy schedule last year, but they also returned to form defensively, especially when Milton Williams was on the field. This offseason, Zak Kuhr was promoted from the interim defensive coordinator, and the team also added Dre’Mont Jones and Kevin Byard and drafted Gabe Jacas in the second round. Harold Landry should also help when he’s able to get onto the field.
The Eagles had plenty of turnover this offseason, adding Riq Woolen, Jonathan Greenard, Jonathon Jones, and Arnold Ebiketie but also losing Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean (LB), and Reed Blankenship. The Eagles were below league average in pressure rate and third-down defense, but they were 5th in points allowed and forced a good number of turnovers. It feels like a good bet that the Eagles remain a top 10 unit.
The Ravens had been a perennial defensive powerhouse, and they had a strong offseason, hiring Anthony Weaver, their former linebacker’s coach, to be their defensive coordinator and making two big adds with Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell. John Jenkins and second-round pick Zion Young should also help the defense with some added depth to their rotations. Jesse Minter will also have a strong fingerprint on this defense, which can’t be bad news.
The Steelers always perennially hover around the top 10 defenses, so it feels fitting to have them here. This defense did not perform particularly well in the stats we care about last year, and they did rack up a fair few sacks despite not having a really strong pressure rate. This offseason, they hired Patrick Graham (ex-Raiders DC) and added both Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker as free agents. If Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. get healthy, this could be a solid unit.
The Bills were another team that had a major overhaul on defense, hiring Jim Leonhard to revamp their system. That led to many changes in depth pieces, like adding Bradley Chubb, Dee Alford, Geno Stone, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in free agency and using six of eight early picks on defense. How quickly will all those pieces gel? How well do the players take to a new system? How much of their success with second-half adjustments was thanks to Sean McDermott? There are a lot of questions here in Buffalo, but a faster and more athletic defense could lead to more fantasy production.
The Lions have flashed fantasy upside in the past as a defense but have always seemed snake-bitten by injuries. This offseason, they added DJ Wonnum, Roger McCreary, and Devin White, Chuck Clark, among others, in free agency, and drafted Derrick Moore in the second round of the draft. If their studs can stay healthy and the new pieces gel, this could be a sneaky unit.
The Browns lost Myles Garrett this offseason, and it’s pretty hard to recover from that. However, Jared Verse is really talented, and the team also added Quincy Williams in free agency and drafted Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the second round. They hired Mike Rutenberg (ex-Falcons pass game coordinator) as their defensive coordinator, but replacing Jim Schwartz is also no easy task.
The Saints were a surprisingly usable fantasy defense down the stretch for a bad real-life team. They were a middle-of-the-pack defense in points allowed per game and were third in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion rate. It all led to an average fantasy season, but they have an easy schedule this year, which could help. While they did lose Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor last year, who were two of their top three defenders in snaps played, they added Tyree Wilson via trade, Kaden Elliss in free agency, and drafted Christen Miller in the second round. They could be a solid streamable unit during the year.
Much of the Chiefs’ defensive success in the past has been that their offense forces opponents to play catch-up, which leads to lots of pass attempts, which has led to sacks and turnovers. Can the Chiefs’ offense continue to be that kind of juggernaut? They weren’t last year, even when Patrick Mahomes was healthy. The Chiefs did sign Alohi Gilman and draft Mansoor Delane and R Mason Thomas in the first two rounds of the draft, but they also traded away Trent McDuffie, which will be a tough loss to replace.
The Packers lost Rashan Gary and Al-Quadin Muhammad to free agency and will be without Micah Parsons for much of the season. However, they also added Javon Hargrave and Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, traded for Zaire Franklin, and used their first three picks all defense ondefensive players. They also hired Jonathan Gannon, who did not work out as the Cardinals’ head coach but was a great defensive coordinator for the Eagles before that.
The Falcons are a confusing ranking because they’re dealing with EDGE James Pearce Jr.’s legal situation, which makes it hard to know what their lineup will look like. They added Christian Harris, Maason Smith, and Za’Darius Smith in the offseason, among other depth signings, and used three draft picks on defense as well. It’s a lot of turnover here and a lot of unknowns/
In the offseason, the Bucs added A’Shawn Robinson and Alex Anzalone in free agency and may have hit a huge home run in drafting Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round and Josiah Trotter in the second round. However, the Bucs also saw Lavonte David retire, and Vita Vea request a trade, so there could be some major losses here.
The 49ers’ biggest addition may have been hiring Raheem Morris now that he’s no longer the Falcons’ head coach. However, they also traded for Osa Odighizuwa, signed Jack Jones and Dre Greenlaw, and drafted Romello Height in the third round. Morris has been known to get a lot out of the talent around him, so don’t count them out.
The Bears had a lot of turnover this offseason, signing Coby Bryant, Neville Gallimore and Davin Bush, and drafting Dillon Thieneman in round one, but also losing Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and Tremaine Edmunds in free agency. It’s just hard to trust this unit right now.
Speaking of turnover, the Colts had tons of roster turnover, losing Kenny Moore II, Kwity Paye, Zaire Franklin, Germaine Pratt, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas, Samson Ebukam, but also adding Arden Key, Michael Clemons, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Coby Wooden, CJ Allen, and AJ Haulcy. Much like the Bills, how well and how quickly will these new pieces gel together?
The Giants hired Dennard Wilson as their defensive coordinator, used a top ten pick on Arvell Reese, and signed Tremaine Edmunds, Shelby Harris, DJ Reader, and Greg Newsome. However, they did trade away Dexter Lawrence, which is a big loss in the middle of that defense, and many of those signings are more solid than massive difference-makers.
Sorry, but it’s hard to be excited about this Dolphins defense because I think this team is going to be really bad.
You’re probably not going to trust these defenses much this season, but we can talk a bit about what’s new for them.
The Raiders promoted Rob Leonard from DL/run game coordinator to defensive coordinator and then added Kwity Paye, Taron Johnson, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker in free agency. They kept Maxx Crosby, but that situation remains one to watch. Maybe I’m low on them?
The Panthers added Jaelan Phillips and Devon Lloyd in free agency, which were two big moves. Meanwhile, the Titans basically overhauled their whole defense. They hired Gus Bradley as their defensive coordinator and added $191 million in combined free agents by signing John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor, Cordale Flott, Jake Martin, Jordan Elliott, and Joshua Williams. Then they used their first two picks on Keldric Faulk and Anthony Hill Jr. That’s a whole lot of moving pieces.
The Cowboys hired Christian Parker, the former Eagles DB coach, as their defensive coordinator, and the youngest in franchise history. They then signed Rashan Gary, Jalen Thompson, and Otito Ogbonnia in free agency and drafted Caleb Downs in the first round. Those are big additions, but they also lost Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, and Solomon Thomas in the offseason as well.
The Bengals had some moves cancel each other out since they added Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and Bryan Cook but also traded away Trey Hendrickson, which is a big loss. The Jets are another team with a major overhaul. They hired Brian Duker, the former Dolphins secondary coach, to be their defensive coordinator and then and signed Demario Davis, T’Vondre Sweat, Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare, Nashon Wright, and Dane Belton in free agency while trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick and drafting David Bailey in the first round. That’s a massive infusion of personnel. How will it work out, and how quickly will it come together?
The Commanders are another team with major changes after they hired Daronte Jones, the former Vikings defensive backs coach, and signed Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Amik Robertson, and Leo Chenal in free agency. Then they drafted Sonny Styles in round one, but this was one of the worst defenses in football last year, as were the Cardinals, so both teams are going to need a lot of changes to be fantasy relevant.