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 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.
Fantasy Football Player Notes: Defense (DST)
Arizona Cardinals
The No.1 DST target that you have no excuse for missing out on in 2025. Arizona opens the schedule against the Saints, followed by Panthers, 49ers, Seahawks, Titans, Colts and Packers from Weeks 1-7. The team improved the defense by selecting exclusively defensive players in this year’s draft, and they should get major contributions from guys like second-year player Darius Robinson and free agent acquisition Josh Sweat. Arizona has been one of the most injured defenses over the last two seasons.
Minnesota Vikings
2024’s second-highest scoring DST opens the schedule on the road against the Bears on MNF, followed by a Sunday Night home game against Atlanta. It’s a pretty favorable schedule to open the year, with four plus-matchups in their first five games (CHI, ATL, CIN, PIT, CLE), although the last two will be played internationally.
