Defense/Special Teams (DST) in fantasy football isn't anyone's favorite to talk about when discussing strategy, but you have to start one every week, so it is an important part of building a championship roster. I would never recommend spending anything more than a late-round pick in your fantasy draft on a DST, but consistent scoring at the position can give you a head start in your weekly matchup.

For most fantasy managers, it's worth playing the matchups weekly and targeting DSTs that are playing against offenses that turn the ball over and give up a lot of sacks. One of the common misconceptions about the DST position is that you want a team that just doesn't give up points. That certainly doesn't hurt, but the big scores at the DST positions come from sacks, turnovers, and defense/special teams scores.

Before we dive into the tiers I've identified for this article, I also want to highlight one rule change that may have an impact on DST scoring this year: Touchbacks on kickoffs will be placed on the 35-yard line this year, which will probably incentivize teams to keep more kickoffs in play to try to pin offenses deeper.

That will translate to more opportunities for the best kick returners in the NFL. It's not a huge boost, but teams like Dallas, Buffalo, Baltimore, and Houston with proven kick return specialists have the potential to add to their DST scoring through kick return TDs more than in recent seasons.

Head to our rankings hub to check out full 2025 DST rankings and the rest of our 2025 fantasy football rankings.

Defense/Special Teams Rankings and Tiers for Fantasy Football 2025

The Elite DSTs

There are usually just a few DST units that you can really feel comfortable starting every week and are even holding on your bench through your bye week. I rarely end up with a DST from this tier because someone usually overdrafts them, but it is worth knowing who those teams are. If they happen to make it to the later rounds in your draft or end up on waivers at some point during the season 

Denver Broncos (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 1st)

The Denver Broncos have a strong chance of repeating as the top-scoring fantasy defense in 2025. Their 10.5 fantasy points per game were a full point better than any other unit, and they were aggressive in the offseason, drafting a CB in the first round while also signing Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. LB Alex Singleton is also expected to return to the lineup after missing most of last season with an injury. Singleton was one of the team's top tacklers in 2023.

Denver's defense led the NFL in sacks and defensive TDs in 2024, and they appear to be even more talented heading into this season. They should be the first defense drafted in every fantasy league.

 

Philadelphia Eagles (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 7th)

The reigning Super Bowl Champions have had some turnover on their defense this offseason, but this is still one of the most talented groups in the league. The most notable free agent departures were Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, but Philly has been stockpiling defensive line talent for years, so I don't think there will be much of a dropoff.

The Eagles also spent their first five picks in the NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball, and they have a good track record at identifying talent in the middle rounds. If they hit on one or two-plus starters in this year's draft, they could rival the Broncos for overall defensive talent. 

What makes this defense particularly scary is their secondary. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean were rookies in 2024, but both players look like stars in the making. Having two talented CBs who can match up with any WR makes things much easier from a scheme and pass rush perspective. 

Philadelphia gave up just 303 points during the 2024 regular season, second-best in the NFL. They should be among the most dominant defenses again this year and could challenge Denver for the top fantasy defense if their young talent delivers in the pass rush department.

Every-Week-Starter-Potential DSTs

This tier isn't quite on the level of the set-it-and-forget-it elite DST units we just covered, but if you're able to roster one of these teams, then you should be able to avoid playing the matchups with whoever is available on waivers each week.

Baltimore Ravens (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 12th)

The Ravens had the NFL's best rush defense last season, but they gave up the second-most passing yards. They made some notable additions to the secondary this offseason by drafting Malaki Starks and signing Chidobe Awuzie, but the back end of this defense remains the question mark when compared to the front seven.

It is worth mentioning that the Ravens' pass defense improved over the course of the season. They closed out the regular season with three straight games of 14+ fantasy points, which helped secure more than a few fantasy championships. If what they showed down the stretch carries over to 2025, they have a very good chance to be a top-5 fantasy DST. 

I also have my eye on what Keaton Mitchell can do in the return game. The third-year RB has made some bold statements about his goals for the season, but if he even comes close to delivering, that would mean multiple return TDs, which would be a huge boost to the fantasy scoring of their DST unit.

Houston Texans (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 5th)

If I asked you to name the top-five defenses in fantasy points per game last season, I'm guessing you would have had a difficult time getting the Texans right. They weren't a dominant unit when it came to limiting the yardage gained by opponents, but they ranked fourth in sacks and fifth in turnovers forced, which really boosted their fantasy scoring.

Houston was more focused on the offensive side of the ball in the NFL Draft, but they did make a couple of veteran acquisitions who could play an important role for them this season. New additions C.J. Gardner-Johnson and E.J. Speed bring depth to the second and third layers of the defense, while they also retained a key rotational piece along the defensive line by re-signing Mario Edwards.

Houston has a good shot at repeating as a top-five fantasy DST and should have a safe weekly floor. If they aren't being treated like one of the top fantasy defenses in drafts, then they will be a priority target for me.

Buyer Beware of These 2025 DST Options

This tier consists of teams that I think will be overdrafted based on their reputation and lack of awareness regarding their offseason moves. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 4th)

Pittsburgh has had a good defense for a long time, but I think they might go too early in 2025 fantasy drafts. Their defensive line remains one of the stronger groups in the league, but their secondary has some serious question marks. This showed up last year as they gave up the 7th most passing yards in the league 

The other risk for the defense is the fact that the offensive outlook is very uncertain with Aaron Rodgers at QB and significant turnover in their RB and WR rooms. If the offense is ineffective or inconsistent, it could put the defense in a tough spot and make it more difficult for their pass rushers to tee off on opposing QBs.

Overall, Pittsburgh should still have one of the better defenses in the NFL, but there are enough risks that I am not willing to draft them as one of the top options in my fantasy leagues. 

San Francisco 49ers (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 25th)

The two offseason signings I mentioned for the Broncos (Greenlaw and Hufanga) both came from San Francisco, and those weren't the only veterans they lost in free agency. The success of this defense will likely come down to how many of their draft picks hit as rookies. They went defense with their first five selections in the NFL Draft, but it's a lot to ask multiple rookies to step in as starters.

If the rookies aren't able to step up in 2025, we could see something similar to last season, where San Francisco allowed the fourth most points per game and ranked in the bottom half of the league for sacks and turnovers forced.

I don't expect the 49ers to be a top-10 fantasy defense this year, but they might be drafted like it based on their reputation and not their roster.

The Bottom Tier of DSTs for 2025 Fantasy Football

These are the teams we should be looking to exploit when making start/sit decisions for our offensive players throughout the season. You should expect to see these names on waivers every week unless you play in a very deep league.

New Orleans Saints (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 19th)

The Saints were an average defense last season, but most of their top guys are on the wrong side of 30, and they have been limited in the talent they can add due to their salary cap situation. Their big offseason signing last year was Chase Young, and they just gave him a sizable extension despite a disappointing first season.

What really takes their fantasy prospects from below-average to bad is the state of the offense. Unless Tyler Shough is surprisingly competent, New Orleans may have one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year. That would force the defense to be on the field for a ton of snaps, often with a short field, and rarely in a situation where they know the opposing offense has to pass.

I don't think the Saints defense has the talent to overcome what looks like a terrible overall team situation in 2025, which makes them an easy fade for me in fantasy drafts as well as a team I'll want to stream DSTs against.

Tennessee Titans (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 28th)

2024 was a season to forget for the Titans, but it did land them the first overall pick, so maybe it will be worth it in the long run. From a defensive perspective, Tennessee actually gave up the fewest passing yards in the NFL, but that was primarily a function of teams just not needing to throw against them. The Titans had a porous run defense and a bad offense, so the opposing offense was rarely in a position where they needed to throw to move the ball. 

Despite giving up so few yards through the air, they still allowed the third-most points per game last season and ranked just 29th in sacks. As a result, they finished 28th in fantasy points per game among DSTs. The outlook isn't much better for 2025 as they didn't add any standout talent to this group, and outside of Jeffery Simmons, they don't have much of a pass-rush presence.

Carolina Panthers (2024 fantasy points per game rank: 32nd)

Carolina had a historically bad defense in 2024, and it's difficult to see how they make a significant enough improvement to not be considered one of the worst units again this season.

They set the record for the most points allowed in a regular season with 534 and also racked up the third fewest sacks in the league. They have a few pieces, most notably Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn, but they lack depth at every level of the field, which makes it easy for defenses to find weak spots when game planning for Carolina.

The Panthers did add a few solid prospects in the NFL Draft, but probably not enough to turn them into even an average defense. Even if they improve, they'll very likely be a below-average defense again in 2025.