Are you in a league with defense/special teams? Me too. I don't love it, but it's a necessary evil in the high-stakes streets and hard-headed friend groups alike.
Accordingly, let's tackle (pun intended) this wonky fantasy position today and figure out what the hell we're going to do with DSTs in drafts this season!
As always: It's a great day to be great.
Use code "IAN35" for 35 percent off a RotoWire subscription.
DST1: Los Angeles Rams
- DC Chris Shula: 13th and 5th in DST scoring in two years as Rams DC
- ESPN ADP: DST3
- Yahoo ADP: DST1
This was a very good defense last year, and it's now adding Myles Garrett and probably Aaron Donald. Oh yeah, the Rams also fixed the secondary by invading the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. And they have an elite offense unlikely to set them up in many bad spots. And they're the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Seems good!
Streamline your draft-day decisions using our printable Cheat Sheet and stay ahead of the competition with our up-to-date Rankings for all fantasy football formats.
DST2: Houston Texans
- HC DeMeco Ryans: 14th (SF), 3rd (SF), 14th, 5th and 2nd in DST scoring since 2021
- ESPN ADP: DST1
- Yahoo ADP: DST2
DeMeco Ryans' piranhas blitz less than any unit in the league, yet cause more havoc than anyone. The Texans line up for 60 minutes like a bunch of crazed dogs and beat the crap out of whatever poor
Are you in a league with defense/special teams? Me too. I don't love it, but it's a necessary evil in the high-stakes streets and hard-headed friend groups alike.
Accordingly, let's tackle (pun intended) this wonky fantasy position today and figure out what the hell we're going to do with DSTs in drafts this season!
As always: It's a great day to be great.
Use code "IAN35" for 35 percent off a RotoWire subscription.
DST1: Los Angeles Rams
- DC Chris Shula: 13th and 5th in DST scoring in two years as Rams DC
- ESPN ADP: DST3
- Yahoo ADP: DST1
This was a very good defense last year, and it's now adding Myles Garrett and probably Aaron Donald. Oh yeah, the Rams also fixed the secondary by invading the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. And they have an elite offense unlikely to set them up in many bad spots. And they're the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Seems good!
Streamline your draft-day decisions using our printable Cheat Sheet and stay ahead of the competition with our up-to-date Rankings for all fantasy football formats.
DST2: Houston Texans
- HC DeMeco Ryans: 14th (SF), 3rd (SF), 14th, 5th and 2nd in DST scoring since 2021
- ESPN ADP: DST1
- Yahoo ADP: DST2
DeMeco Ryans' piranhas blitz less than any unit in the league, yet cause more havoc than anyone. The Texans line up for 60 minutes like a bunch of crazed dogs and beat the crap out of whatever poor offense has to line up across the ball from them for 60 minutes. The only reason they don't rank first is that their win total just isn't quite as high as the Super Bowl favorite Rams (9.5 vs. 11.5).
Check out our Fantasy Football ADP Report for a comprehensive tool with live-updated ADP data for multiple league formats and sites.
DST3: Denver Broncos
- DC Vance Joseph: 9th (ARZ), 23rd (ARZ), 19th, 1st and 4th in DST scoring since 2021
- ESPN ADP: DST2
- Yahoo ADP: DST3
Pat Surtain and company have finished first and fourth in DST scoring the last two seasons. The front seven tied with the Seahawks for the second-highest havoc rate in 2025, and the secondary is so loaded that 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron (good at football) isn't even starting! There's probably some level of regression coming for the team in one-score games (hence their surprisingly low 9.5 win total), but then again, Denver has an argument for the most complete roster in all of football.
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DST4: Seattle Seahawks
- HC Mike Macdonald: 7th (BAL), 2nd (BAL), 6th and 1st in DST scoring since 2022
- ESPN ADP: DST4
- Yahoo ADP: DST4
Believe in Mike Macdonald, who (reminder) has posted top-7 DST finishes in all four of his seasons running NFL defenses. It's certainly not ideal that the defensive back room is in so much pain at the moment (especially Nick Emmanwori), but hopefully that won't be too much of a problem by October.
DST5: Baltimore Ravens
- HC Jesse Minter: 9th and 14th in DST scoring with the Chargers (better when you consider they ranked 27th, 24th and 22nd during the previous three seasons)
- ESPN ADP: DST6
- Yahoo ADP: DST20
There's a lot to like here: Baltimore boasts the NFL's second-most expensive defense in terms of 2026 dollars and carries multiple legit blue-chip talents in S Kyle Hamilton and EDGE Trey Hendrickson. The early season schedule is also quite awesome, as they get the Colts, Saints, Cowboys (not ideal), Titans, Falcons and Browns through the first six weeks. That's the third-easiest opening stretch in the league in terms of average opponent rank in Vegas implied scoring rank. Throw in the newfound presence of Jesse Minter, who REALLY helped get the most out of the Chargers in recent years, and the Ravens are my single-favorite DST of the season at cost.
DST6: Philadelphia Eagles
- DC Vic Fangio: 13th (DEN), 6th (MIA), 7th and 7th in DST scoring since 2021
- ESPN ADP: DST7
- Yahoo ADP: DST5
Vic Fangio is one of the greatest defensive minds of his era and has led the youthful Eagles defense to back-to-back seventh-place finishes in DST scoring. The defensive front, anchored by Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, replaced Jaelan Phillips with Jonathan Greenard, while the secondary continues to boast one of the league's best one-two punches at cornerback in the form of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. It wouldn't be surprising if this group made a leap from good to great this season.
DST7: Minnesota Vikings
- DC Brian Flores: 4th (MIA), 16th, 2nd and 5th in DST scoring since 2021
- ESPN ADP: DST17
- Yahoo ADP: DST12
Brian Flores has posted back-to-back top-5 DSTs thanks in large part to easily being the most blitz-happy defense every year. The concern with expecting a third straight elite finish is the loss of defensive line stalwarts Jonathan Greenard and Javon Hargrave, though the team did use each of their top-3 draft picks on the front seven. Ultimately, I'm giving Minnesota the nod over the next group of schedule-focused defenses due to the potential for them to (again) be a borderline elite real-life unit.
DST8: Los Angeles Chargers
- DC Chris O'Leary: First year as NFL DC
- ESPN ADP: DST12
- Yahoo ADP: DST21
Losing Jesse Minter obviously isn't ideal, but this Derwin James-led defense still has plenty of Jim's and Joe's to make up for a potential step back in the X's and O's. New friends Khalil Mack and Dalvin Tomlinson should help secure the defensive line as well. That said: The REAL allure here is simply the schedule in Week 1 (Cardinals) and Week 2 (Raiders).
DST9: Detroit Lions
- DC Kelvin Sheppard: 19th in DST scoring in 2025
- ESPN ADP: DST9
- Yahoo ADP: DST17
The Lions boast the easiest season-long schedule in terms of average opponent rank in Vegas implied scoring rank and have at least one true game-wrecking stud in Aidan Hutchinson. The problem is stud S Brian Branch (Achilles) and S Kerby Joseph (knee) seem to be at severe risk of missing early season action. This is definitely more of a schedule-induced pick, but hey, starting off the season with the Saints, Bills (not good), Jets, Panthers and Cardinals isn't too shabby.
DST10: Jacksonville Jaguars
- DC Anthony Campanile: 3rd in DST scoring in 2025
- ESPN ADP: DST14
- Yahoo ADP: DST18
The Jaguars face the Deshaun Watson-led Browns in Week 1. Enough said.
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