DEF Rankings

Six defenses scored more fantasy points during the 2024 regular season, but only the Chargers allowed fewer real-life points than the Eagles, and no team allowed fewer yards. Philadelphia had 26 takeaways, sixth most, but returned just one of those for a touchdown and tied for 13th with 41 sacks. The pass rush stepped up at the end with 16 sacks in four playoff games, and rookie nickelback Cooper DeJean had a pick-six during the Super Bowl. Fellow rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, the 22nd overall pick, was arguably better than long-time No. 1 corner Darius Slay by the end of the year. Slay won't be back in 2025, nor will DT Milton Williams, edge rusher Josh Sweat or S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, each of whom topped 500 defensive snaps last year. Still, the Eagles have star players and early draft picks at all three levels, playing under veteran coordinator Vic Fangio on the heels of a championship run. This is one of the few defenses actually worth drafting, and as good a bet as any to lead all D/STs in fantasy scoring.

The Texans generally played tough defense in 2024, but they weren't good in the red zone and made just one house call on 24 takeaways, ultimately ranking 14th in both real-life points allowed (21.9 per game) and fantasy points scored (7.6 per games). It was a more promising year if one dissects the pieces, with 2022 third overall pick Derek Stingley becoming an elite cover man / a First Team All-Pro, and edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter combining for 23 sacks. The team's most important players performed as expected, at least on the defensive side, but their supporting cast was plagued by everything from injuries to suspensions to age-related decline. Houston didn't make any big-money additions on defense this offseason, with the biggest moves being a trade for S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and a one-year contract for LB E.J. Speed. It's enough talent to get by when all three superstars are healthy, but the Texans likely will run into problems if Anderson, Hunter and Stingley combine for a lot of missed games.

Denver finished 2024 as the NFL leaders in sacks (63), defensive TDs (five) and D/ST fantasy points (179), after finishing 20th or lower in those same categories -- and most others -- the year before. Shutdown corner Patrick Surtain had his best season yet in 2024 and got a DPOY Award out of it, while the front seven had six players with at least five sacks, including four that had 18-plus QB hits. Edge rushers Nik Bonitto (13.5 sacks) and Jonathan Cooper (10.5) are back for 2025, as are DL Zach Allen (8.5 sacks, 40 QB hits), S Brandon Jones (115 tackles) and nickelback Ja'Quan McMillian (10 PDs) -- all playing under veteran, blitz-happy defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. S Talanoa Hufanga and LB Dre Greenlaw were the big offseason additions, coming over from San Francisco after major injuries in 2023 led to reduced contributions in 2024. A return to peak performance for those two would make Denver's defense truly dominant, and even lesser contributions might be enough to keep them near the top of the league for fantasy, especially if No. 20 overall pick Jahdae Barron quickly boosts the secondary.

Baltimore finished 2023 atop the NFL in points allowed, sacks, takeaways and D/ST fantasy points, vaulting defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to the head coach job in Seattle. Internal promotion Zach Orr looked like a one-and-done midway through the 2024 season, but his defense played much better in the second half of the year to ultimately finish ninth in points allowed and 10th in yardage. The Ravens had 54 sacks, second most, yet were tied for 20th in takeaways (17). They largely opted for continuity this offseason, losing NT Michael Pierce to retirement and LB Malik Harrison to the Steelers while swapping out CB Brandon Stephens for Chidobie Awuzie. Baltimore's biggest additions came during the draft, adding S Malaki Starks at No. 27 and edge rusher Mike Green at No. 59. The Ravens still have veteran standouts in S Kyle Hamilton, CB Marlon Humphrey, LB Roquan Smith and DT Nnamdi Madubuike, but all besides Humphrey took a step back in 2024 after career years in 2023. There's still plenty of talent to field a top defense, especially if the rookies are quick to contribute, but the Ravens don't quite have the same depth they possessed a couple years ago.

The Vikings fell apart down the stretch last year, making it easy to forget how well they played for most of the season. Their defense was arguably the league's best early in the year -- before Philadelphia took that distinction -- and only Denver finished with more D/ST fantasy points. It was the second big step forward in Brian Flores' second season as Vikings defensive coordinator, after he inherited a unit that had been one of the league's worst in 2022. The Vikings quickly remade their defense without many splashy personnel moves, arguably relying on Flores' clever scheming (and league-high blitz rates) more so than high-end talent. They did get excellent seasons in 2024 from edge rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard as well as CB Byron Murphy, and now they've added DTs Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to make the interior pass rush match the edge threat. It's a formula that should work well for fantasy scoring, even if it also entails a reduction to last year's league-high 38.5 percent blitz rate.