Fantasy defenses, like kickers, can be year to year. Generally, there are some NFL organizations known for building through defense and those are the teams that you historically want for your fantasy team – teams like the Steelers, Ravens and Eagles. It happens all the time, but nobody should draft a defense before their penultimate or final draft pick, as defenses typically don't score enough points on a weekly basis to matter that much.
However, if you happen to draft a defense like last year's Broncos team that led the NFL in sacks by a mile – 63, with the Ravens' 54 as the next most – you might end up holding onto that defense all year and it could help you win a league. Generally, you're looking for defenses that feature high-profile pass rushers, which in turn leads to sacks, forced fumbles, and interceptions.
Three of the teams that finished top-5 in total sacks last year also finished top-5 in interceptions, based on Yahoo! scoring. Four of the top-five scoring defenses last year ranked top-five in interceptions. The Broncos are bringing back nearly their entire defense – and all their main pass rushers, along with Patrick Surtain, last year's Defensive Player of the Year – so they're the top-ranked defense going into 2025.
Here are the top five:
RANK TEAM
1 Denver Broncos
2 Baltimore Ravens
3 Pittsburgh Steelers
4 Philadelphia Eagles
5 Houston Texans
Some sleeper defenses to watch this year: the New York Giants, the New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams all have good personnel on defense but have been asked to compensate for lousy offenses. If any of these teams have a functional offense, their respective defenses are poised to emerge.
The Giants added No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter to a pass rush that already had Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. In fairness, this could be the NFL's best four-man rush if – and it's a big if – the Giants can produce just a semi-functional offense to ease the burden. The Jets are loaded with defensive talent, and now have blitz-loving Aaron Glenn as their head coach.
The Bears have studs at all levels of their defense, and with Dennis Allen as their new coordinator, they could take a big step forward as new HC Ben Johnson is expected to make the offense formidable.
Here's how the rest of the top-15 shake out:
RANK TEAM
6 Minnesota Vikings
7 K.C. Chiefs
8 Seattle Seahawks
9 Detroit Lions
10 L.A. Rams
11 L.A. Chargers
12 Green Bay Packers
13 Buffalo Bills
14 New York Jets
15 Chicago Bears
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