In real life, it’s said that defense wins championships. In fantasy football, defense is nothing more than a thorn in your side.
The ever-evolving world of fantasy football has seen some changes in recent years, making the removal of defenses a more acceptable league format.
For some, it’s preferred. For others, it’s taking the easy way out.
If you are someone who celebrates tradition and enjoys the defensive mayhem that can occur on a football field, this is for you.
What are the best fantasy football defenses in 2025? Here’s a look at USA TODAY’s preseason fantasy D/ST rankings.
2025 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST | Overall
Fantasy football rankings: D/ST
2. Houston Texans. The Texans benefit from playing in a division that will feature a rookie quarterback in Tennessee and a situation in Indianapolis that will have defensive coordinators salivating. An aggressive DeMeco Ryans defense should only make life more difficult, especially after adding C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the fold. They can challenge for the best fantasy D/ST of 2025.
3. Philadelpia Eagles. Philly lost Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Darius Slay, but is littered with talent across the board. After a dominant Super Bowl performance, there is more than enough here to continue their strong play.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers. Another fantasy staple, Pittsburgh has gone all-in for 2025. T.J. Watt’s contract dispute ended before it became an issue and the secondary got an upgrade in Jalen Ramsey. Coming off another top-5 finish in 2024, this remains one of the more consistent units to trust in fantasy.
6. Minnesota Vikings. Brian Flores runs an aggressive defense, but J.J. McCarthy being an unknown could put this unit in some tough spots this season. Some key departures mean they’re likely to take a step back, but not by much. Still, this isn’t a D/ST for the risk averse.
8. Seattle Seahawks. This team is almost unrecognizable, resembling a group thrown together by the computer in the fifth season of a Madden franchise mode. Yet that is more on the offensive side of the ball as Mike Macdonald’s team finished as DST6 in 2024. Having added even more pieces this offseason, things are looking up on young Macdonald’s farm.
10. Detroit Lions. Despite a lengthy list of injuries in 2024, the Lions still managed a DST10 finish to the season. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball, however, there are some concerns. The reinforcements on the way, especially the return of Aidan Hutchinson, should make the transition smoother though.
13. New York Giants. Big Blue has sleeper potential in 2025, boasting a pass rush that promises to inflict pain and suffering on opposing quarterbacks with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter off the edge. Russell Wilson won’t put them in a bad spot with costly turnovers either, boosting the floor for what could be a sneaky good defense. There’s a real chance you can get this potential top-10 unit at a major discount.
14. Los Angeles Chargers. Jesse Minter appears to be on the fast track to landing a head coaching job in the near future and it’s all thanks to a solid defense. They’ll need some progression from their young players in the secondary and production from Khalil Mack, but they can be on the rise throughout the season if things break right.
15. Kansas City Chiefs. Another year older and plagued by a tough 2024 fantasy season, it’s hard to get on the Chiefs’ bandwagon when it comes to their DST in fantasy. Steve Spagnuolo has done a great job making Kansas City into a solid unit over the years, but there are better options out there.
16. San Francisco 49ers. The return of Robert Saleh also brought some additional investments on defense. San Francisco spent five picks in the top 113 of the draft on defensive players and will look for a return to form in 2025.
17. Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are hoping for a bounce-back season after parting ways with Mike McCarthy. Former Bears coach Matt Eberflus wasn’t effective in the big chair, but the hope is he can find some effectiveness again as a coordinator. Dallas has the pieces in place to continue forcing turnovers and generating pressure. Provided they figure out a deal with Micah Parsons, there’s no reason they can’t return to being a solid fantasy option again in 2025.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Cleveland Browns
21. Washington Commanders
22. New England Patriots
23. Chicago Bears
24. Atlanta Falcons
25. Cincinnati Bengals
26. Indianapolis Colts
27. New Orleans Saints
28. Miami Dolphins
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Las Vegas Raiders
31. Tennessee Titans
32. Carolina Panthers