X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Defense Draft Targets and D/ST Sleepers for 2016

One of the most important parts of your draft is setting yourself up for success from the start, and making sure you have the best lineup Week 1. One of the most forgotten parts about securing a good lineup is to draft or pick up a defense that will score you points week in and week out.

Here are some of the best fantasy defenses, broken down by ADP.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through the playoffs. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

 

Top Defense Draft Targets for 2016

Denver Broncos

First Four Matchups: CAR, IND, @CIN, @TB

The first defense being drafted is Denver D/ST. Last year, Denver was the top scoring defense, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Their pass rush was unstoppable, even vs. top tier teams like the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, but unfortunately, their team lost a lot of key players over the offseason. While there’s no doubt Denver is going to be a top defense, drafting them in the 8th round is probably not a smart idea and isn’t worth the opportunity cost.

 

Arizona Cardinals

First Four Matchups: NE, TB, @BUF, LA

Also being drafted in the 8th round is Arizona D/ST. Though they only finished as the 3rd highest scoring defense last year, they are being drafted above Kansas City. This is likely based on speculation that their defense will take the next step forward after resigning most major players and adding Chandler Jones and Robert Nkemdiche to fill their biggest hole. If you want a top tier defense this year, Arizona is not a bad choice.

 

Seattle Seahawks

First Four Matchups: MIA, @LA, SF, @NYJ

It’s no surprise to find the Seattle Seahawks D/ST as the 3rd overall defense. Though their performance is top tier year in and year out, there’s probably better value found in other top tier defenses, like Carolina and Kansas City, despite the fact that they’re going at least a round later.

 

Carolina Panthers

First Four Matchups: @DEN, SF, MIN, @ATL

The 4th overall D/ST is the Carolina Panthers. Though Carolina did finish with the 5th scoring defense last year, drafting their defense this high is probably a mistake. However, the Panthers play the Broncos Week 1, and will likely be the top scoring defense two weeks in a row  - they play the San Francisco 49ers Week 2. If you want a good defense to start the year and swap for another defense later, Panthers D/ST is your best bet.

 

Houston Texans

First Four Matchups: CHI, KC, @NE, TEN

Houston D/ST is going 5th overall, right next to Kansas City, the #2 scoring defense from last year. Though Houston might be better this year, Kansas City is probably the better bet.

 

Kansas City Chiefs 

First Four Matchups: SD, @HOU, NYJ, @PIT

Kansas City has extreme value in the 10th round, compared to the 8th round price tags of Denver, Arizona, and Seattle. If you want a top tier defense, Kansas City is the best defense in terms of value vs. draft position and they have a great play Week 1 vs. the San Diego Chargers.

 

Defense Draft Sleepers and Week 1 Streamers

Beyond Kansas City, drafting defenses can be a bit of a waste, because you’ll likely end up with a defense that can’t start every week. Instead, here are some defenses that will be good most weeks, or represent good value Week 1, in case you prefer streaming defenses:

 

Los Angeles Rams

First Four Matchups: @SF, SEA, @TB, @ARI

Los Angeles has an extremely good matchup Week 1 - they play the 49ers. For streamers, Los Angeles is a good pickup for Week 1, and they should have some good matchups throughout the year if you prefer to hang onto them.

Philadelphia Eagles

First Four Matchups: @CLE, BAL, @MIA, @WAS

For people who are purely streaming, and would prefer a team that won’t be drafted high at all, the Eagles D/ST has huge value Week 1, and can be dropped right after. The Eagles’ special teams has always been stellar, especially for fantasy owners, and a matchup against the Cleveland Browns is practically a no-brainer.

 

Green Bay Packers 

First Four Matchups: @CLE, BAL, @MIA, @WAS

If those defenses are taken and you still need a streaming option, Green Bay is another good Week 1 play vs. the Jaguars offense. Though they were relatively efficient last year, they are still turnover-prone and should produce a healthy number of sacks.

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kristian Campbell14 mins ago

Favorite To Start At Second Base
Tom Wilson17 mins ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Las Vegas Raiders17 mins ago

Raiders Unlikely To Make Large Financial Commitment To Veteran QB
DK Metcalf28 mins ago

Packers Haven't Contacted Seahawks About DK Metcalf
Aaron Rodgers39 mins ago

Giants Looking Into Aaron Rodgers
Lauri Markkanen42 mins ago

Ruled Out Friday Against Timberwolves
Matthew Stafford45 mins ago

Rams, Matthew Stafford Reach Agreement On Restructured Deal
48 mins ago

Hornets Signing Malachi Flynn To 10-Day Contract
MMA1 hour ago

Asu Almbayev Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Manel Kape1 hour ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Deebo Samuel Sr.1 hour ago

Commanders, Texans Have "Significant" Interest In Deebo Samuel Sr.
Julian Marquez1 hour ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Heliot Ramos1 hour ago

To Play Long Toss On Friday
Cody Brundage1 hour ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Tyler Fitzgerald2 hours ago

Set To Make Spring Debut On Friday
Jack Kochanowicz2 hours ago

To Start On Tuesday
Esteban Ribovics2 hours ago

Looks For His Fourth UFC Win
Kenley Jansen2 hours ago

To Pitch On Saturday
Nasrat Haqparast2 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 103
Luis Rengifo2 hours ago

Making Spring Debut On Friday
Matthew Stafford2 hours ago

Return To The Rams Feels More Likely
Evan Carter2 hours ago

Scratched On Friday
William Gomis2 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 103
Brandon Nimmo2 hours ago

Making Spring Debut On Friday
Baltimore Ravens2 hours ago

Marcus Williams Expects To Be Released
Hyder Amil2 hours ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
DK Metcalf2 hours ago

Seahawks Speaking With Other Teams About DK Metcalf's Availability
Matt Vierling2 hours ago

Won't Be Ready For Opening Day
Sam Patterson2 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Vegas 103 Main Card
Danny Barlow2 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak
NFL3 hours ago

Tetairoa McMillan To Skip Combine Workouts
NFL3 hours ago

Cam Ward Won't Throw At NFL Combine
Jakob Marsee4 hours ago

Resumes Baseball Activities
Freddy Tarnok4 hours ago

Sidelined For Two Weeks
Oakland Athletics4 hours ago

Max Muncy Quiet In Return To Action
Nick Madrigal5 hours ago

To Undergo Shoulder Surgery, Likely Out For The Season
Bubba Chandler5 hours ago

Rebounds In Second Spring Outing
Sebastian Walcott5 hours ago

Goes Deep In Return
Félix Bautista6 hours ago

Felix Bautista Nearing Spring Debut
Joey Loperfido6 hours ago

Cleared To Return
Wenceel Pérez6 hours ago

Wenceel Perez To See Increased Time In The Outfield
Nolan Schanuel6 hours ago

Hopes To Improve Bat Speed
Bryan Hoeing6 hours ago

Plays Catch
Juan Nuñez7 hours ago

Juan Nunez Throws Bullpen Session
Ivan Barbashev7 hours ago

Busy On Thursday
Evgeni Malkin7 hours ago

Powers Pittsburgh To Victory
Philip Broberg7 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy7 hours ago

Blanks Calgary On Thursday
Nick Suzuki7 hours ago

Posts Second Straight Three-Point Game
Ilya Sorokin8 hours ago

Stands Tall Against Boston
NFL13 hours ago

NFL, NFLPA Agree To Salary Cap Of $279.2 Million In 2025
NFL13 hours ago

Will Johnson Won't Work Out At NFL Combine
NFL14 hours ago

Kenneth Grant Dealing With Hamstring Strain
NFL14 hours ago

Mason Graham Will Only Do Bench Press At NFL Combine
NFL14 hours ago

Abdul Carter Won't Need Surgery
Detroit Lions14 hours ago

Lions To Release Jalen Reeves-Maybin
New Orleans Saints14 hours ago

Saints Meet With Cam Ward
Minnesota Vikings14 hours ago

Christian Darrisaw Doing Well In His Recovery
Seattle Seahawks14 hours ago

Seahawks Give Rayshawn Jenkins Permission To Seek A Trade
Dallas Cowboys14 hours ago

DeMarcus Lawrence Is 100 Percent Healthy
Matthew Stafford15 hours ago

Resolution Should Come By End Of Combine
Norman Powell18 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday
Collin Sexton18 hours ago

Might Return On Friday
John Collins18 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Wendell Moore Jr.18 hours ago

Ruled Out On Thursday
DaQuan Jeffries18 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Seth Curry18 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Thursday
Lauri Markkanen18 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
LaMelo Ball19 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Dallas
Bradley Beal19 hours ago

Downgraded To Out On Thursday
Jamal Murray19 hours ago

Cleared To Face Milwaukee
Aaron Gordon19 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Dwight Powell19 hours ago

Available On Thursday, Will Play 10-12 Minutes
P.J. Washington19 hours ago

Ruled Out On Thursday
Cole Anthony20 hours ago

Slated To Suit Up On Thursday
Bradley Beal20 hours ago

Downgraded To Questionable Versus Pelicans
Jusuf Nurkić20 hours ago

Jusuf Nurkic Questionable For Thursday Against Dallas
Max Pacioretty20 hours ago

Likely To Return On Friday
Noah Juulsen21 hours ago

Likely Out For The Rest Of The Season
Trent Frederic21 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
LaMelo Ball21 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Thursday
Eetu Luostarinen21 hours ago

Returns For Stanley Cup Finals Rematch
Jason Zucker21 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Thursday
Timothy Liljegren21 hours ago

Available Against Canadiens
Eric Gordon21 hours ago

Undergoes Successful Surgery On Right Wrist Wednesday
Robby Fabbri21 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Darnell Nurse24 hours ago

Not Playing On Thursday
Roman Josi24 hours ago

Not Suiting Up On Thursday
Matthew Tkachuk1 day ago

Not Playing On Thursday
Kirby Dach1 day ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Michael Bunting1 day ago

To Be Sidelined Indefinitely
J.T. Miller1 day ago

Not Practicing On Thursday
P.J. Washington1 day ago

Questionable Thursday
Quinn Hughes1 day ago

Tallies Game-Winning Helper In Return
Emiliano Grillo2 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of Cognizant Classic
Sam Ryder2 days ago

A Course Horse For PGA National
Matt Kuchar2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At Cognizant Classic
Cameron Young2 days ago

A High-Risk, High-Reward Play At PGA National
Taylor Pendrith2 days ago

Is An Enticing Play At Cognizant Classic
Gary Woodland2 days ago

Aiming For Bounce-Back Performance At PGA National
PGA2 days ago

Kris Ventura A Value Pick At The Cognizant Classic
PGA2 days ago

Niklas Norgaard Making Third PGA Tour Start At Cognizant Classic
Erik Van Rooyen2 days ago

Looking For Sustained Success At PGA National
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back In Cognizant Classic Debut
Seamus Power3 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At PGA National
Andrew Novak3 days ago

Searching For Consistency At PGA National
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Eyeing First Career Victory At PGA National
Min Woo Lee3 days ago

Aims To Keep The Momentum Going At PGA National
Chris Kirk3 days ago

A Wild Card At PGA National
Mark Hubbard3 days ago

Trending In The Wrong Direction Ahead Of Cognizant Classic
Alex Smalley3 days ago

Continues To Impress Ahead Of The Cognizant Classic
Taylor Moore3 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To Cognizant Classic
Justin Lower3 days ago

Misses Cut At Mexico Open
Max Greyserman3 days ago

Hitting Stride Heading To Cognizant Classic
Jake Knapp3 days ago

Posts Solid Finish At Mexico Open
Song Yadong4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Henry Cejudo4 days ago

Suffers Third Straight Loss
Brendan Allen4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Seattle
Anthony Hernandez4 days ago

Extends His Winning Streak
Jean Matsumoto4 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Rob Font4 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Melsik Baghdasaryan4 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Seattle
Jean Silva4 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Seattle
Alonzo Menifield4 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Seattle
Julius Walker4 days ago

Defeated In His UFC Debut
Kyle Busch4 days ago

Leaves Atlanta With His First Top-10 Finish Of 2025
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Scores The Best Drafting-Track Finish Of His Career At Atlanta
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Rallies Back To Score A Finish Of Fourth At Atlanta
NASCAR4 days ago

Despite Rarely Factoring For The Lead, Bubba Wallace Has Great Points Day
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Chances For Victory End After A Bump From Carson Hocevar
Ricky Stenhouse Jr4 days ago

. Recovers From Causing Daytona Big One To Finish Fifth At Atlanta
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Earns Best Career Finish
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

The Heavy Favorite To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Can Kyle Larson Finally Get A Good Finish At The New Atlanta?
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Can Win This Weekend
William Byron5 days ago

Don’t Overlook William Byron At Atlanta This Weekend
Austin Cindric5 days ago

Looking To Contend Once Again At Atlanta
Ross Chastain5 days ago

Will Start Deep in the Field at Atlanta
Daniel Suarez5 days ago

Looking To Continue Magic At Atlanta
Christopher Bell5 days ago

An Obvious DFS Pick At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is One of the Top DFS Options Of The Week For Atlanta Lineups
Joey Logano5 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Expect Kyle Busch To Compete For The Win At Atlanta
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Should Not Be Overlooked For Atlanta DFS Lineups
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Tyler Reddick At Atlanta This Week?
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Is Alex Bowman Worth Rostering For DFS Lineups At Atlanta?