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In this article we'll be taking a closer look at team defenses and some key defensive players. Below you'll see our NFL team's updated team defense (D/ST) fantasy football draft rankings for 2024. Rostering the right D/ST can be a matchup winner each week -- and while we'll be streaming defenses constantly based on matchups, you have a great opportunity to draft the right defense and get off to a hot start. Make sure to follow our D/ST rankings and make winning picks.
These D/ST fantasy football draft rankings are a consensus by NFL lead analysts Nick Mariano, Scott Engel, Kev Mahserejian, and Brandon Murchinson. Before the rankings, you'll also see some recent fantasy football news and important NFL headlines for defensive players, all of which are accounted for within these updated D/ST draft rankings. Below, you will find where defenses such as the Raiders Defense, Broncos Defense, Patriots Defense, Eagles Defense, Dolphins Defense and more rank this preseason.
RotoBaller's D/ST draft rankings are tweaked all preseason long, so bookmark the fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. In addition to these draft rankings, be sure also to check out our team's fantasy football articles and analysis.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for the 2025 playoffs:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Defense (D/ST) Fantasy Football News and Injury Updates
- Matthew Judon Traded To Falcons For Third-Round Pick
- Saints Impressed With Chase Young
- Denzel Ward Remains In Concussion Protocol
- Matt Milano Out Indefinitely With Torn Bicep
- Cowboys Sign Carl Lawson To Bolster Defensive Line
- Justin Simmons Signing With Falcons
- Stephon Gilmore Signs With Vikings
- Jaelan Phillips Shows Promise In Return
- A.J. Terrell Agrees To Four-Year Extension With Falcons
- Myles Murphy Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Knee Sprain
- Darius Robinson Injures Calf, Could Land On Injured Reserve
Defense (D/ST) Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
You can also find our updated PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Non-PPR (Standard) rankings, Best Ball rankings, and Dynasty League rankings.
| D/ST Tier | D/ST Rank | D/ST Name | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 1 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 1 | 4 | New York Jets | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 4 | 11 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 4 | 15 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 5 | 21 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 6 | 22 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 6 | 26 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 6 | 27 | New York Giants | DST |
| 6 | 28 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 6 | 29 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 6 | 30 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 6 | 31 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 6 | 32 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
Fantasy Football Defense (D/ST) Rankings Outlooks
Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the defensive player outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 300+ of our 2024 player outlooks, along with many other premium articles and tools available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.
Atlanta Falcons D/ST - Fantasy Football Outlook
The New England Patriots are trading pass-rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, addressing Atlanta's need for a top defensive player they have been seeking all offseason. In return, the Patriots will receive a third-round pick, aiding their efforts to rebuild a roster lacking talent and upside.
In the final year of the four-year contract he signed with New England in 2019, Judon has a base salary of $6.5 million for the 2024 season. This salary was a big distraction during Jerod Mayo's first training camp as the Patriots' head coach.
A four-time Pro Bowler with 66.5 career sacks, Judon will join a Falcons team aiming to bolster its pass rush as the regular season approaches.
New Orleans Saints D/ST - Fantasy Football Outlook
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young's (neck) enormous skill set has impressed the team in training camp after he signed a one-year, $13 million deal in free agency. Young has been kept on a pitch count coming off offseason neck surgery, but he'll soon be full-go.
He was considered a top-10 edge rusher after his rookie year in 2020, but injury problems and a lack of focus in Washington set him back. "He's disruptive -- he's big, he's physical, he's fast, he's motivated," head coach Dennis Allen said.
The former second overall pick in 2020 out of Ohio State matched his career-high of 7.5 sacks in 16 combined games with Washington and the San Francisco 49ers last year and could help the Saints' defensive line become a formidable pass-rushing unit in 2024 if he can stay on the field.
Chicago Bears D/ST - Fantasy Football Outlook
The Chicago Bears have acquired Seahawks linebacker Darrell Taylor in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick, releasing defensive end Khalid Kareem to make room for him. Taylor, a second-round pick in 2020, missed his rookie season due to a leg fracture but has since made an impact as an edge rusher.
Over the past three seasons, he has recorded 21.5 sacks in 49 games, with 13 starts. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Taylor is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024 season. Last year, he played all 17 games with five starts, totaling 5.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits while participating in 44 percent of the defensive snaps.
The Bears, who struggled with pass rushing last season—finishing with the lowest sack percentage (4.64%) and the second-fewest sacks (30)—are looking to boost their ability to pressure quarterbacks. Taylor and Montez Sweat are expected to play a significant role in addressing this need.
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