A defense may be one of the last picks you make on draft day, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an idea of which ones to target heading into your fantasy football draft. Identifying the next standout DST can be a major advantage in your fantasy league.
It’s time to take a look at my DST fantasy football rankings for the 2023 NFL season!
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Top DSTs To Draft in 2023
1) San Francisco 49ers
2) Philadelphia Eagles
3) Dallas Cowboys
4) New York Jets
5) Buffalo Bills
6) Miami Dolphins
7) New England Patriots
8) Denver Broncos
9) Baltimore Ravens
10) Washington Commanders
11) Pittsburgh Steelers
12) Kansas City Chiefs
MORE: Positional PFN Consensus Rankings — QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K
13) New Orleans Saints
14) Cincinnati Bengals
15) Los Angeles Chargers
16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17) Seattle Seahawks
18) Cleveland Browns
19) Jacksonville Jaguars
20) Indianapolis Colts
21) Tennessee Titans
22) Green Bay Packers
23) Carolina Panthers
24) New York Giants
25) Minnesota Vikings
26) Los Angeles Rams
27) Detroit Lions
28) Chicago Bears
29) Houston Texans
30) Atlanta Falcons
31) Las Vegas Raiders
32) Arizona Cardinals
Which DSTs Should You Draft in 2023?
Philadelphia Eagles
A defensive unit that finished with a jaw-dropping 70 sacks and 17 interceptions in 2022 somehow managed to add Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Sydney Brown, and Kelee Ringo to the mix. Yikes.
Jalen Carter is a monster
pic.twitter.com/zPngUre9j7— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 12, 2023
Philadelphia’s unit is going to absolutely terrorize opposing offenses in 2022. Draft the Eagles with confidence and start them every single week, regardless of matchup.
Washington Commanders
Speaking of defenses who are going to make life unpleasant for opposing offenses, the front four of the Commanders is absolutely loaded.
Chase Young returns to a unit that has an interior lineman duo that rivals most anyone in the league with Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Not to mention, Montez Sweat is a force to be reckoned with in his own right.
More Rankings From Derek: QB | RB | WR | TE | K
The back end was addressed in the offseason when Washington selected Emmanuel Forbes and Jartavius Martin in the NFL Draft.
If the Commanders’ secondary can become a bit more reliable and give the front four just a bit more time to get home to the quarterback, then this unit could finally live up to its potential as a top-five unit in 2023.