The DST position in fantasy football can be controversial, but it is one that carries plenty of importance. Strategies vary widely for this position. Some like to lock in a top-tier DST for the season, and others like to play the matchups either by drafting two or streaming on the waiver wire.
If you prefer to draft and hold, then our consensus DST rankings can help you determine which DSTs to target this season. Simply compare our rankings to your league’s ADP and find the team that offers the best value at the place in the draft you are happy to invest in a DST.
The rankings below are a consensus of our three fantasy experts, Derek Tate, Jason Katz, and Kyle Soppe. Between them, they have over two decades of fantasy football writing experience and are constantly analyzing the latest news and data to ensure our rankings are up to date. These rankings also provide the basis for PFN’s “Who Should I Draft” tool, Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, and Trade Value Charts.
Ranking the Top Fantasy DSTs
FIND MORE POSITIONAL RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | SF
1) Baltimore Ravens
2) San Francisco 49ers
3) Dallas Cowboys
4) New York Jets
5) Cleveland Browns
6) Buffalo Bills
7) Pittsburgh Steelers
8) Kansas City Chiefs
9) Philadelphia Eagles
10) Miami Dolphins
11) New Orleans Saints
12) Denver Broncos
13) New England Patriots
14) Houston Texans
15) Minnesota Vikings
16) Cincinnati Bengals
17) Jacksonville Jaguars
18) Indianapolis Colts
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20) Green Bay Packers
21) Detroit Lions
22) Chicago Bears
23) Los Angeles Rams
24) Los Angeles Chargers
25) Seattle Seahawks
26) Carolina Panthers
27) Washington Commanders
28) New York Giants
29) Tennessee Titans
30) Atlanta Falcons
31) Arizona Cardinals
32) Las Vegas Raiders
Who Are the Best DSTs To Draft in Fantasy?
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are an intriguing team to draft from a DST perspective because they have a brutal start to the season. Matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals all fall in the first weeks of the season. However, after that, things get significantly easier, and that is what you are targeting if you draft the Ravens.
From Week 6, the Ravens face the Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos in a friendly four-week run. Therefore, you really just need them to be serviceable against the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals in that opening stretch.
Additionally, the Ravens have a very good defense, and there is every chance they put up some good numbers early in the year against those offenses. If you want your fantasy defense to have a tough schedule, it is in those first few weeks when offenses are still figuring things out.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are currently going as the ninth-ranked defense in ADP, but our experts have them at DST6. That presents an intriguing value if you are willing to wait on the position. The Bills’ defense rarely gets the focus with Josh Allen and a high-octane offense on the other side of the ball, but they are a solid group.
Last season, the Bills defense ranked fourth in points allowed and third in turnovers forced. Those are critical stats for fantasy defenses, making this a unit that has top-five potential but with a late-round price tag.