There is a lot that goes into making DST decisions in your fantasy football drafts, and having a clear set of rankings can help you be in the right position at the right time.
That can be easier said than done, with plenty of variables involved, especially now that there could be more excitement about kickoff returns.
Our three fantasy analysts have ranked each of the 32 DSTs individually, and we have combined them into a set of consensus rankings that should help guide you in your decision-making process.
What these rankings do not consider is any potential DST streaming advice for Week 1, but you can find that at the bottom of the article.
The rankings below also fuel the PFN Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and the Trade Value Charts. Therefore, to see how each player compares across positions and scoring formats, check out those, as well as our other fantasy tools.
Ranking the Top Fantasy DSTs
1) Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore Ravens
2) San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers
3) Cleveland Browns | Cleveland Browns
4) New York Jets | New York Jets
5) Dallas Cowboys | Dallas Cowboys
6) Miami Dolphins | Miami Dolphins
7) Buffalo Bills | Buffalo Bills
8) Kansas City Chiefs | Kansas City Chiefs
9) Pittsburgh Steelers | Pittsburgh Steelers
10) New Orleans Saints | New Orleans Saints
11) Philadelphia Eagles | Philadelphia Eagles
12) Houston Texans | Houston Texans
13) Minnesota Vikings | Minnesota Vikings
14) Chicago Bears | Chicago Bears
15) New England Patriots | New England Patriots
16) Cincinnati Bengals | Cincinnati Bengals
17) Indianapolis Colts | Indianapolis Colts
18) Denver Broncos | Denver Broncos
19) Jacksonville Jaguars | Jacksonville Jaguars
20) Detroit Lions | Detroit Lions
21) Green Bay Packers | Green Bay Packers
22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
23) Las Vegas Raiders | Las Vegas Raiders
24) Los Angeles Rams | Los Angeles Rams
25) Seattle Seahawks | Seattle Seahawks
26) Carolina Panthers | Carolina Panthers
27) Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta Falcons
28) New York Giants | New York Giants
29) Arizona Cardinals | Arizona Cardinals
30) Los Angeles Chargers | Los Angeles Chargers
31) Tennessee Titans | Tennessee Titans
32) Washington Commanders | Washington Commanders
Who Are the Best Value DSTs To Draft in Fantasy With an Eye on Week 1?
Cincinnati Bengals
As a mid-pack team in our rankings, the Cincinnati Bengals DST may not get drafted this year, but they could be a last-round selection as a streaming option.
Opening up with a home game against the New England Patriots is particularly intriguing, especially with uncertainty over the Patriots’ QB situation. The Bengals are nine-point favorites in a game with a total of 43.
That puts the Patriots’ implied total at around 17 points, which is extremely low. New England could be starting either a rookie in Drake Maye or a journeyman in Jacoby Brissett. Either way, the Patriots’ offense is perhaps the best matchup for a DST in Week 1.
The problem with drafting the Bengals is you likely are not using them in Week 2 when they face the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. Therefore, you will want to make sure you have a clear plan of where you might go in Week 2 if you draft the Bengals.
Seattle Seahawks
You will not find them high in rankings or even likely to be drafted, but the Seattle Seahawks may be the streaming DST dream in the first two weeks. They face the Patriots in Week 2, who we have already discussed, and they will also have the Denver Broncos in Week 1.
Currently, the Broncos are looking at starting either Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, or Zach Wilson in Week 1. Whoever of those three wins out, they will likely not lead a strong offensive performance from the Broncos in Week 1, which could make the Seahawks an ideal option.
That excitement could come crashing to a halt in Week 3 when the Seahawks head to the heat of Miami, but for the first two weeks, they get two of the worst-projected offenses in the league.