When it comes to defense and special teams in fantasy football, there is a lot of debate about whether or not it should be a part of the game. As someone who absolutely loves watching a good defense, I am all for having the D/ST roster spot. That being said, there are some challenges, and unpredictability can be challenging. I hope to give you some insight and highlight some teams that may be higher in my 2024 rankings due to the new kick-off rules.
Let’s dive in!
Defense Rankings
1. Baltimore Ravens (DEF, BAL) – The Ravens should once again be a run-heavy team with a stout defense. Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith should lead one of the most valuable units for fantasy football.
2. San Francisco 49ers (DEF, SF) – Nick Bosa and the company continue to be strong fantasy options. If the Niners do move on from Aiyuk, they could lean more run-heavy, which could bode well for the defense.
3. New York Jets (DEF, NYJ) – The Jets had one of the better defensive units in the league last season. They return many key pieces and hope to add Haason Reddick if he can get past some of his contract disputes and trade requests.
4. Dallas Cowboys (DEF, DAL) – The Cowboys defense brings value through sacks, takeaways, and points allowed. They may see some regression this season, but not enough to worry fantasy managers.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (DEF, PIT) – The Pittsburgh Steelers combination of TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick has devastated offenses the last few seasons, and look to it again in 2024. The Arthur Smith run-heavy scheme will help to slow down the game for the Steelers as they try to keep their defensive unit fresh all season.
6. Cleveland Browns (DEF, CLE) – The Browns, already a strong option for fantasy football, added defensive tackle Michael Hall from Ohio State in the second round of the NFL draft. They should continue to rank in the top 5-10 in the league in sacks and takeaways in 2024.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (DEF, KC) – The Chiefs need to improve their run defense, and they also lost L’Jarius Sneed in a trade with the Titans. Still, there is lots of upside for the Chiefs, especially with the new kickoff rules.
8. Houston Texans (DEF, HOU) – The Texans continue to be a team on the rise. Last season, their young playmakers on defense took a big step forward, and Will Anderson proved to be worth the third overall pick in last year’s draft.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (DEF, PHI) – The Eagles draft defensive players like they are fantasy football managers. They go for the undervalued freak athletes, and this strategy has proven to almost always work. Jalen Carter’s fall in the draft proved to be the Eagles’ win as he absolutely dominated in his rookie season. Expect more of that this year.
10. Chicago Bears (DEF, CHI) – The Bears are a team on the rise on both sides of the ball. They have one of the best young secondaries in the league, and the addition of Montez Sweat was a revelation for their pass rush.
11. Buffalo Bills (DEF, BUF) – The Buffalo Bills have some questions on both sides of the ball, and with the expectation that their offense will take a step backwards, the defense may be on the field more than we are hoping for. They do have some intriguing kick returner options with the new kick return rules this year that could provide some boom weeks.
12. Miami Dolphins (DEF, MIA) – The Dolphins are a strong unit, but they saw a lot of their fantasy points come from fumble recoveries, where they recovered 79% of their fumbles forced as well as touchdowns (4). We should see some regression in 2024.
13. Indianapolis Colts (DEF, IND) – The Colts recorded 24 takeaways last season. With some better injury luck and a step forward for players like Kwity Paye, they could improve on that number in 2024.
14. New Orleans Saints (DEF, NO) – The Saints fell just outside the top-12 defenses last season, and that may be their ceiling in 2024.
15. Detroit Lions (DEF, DET) – The Lions have a ways to go on defense, but if their young secondary can translate to the NFL well and last year’s Jack Campbell can take another step forward, this unit, while not electric, could take a significant step forward.
16. Green Bay Packers (DEF, GB) – The Packers’ defense is closer to having to rebuild than it is taking a step forward. It is a team unit you can avoid.
17. Minnesota Vikings (DEF, MIN) – The Minnesota Vikings’ defense has a long way to go. Although they have a number of veterans who can still be impact players, they need an infusion of youth, and they need it fast.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (DEF, CIN) – One of the reasons you should be all the way in on Bengals pass catchers this season is because the defense is projected to struggle quite a bit. In most leagues, they are off the fantasy radar.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (DEF, JAC) – The Jaguars defense did have 16 interceptions last season and recorded 40 sacks. They need to find consistency to jump into the top 15.
20. Denver Broncos (DEF, DEN) – The Broncos are a team you should largely be avoiding on both sides of the ball. Outside of Pat Surtain, there is not a lot to be excited about in Denver this year.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)