Updated rankings:QB | RB | WR | TE | K
Defense and special teams units are usually one of the final starting positions taken in most fantasy football drafts, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be valuable in a manager’s quest for a league championship. Last season, the Seattle defense was the most productive unit in fantasy leagues, scoring 179 points (over 200 in some scoring systems). The Texans, Jaguars, Broncos and Rams were also among the top five defenses based on points.
Managers who are unable to grab an elite defense, however, should wait to fill the position and play the matchups on a weekly basis. For example, taking the Raiders defense for a Week 1 matchup against what will be a lowly Miami offense makes a lot of sense. On the flip side, you might want to avoid taking the 49ers defense, as it will face the high-powered Rams offense.
With that said, here are my 2026 fantasy football defense rankings …now with auction values! I’ll be updating these often throughout the offseason, so keep checking back.
Note: Auction values are based on a $200 budget.
2026 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings
|
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Bye |
Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Texans |
HOU |
8 |
$5 |
|
2 |
Rams |
LAR |
11 |
$3 |
|
3 |
Seahawks |
SEA |
8 |
$3 |
|
4 |
Broncos |
DEN |
10 |
$3 |
|
5 |
Eagles |
PHI |
10 |
$2 |
|
6 |
Patriots |
NE |
11 |
$2 |
|
7 |
Vikings |
MIN |
6 |
$1 |
|
8 |
Steelers |
PIT |
9 |
$1 |
|
9 |
Jaguars |
JAC |
7 |
$1 |
|
10 |
Ravens |
BAL |
13 |
$1 |
|
11 |
Bills |
BUF |
7 |
$1 |
|
12 |
Lions |
DET |
6 |
$1 |
|
13 |
Chargers |
LAC |
7 |
$1 |
|
14 |
Chiefs |
KC |
5 |
$1 |
|
15 |
Packers |
GB |
11 |
$1 |
|
16 |
Browns |
CLE |
11 |
$1 |
|
17 |
49ers |
SF |
9 |
$1 |
|
18 |
Colts |
IND |
13 |
$1 |
|
19 |
Falcons |
ATL |
11 |
$1 |
|
20 |
Saints |
NO |
8 |
$1 |
|
21 |
Panthers |
CAR |
5 |
$1 |
|
22 |
Bears |
CHI |
10 |
$1 |
|
23 |
Giants |
NYG |
8 |
$1 |
|
24 |
Buccaneers |
TB |
10 |
$1 |
|
25 |
Titans |
TEN |
9 |
$1 |
|
26 |
Cowboys |
DAL |
14 |
$1 |
|
27 |
Dolphins |
MIA |
6 |
$1 |
|
28 |
Commanders |
WAS |
7 |
$1 |
|
29 |
Jets |
NYJ |
13 |
$1 |
|
30 |
Cardinals |
ARI |
14 |
$1 |
|
31 |
Bengals |
CIN |
6 |
$1 |
|
32 |
Raiders |
LV |
13 |
$1 |
More Fantasy Football from Sports Illustrated
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MICHAEL FABIANO
Michael Fabiano is a fantasy football analyst for Sports Illustrated. His weekly rankings and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em articles are must-reads for fantasy players. He is also the co-host of the Fantasy Dirt Podcast on SI. Before joining SI in August 2020, he worked for CBS Sports, NFL Network and SiriusXM. He also contributes to Westwood One Radio. Fabiano was the first fantasy analyst to appear on one of the four major TV networks and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.
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