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RotoBaller's updated Week 1 team defense (D/ST) rankings for fantasy football in 2025. Read the weekend updates for our fantasy football DST rankings and win more.
The final piece of your fantasy football lineup should be an elite defense or one with a plus matchup. We're here to help you find the best option to start with our Week 1 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings for 2025. Find out where the Commanders, 49ers, Ravens, Patriots, and Vikings defenses stand among all other units for Week 1 fantasy football.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are put together by Nick Mariano. In addition to his rankings, below you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football injury news for this week. There are always key injuries to keep track of, so be sure to check back until kickoff.
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Week 1 Defense (D/ST) Fantasy Football News and Injuries
- Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
- Jalen Carter Ejected in Thursday's Contest
- Broncos Being Smart with Dre Greenlaw
- Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
- Walter Nolen to Open Season on PUP List
- Shemar Stewart Draws Praise from Defensive Star
- Dewayne Carter Done for the Season with Torn Achilles
Week 1 Fantasy Football Defense (D/ST) Rankings
Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankings.
| D/ST Tier | D/ST Rank | D/ST Name | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 2 | 6 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 3 | 8 | New York Jets | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 4 | 11 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 6 | 24 | New York Giants | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 7 | 26 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 7 | 27 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 7 | 29 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 8 | 30 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 8 | 31 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 8 | 32 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
Week 1 Defense Outlooks for Fantasy Football
San Francisco 49ers D/ST
After a down year in 2024, San Francisco's D/ST is in good shape for a rebound when they face the Seahawks in Week 1. For starters, former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is returning to his former role to lead the 49ers' defensive unit. The addition of Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins via the NFL Draft should improve things up front, too.
Last year, the Niners were tied with the 12th-fewest sacks and fourth-fewest tackles for losses. San Francisco should be productive on Sunday, as Seattle has one of the lowest-ranked offensive lines in the league and last year allowed the third-most sacks in the NFL. Fantasy managers who didn't reach for an elite D/ST squad in their drafts could do well to start their season with San Francisco in Week 1.
Houston Texans D/ST
The Houston Texans' defense is a fringe play in Week 1 as they go on the road to visit the Rams. Matthew Stafford has battled a back issue throughout training camp, so his reps have been limited, and the starters have not logged as much playing time as would be ideal. They also added Davante Adams to the mix while Cooper Kupp departed over the past offseason, so it may take time to find a new rhythm. The Texans' defense has playmakers to disrupt the Rams in Week 1, led by edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, who combined for 23 sacks last year and should be able to get plenty of pressure on Stafford.
Derek Stingley Jr. is a key contributor as an elite lockdown cornerback, and Jalen Pitre has emerged as a star in a hybrid role. The Texans DST is the No. 14 DST in the RotoBaller Week 1 rankings, making them a startable but not must-start play in Week 1 on the road.
Baltimore Ravens D/ST
The Baltimore Ravens' defense/special teams has one of the toughest matchups in Week 1. They take on the reigning MVP, Josh Allen, and the Buffalo Bills, who put up 27 points on them with no turnovers. The Ravens did add two highly touted rookies to the defense in Mike Green and Malaki Starks, while adding veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was cleared from the injury report.
While RotoBaller has the Ravens ranked as the fourth-best defense heading into this season, they're only projected to get 4.0 points. Fantasy managers may just have to take the gamble and look towards better matchups throughout the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense was a great fantasy asset in 2024 and will look to repeat its success in Week 1 against the New York Jets. This is an ideal matchup to target for fantasy DST purposes as the Jets averaged fewer than 20 points per game last season and are not expected to run a high-powered offense in 2025. Led by star EDGE T.J. Watt and bolstered by additions Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey in the secondary, the Steelers remain a threat to rack up sacks and takeaways. Fire up the Pittsburgh DST in all fantasy formats on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders D/ST
The Las Vegas Raiders defense enters Week 1 as a sneaky streaming option against a Patriots offense led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye. New England turned the ball over 23 times last season and, despite adding Stefon Diggs and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, still lacks overall firepower. Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce should generate consistent pressure off the edge, creating chances for Jeremy Chinn and a young secondary to capitalize on mistakes. While the Raiders are unlikely to rank as a top-tier fantasy defense over the course of the season, their Week 1 matchup is favorable. They should be rostered and considered a strong starting option to open the year.
New York Giants D/ST
The New York Giants' Defense may be a sneaky good fantasy play for Week 1 despite the team's struggles last season. While the Giants' overall defense ranked 24th in 2024, they were tied for 9th in the league with 45 sacks and added rookie Abdul Carter, the 3rd overall pick, to their formidable pass rush. The Commanders' offense was a fantasy goldmine for opposing defenses last season, allowing 50 sacks in 2024. This presents a prime opportunity for the Giants' defensive line to wreak havoc on quarterback Jayden Daniels. The combination of a strong pass rush, a new veteran cornerback in Paulson Adebo, and a favorable matchup makes the Giants' Defense a solid streaming option for Week 1.
Atlanta Falcons D/ST
The Atlanta Falcons' defense/special teams ranked in the bottom third in points allowed per game last season (24.9) and struggled to get after the quarterback, finishing with the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (31). They'll take on the Buccaneers in Week 1, a team that put up 30 points on them in Week 5 last year and 26 points in Week 8.
However, on Sunday, the Bucs will be without one of their top pass catchers in Chris Godwin and, perhaps more importantly, will be without 4x Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, which should make getting pressure on quarterback Baker Mayfield a bit easier. Even so, with this matchup having one of the higher expected totals on the slate (47.5) and Tampa Bay as the favorites, Atlanta is not expected to shut down this offense. There are likely better options available to fantasy managers in Week 1, and the Falcons should be avoided in both season-long and DFS formats.
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
