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Fantasy football rankings - updated defense (DST) Week 2 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football DEF rankings for NFL team defenses.
Most fantasy managers are playing the streaming game at the D/ST spot, so use our updated Week 2 fantasy football defense (DST) rankings for 2025 to find the best option for your lineups. In the rankings below, you will see where the Rams, Broncos, Cardinals, Steelers, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys, Texans, and more stand among all fantasy D/STs.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 2 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important D/ST fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
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Week 2 Fantasy Football Defense (DST) News and Injuries
- Rams Defense Could Feast Against Rookie QB in Week 2
- Patriots Defense a Strong Streaming Option in Week 2
- Broncos D/ST a Must-Start Against Colts
- Ravens D/ST Looking to Bounce Back Against Browns
- 49ers D/ST a Favorite Against the Saints
- Steelers D/ST Should Bounce Back in Home Opener
- Sauce Gardner Expected to Play Against Bills
- Da'Ron Bland Won't Play Against the Giants
Week 2 Defense (DST) Rankings for Fantasy Football
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| D/ST Tier | D/ST Rank | D/ST Name | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 1 | 4 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 2 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 4 | 11 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 6 | 24 | New York Giants | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 7 | 26 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 7 | 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 7 | 28 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 7 | 29 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 8 | 30 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 8 | 31 | New York Jets | DST |
| 8 | 32 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
Week 2 Defense (DST) Rankings Outlooks
Los Angeles Rams DST
The Los Angeles Rams' defense/special teams is a top fantasy option for Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. We've already seen Tennessee face plenty of growing pains, as they were embarrassed on the road last week against the Denver Broncos. In that contest, the Titans achieved just seven first downs, and rookie quarterback Cameron Ward went 12-for-28 passing with six sacks.
The Rams' defense had a solid showing of its own in the season opener, holding the Houston Texans to just nine points. We could be in for a very lopsided game this weekend as the Rams' high-end defense takes on the Titans' low-end offense. Los Angeles' D/ST should be started in all fantasy leagues on Sunday.
New England Patriots DST
The New England Patriots' defense/special teams is certainly on the fantasy radar for Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins. Miami was embarrassed by the Indianapolis Colts last weekend as Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions and also lost a fumble. While Tagovailoa is historically better playing at home, where he'll be Sunday against New England, last week's atrocious showing against Indianapolis is still enough to sound the panic alarm within the Dolphins organization.
Miami couldn't seem to get anything going, and New England has a strong chance to capitalize on that in Week 2, even with Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) sidelined. If the Patriots can rattle Tagovailoa early, they could end up forcing multiple turnovers while keeping Miami to single-digit points. This is a great spot for the Patriots D/ST.
Denver Broncos DST
The Denver Broncos' defense remains an elite fantasy option heading into Week 2. The unit, which finished as the No. 1 fantasy defense in 2024, dominated in its opener with a 20-12 win over Tennessee, racking up six sacks and two turnovers while finishing as the top-scoring D/ST of Week 1. This week, the Broncos face Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts, who looked explosive in their opener against Miami's bottom-tier defense.
History suggests Jones struggles under heavy pressure, and Denver's pass rush is among the league's best. If the Broncos bring consistent heat, turnovers should follow. The Broncos D/ST is a must-start in all fantasy formats for Week 2.
Baltimore Ravens DST
The Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams had a rough go of things against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Throughout three quarters, they looked okay, but then a nightmare of a fourth quarter saw them giving up 22 points and eventually the game. In standard scoring, they came away with negative points in a lot of fantasy leagues.
The good news is that Joe Flacco and the Browns are nowhere near the level of the Bills. Plus, Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy decided to give them some added motivation when he said there were 'no challenges' with the Ravens' defensive backs. This unit should be back in the starting discussion when it comes to D/ST decisions this week.
San Francisco 49ers DST
The San Francisco 49ers defense/special teams has a juicy Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Exploiting second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler's inexperience will be key to San Francisco's success. Rattler has averaged 33.2 pass attempts per game but has a 57.3% completion rate in his young career. In Week 1, he let it rip 46 times but completed only 27 of those passes.
That's a lot of balls that miss their mark. With any luck, the 49ers' secondary can bring in at least one of those errant throws on Sunday. The team shouldn't have a problem keeping points off the board, either. Rattler's Saints have averaged 12.4 points per game in his seven career starts. If San Francisco's D/ST is still on your league's wire, they are worth streaming on Sunday.
Seattle Seahawks DST
The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams performed at a high level in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. They draw the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, who just hung 34 points on the New York Jets. The Steelers are riding high on that victory, but Week 2 should be a lower-scoring affair. The Seahawks' defensive unit harassed 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy all day last weekend. They picked him off twice and realistically could have made it a third on Purdy's go-ahead touchdown pass. Many NFL fans came into this season skeptical of the Steelers' offense.
Their Week 1 production was encouraging, but the Seahawks' defense looks like one of the elite units in the NFL. With a great ability to rush the passer and fantastic players in the secondary, a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers could struggle in this game. However, the absence of safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) and cornerback Devon Witherspoon (knee) is notable this week, making the Seahawks D/ST check in as a borderline starting option.
Pittsburgh Steelers DST
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense was surprisingly vulnerable last week, surrendering 32 points and 394 yards of offense to the New York Jets. Pittsburgh may not be as strong defensively as it was expected to be this season, but it still has plenty of potential as a fantasy D/ST against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Seattle only managed 13 points in its home opener and turned the ball over twice.
The Steelers' defense performed far better at home than on the road in 2024, making this matchup at Acrisure Stadium all the more appealing. It is worth noting that Pittsburgh will be without safety DeShon Elliott (knee) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring), but newcomer Jabril Peppers may get some run in their absence despite joining the team just a few days ago. With playmakers such as T.J. Watt and Jalen Ramsey leading the way, the Steelers D/ST can remain in fantasy lineups on Sunday.
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