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Fantasy football rankings - updated defense (DST) Week 3 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football DEF rankings for NFL team defenses.
Many fantasy managers are playing the streaming game at the D/ST spot, so use our updated Week 3 fantasy football defense (DST) rankings for 2025 to find the best option for your lineups. In the rankings below, you will see where the Packers, Buccaneers, 49ers, Chiefs, Eagles, Steelers, and Cardinals defenses stand for the third slate of the NFL campaign.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 3 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 3 Fantasy Football Defense (DST) News and Injuries
- Shemar Stewart Won't Play Against the Vikings
- Micah Parsons No Longer on a Snap Count?
- The Chargers Sign Clelin Ferrell on Thursday
- Chargers Put Khalil Mack on Injured Reserve
- A.J. Terrell Considered Week-to-Week
- Preston Smith Signs with Commanders
- Calijah Kancey to Miss the Rest of the Season with Pectoral Injury
- DeShon Elliott, Derrick Harmon, and Joey Porter Jr. are Questionable for Week 3
Week 3 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 | Pos. |
| 1 | 1 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 4 | 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 4 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 5 | 18 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 6 | 23 | New York Giants | DST |
| 6 | 24 | New York Jets | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 7 | 26 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 7 | 27 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 7 | 29 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 8 | 30 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 8 | 31 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 8 | 32 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
Week 3 Defense (DST) Rankings Outlooks
San Francisco 49ers DST
The San Francisco 49ers' defense has shown some promise in the early weeks of the 2025 season, but it will need to step things up to be a consistent factor in fantasy football. San Francisco held the Seahawks to just 13 points in Week 1, and in two games, has already recovered three fumbles. However, the team has just four sacks and has yet to record an interception after facing the likes of Sam Darnold and Spencer Rattler.
The 49ers can take another step forward in Week 3 when they face an Arizona Cardinals offense that is lacking punch, having averaged just 284.5 yards per game. At the very least, San Francisco may find success in bottling up the Cardinals' forward progress and limiting damage on the scoreboard. An adequate streamer for Week 3, the 49ers' D/ST might be worth the pickup in anticipation of their Week 4 meeting with the Jaguars.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City defense will take on the New York Giants on Sunday night in Week 3. The Chiefs have not played great to start the season, allowing 20 or more points with no takeaways in both games. To be fair to the defensive unit, they've faced the Los Angeles Chargers and the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles in their first two matchups. The Chargers rank first in EPA per pass and the Eagles rank sixth in EPA per rush this season. Their upcoming matchup against the Giants should provide an opportunity to bounce back.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will no doubt dial up loads of exotic looks and blitzes for veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to deal with. The last time this Kansas City defense faced Wilson was in Week 17 of 2024, when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs won that game 29-10 and held Wilson to 205 passing yards, no touchdowns, and an interception.
This week's matchup will involve an entirely different offensive scheme and personnel group, but this defensive unit has found success against this opposing quarterback in the past so perhaps they can do it again. The Chiefs are the eighth-ranked defense in our RotoBaller rankings, making them worthy of a start this week.
Las Vegas Raiders DST
The Las Vegas Raiders' defense gets a major boost in Week 3 with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) sidelined. Instead, veteran Marcus Mariota will take the start, and the Raiders are well-acquainted with his limitations.
While Las Vegas has struggled against the pass this season, ranking 26th in the league, Mariota's career-long issues pushing the ball downfield could neutralize that weakness.
On the flip side, the Raiders' fourth-ranked run defense should match up well against Washington's backfield. Led by Maxx Crosby, the unit will look to control the line of scrimmage and force Mariota into uncomfortable situations. Given the matchup and opportunity for turnovers, the Raiders defense profiles as a must-stream option for fantasy managers in Week 3.
Seattle Seahawks DST
The Seattle Seahawks' defense/special teams is a potential starting option at the position in Week 3 when the team hosts the New Orleans Saints. Coming into the 2025 season, the Saints appeared to be a great team to target for D/ST matchups. However, second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler has played solid football this season, which has allowed the team to move the ball up and down the field.
Additionally, Rattler has not committed a turnover in 2025, which has prevented opposing D/ST's from reaching double-digit fantasy points. To make matters worse, the Seahawks are likely going to be without three of their top defensive backs in this game, with safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle), safety Julian Love (hamstring), and cornerback Devon Witherspoon (ankle) all unlikely to play.
Then again, the Seahawks were without some of their defensive backs in Week 2, but they still held the Pittsburgh Steelers to a quiet day on offense. The Seahawks' defensive front may be good enough to offset any issues in the secondary. As such, this unit can be started this week, albeit with limited upside.
Houston Texans DST
The Houston Texans' defense will travel to Jacksonville in Week 3 for a divisional matchup against the Jaguars. Houston had four sacks and no takeaways against the Bucs in Week 2 after forcing a turnover and totaling three sacks in Week 1 against the Rams.
The defense has been solid, with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter providing excellent pass rush, and Derek Stingley Jr. serving as a lockdown corner. However, the team is still 0-2 and is looking for its first win after two narrow defeats.
They'll take on the Jaguars, who have allowed three interceptions and a sack in the first two weeks. In the divisional matchup, the Texans are the No. 9 DST in RotoBaller's rankings for this week, meaning they're a solid starting option in standard leagues.
Denver Broncos DST
The Denver Broncos' defense/special teams unit is one of the best in the league on paper, but a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers makes them less reliable in Week 3.
Los Angeles' offense has been firing on all cylinders this season, taking down the Chiefs and Raiders in back-to-back primetime games. Meanwhile, Denver's defense was surprisingly underwhelming against the Colts last week, surrendering 29 points while failing to force a turnover.
We wouldn't advise dropping the Broncos D/ST in fantasy football, given their extreme talent on defense. However, looking for a different unit to start this week is the right move. RotoBaller has the Broncos listed 15th in the latest D/ST rankings.
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