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Fantasy football rankings - updated defense (DST) Week 5 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football DEF rankings for NFL team defenses.
Finding the best fantasy football defense each week can make the difference between winning and losing fantasy matchups, so use updated Week 5 fantasy football defense (DST) rankings for 2025 to pinpoint the best team defense for your lineups. In the rankings below, you will see where the Lions, Browns, Texans, Seahawks, Colts, Eagles, Giants, Broncos, and Saints defenses stand, among all other D/STs.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find key fantasy football outlooks from our RotoBaller staff, as well as the "Who to Start?" tool. Also, be sure to check our 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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Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings:- Overall fantasy football rankings
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Week 5 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 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 4 | 11 | New York Giants | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 4 | 13 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 6 | 22 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 7 | 26 | New York Jets | DST |
| 7 | 27 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
Week 5 Defense (DST) Rankings Outlooks
Detroit Lions D/ST
The Detroit Lions' defense/special teams showed up in a big way in Week 4, limiting the Cleveland Browns to 10 points while recording two interceptions, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Additionally, Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown. The Lions' defense appears to have a good matchup on paper in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have scored 13 points and committed five turnovers in the two games that Jake Browning has started at quarterback.
One area of concern for Detroit could be in the secondary. The team placed top cornerback D.J. Reed (hamstring) on Injured Reserve earlier this week, which could open things up for top Bengals wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Still, the Lions D/ST profiles as a must-start fantasy unit against the Bengals in Week 5.
Carolina Panthers D/ST
The Carolina Panthers' defense/special teams has an appealing matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5, but the unit can be left on waivers in most fantasy leagues. The Dolphins limped to an 0-3 start before winning last Monday, and they're likely going to continue in the wrong direction with Tyreek Hill (knee) done for the year.
However, Miami has still managed to allow just the 17th-fewest fantasy points to opposing D/ST units -- right near the league median. Furthermore, the Jets allowed a concerning 300 yards and 27 points to the Dolphins in Week 4. Finally, the Panthers aren't exactly an imposing matchup, as they allowed 42 points to the Patriots last weekend. While a matchup against Tua Tagovailoa may seem appealing, the Panthers should really be avoided this week. They're 19th in RotoBaller's latest D/ST rankings for Week 5.
New York Giants D/ST
The New York Giants' defense profiles as a streaming option in Week 5 in deeper leagues, despite their own struggles through the first four games. While the unit has performed poorly on paper, ranking 23rd in points allowed (25.3) and 29th in total yards allowed per game (388.5), they benefit from a premier matchup.
They travel to New Orleans to face a winless Saints offense that has been one of the league's worst. The Saints rank 28th in the NFL in scoring, averaging just 16.5 points per game, and have scored the second-fewest touchdowns in the league with only seven, making the Giants DST a high-floor play this week.
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense/special teams unit was able to find the end zone for the second week in a row against Tampa Bay, blocking a punt for a house call on the opening drive of the game. They also forced two turnovers, with a fumble recovery and an interception later on in the contest.
In Week 5, Philly hosts the Broncos, who sport a middle-of-the-pack offense scoring 24 points per game this season. Denver has also given the ball away six times through four games. Fantasy managers should probably ride the hot hand and depend on the Eagles D/ST once again this week.
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST
The Los Angeles Chargers' defense/special teams enters Week 5 as a decent streaming option, but they face new uncertainty with the return of Washington Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee). The defense struggled against the New York Giants' rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart, last week, giving up over 50 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. This could be concerning for Daniels, who is dangerous with his legs. We will have to see how much his knee affects his ability to run the ball.
While the defense is one of the league's best at pressuring the quarterback (six team sacks last week), they must now focus on containing a mobile passer and forcing turnovers. They still boast strong red-zone numbers, but they have only produced three interceptions and zero fumble recoveries in four games. RotoBaller has downgraded the Chargers to D/ST12 this week. They are a decent spot start, but fantasy managers should temper expectations against a strong run game and an effective mobile quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings D/ST
The Minnesota Vikings' defense/special teams has major fantasy potential on Sunday when taking on the NFL's least-efficient offense and a first-time starter at quarterback against the Cleveland Browns. Through four games, Cleveland ranks among the league's worst in scoring percentage (32nd), yards per play (29th), turnover percentage (30th), and net yards per passing attempt (30th), and now they'll break in rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback.
The Vikings will be without two key defenders in edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) and linebacker Blake Cash (hamstring), but young quarterbacks have not historically fared well against defensive coordinator Brian Flores' chaotic, blitz-heavy scheme. The Browns surely will try to run at the Vikings, who rank 21st in yards per rush attempt, but they're officially throwing Gabriel into the fire on Sunday. Especially with a beat-up offense, Minnesota will be gunning for game-changing turnovers.
Seattle Seahawks D/ST
The Seattle Seahawks' defense/special teams is in for a tough challenge in Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After getting several key defensive players back in Week 4, the Seahawks will again be depleted in Week 5. Notable absences this week include cornerback Devon Witherspoon (knee) and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (quadricep). On a promising note, this unit has been battling substantial injuries since Week 2, yet they have turned in three straight double-digit fantasy efforts.
The Buccaneers have a quality offense that just pushed an excellent Eagles defense to the brink in Week 4. While this game will occur in Seattle, the Bucs should still be able to move up and down the field. The Seahawks D/ST is still a low-end starting option in fantasy this week, but they do carry risk. The overall quality of the defense should minimize the chance for a catastrophic week, but if you have another quality option at D/ST, it may be best to look elsewhere in Week 5.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding defense options like Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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