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RotoBaller's updated fantasy football DEF/DST rankings for September 2026. These tiered team defense rankings are for redraft leagues and include the 32 defenses.
Hey RotoBallers! The 2026 fantasy football season is about to begin, which means draft season is slowly coming to a close. Below, we will provide you with our updated defense (D/ST) rankings for all standard formats.
For more rankings sets, be sure to view our 2026 best ball fantasy football rankings, 2026 dynasty fantasy football rankings, and 2026 NFL rookie fantasy football rankings. You can also bookmark our NFL news page or the brand new NFL Injuries Report page for the latest fantasy news and injury updates.
RotoBaller's lead NFL analyst Nick Mariano has put together these updated 2026 defense rankings, which will be constantly updated throughout the offseason and all the way up until Week 1.
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2026 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings
| Defense Tier | Rank | Player Name | Pos |
| 1 | 1 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 2 | 4 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 4 | 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 5 | 11 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 5 | 12 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 5 | 13 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 5 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 5 | 15 | New York Giants | DST |
| 6 | 16 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 6 | 17 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 6 | 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 6 | 19 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 6 | 20 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 7 | 21 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 7 | 22 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 7 | 23 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 7 | 24 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 7 | 25 | New York Jets | DST |
| 7 | 26 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 7 | 27 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 7 | 29 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 7 | 30 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 7 | 31 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 7 | 32 | Washington Commanders | DST |
Fantasy Football Defense Player News
Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons (knee) has been moved to the reserve/PUP list, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As a result, Parsons will miss the first four games of the regular season, although it has been widely reported that he's targeting Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys for his return, barring a setback.
Parsons is working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 15 of the 2025 season, just a couple of months after being traded from Dallas to Green Bay. Across 14 games last year, he amassed 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Now 27, Parsons will offer a major boost to the Packers' defense in a competitive NFC North once he's healthy enough to play. Brenton Cox and Barryn Sorrell are early candidates to earn more defensive snaps in his absence.
Joe Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (back) has been activated from the PUP list and is officially on the team's initial 53-man roster. Porter missed all of training camp, and prior to suffering the injury, he had been seeking a new contract.
It's unclear whether those talks will continue into the regular season, but the good news is that it doesn't seem like Porter has any plans to let his contract status impact his availability. He should be on the field for the Steelers' season opener against the Falcons on September 13, lining up alongside fellow projected starting cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Jalen Ramsey.
Trevon Diggs, Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have released veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs. However, general manager John Schneider told Gregg Bell of The Seattle Times that he hopes to re-sign Diggs to the practice squad. Schneider noted that Diggs continues to acclimate to the Seahawks' defense, and he added that the players and coaching staff "love him."
Before he signed his contract less than two weeks ago, Diggs had not worn full pads since January. Across nine games with Dallas and Green Bay last year, he logged 27 tackles, including one tackle for loss. Diggs has declined significantly since the early portion of his career, when he made back-to-back Pro Bowls. In fact, in 2021, he was named a First Team All-Pro with an NFL-leading 11 interceptions.
Assuming he does return to the Seahawks as a practice squad player, he'll be a candidate for elevation to the 53-man roster once the regular season gets underway. He might not be a defensive starter for the reigning Super Bowl champions, but he'll at least offer a solid veteran presence.
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have signed defensive tackle Aaron Donald to a one-year deal worth $20 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The deal could pay him up to $30 million with potential incentives. Donald is coming out of retirement and will return to the team where he played 10 seasons from 2014 to 2023. During his first stint in Los Angeles, he tallied 111 sacks and 24 forced fumbles.
He made the Pro Bowl in all 10 seasons, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and was an eight-time First Team All-Pro. One of the greatest defensive players of this century, Donald will join forces with fellow superstar Myles Garrett, who was traded from the Browns to the Rams this past offseason. All of a sudden, the Rams D/ST is back to being the #1 unit in fantasy football.
Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) appears on the team's initial 53-man roster, which means that he was not placed on injured reserve. As a result, he'll be eligible to play in the Ravens' first four games this season, although it remains uncertain whether he'll be available for Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts.
The former Pro Bowler continues to work his way back from a very serious cervical neck injury that he suffered during Baltimore's second game last season. Prior to that, though, he had played every game for three consecutive seasons from 2022 through 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, he amassed 99 tackles, 19.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He ranked as a top-12 defensive tackle in IDP leagues during both of those seasons.
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers:
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