Early Week 1 Fantasy Football Team Defense (D/ST) Rankings (2025) - Broncos, Steelers, Jets, Eagles, Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Bengals, Rams, and more

RotoBaller's team defense fantasy football rankings for Week 1 (2025). Set winning fantasy lineups with our Week 1 D/ST rankings for fantasy football leagues.

Week 1 of the NFL season will be here before you know it, and figuring out the top options week-by-week is more important for the D/ST spot than any other position. We're here to help your draft and lineup calls with our fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings for Week 1.

In the rankings below, find out where key units such as the Broncos, Steelers, Jets, Eagles, Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Bengals, Rams, and more stand. Every week should be treated as a must-win situation, but starting the year off with a "W" is always fun.

Our D/ST fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are assembled by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will find a summary of this week's important D/ST fantasy football news. There are always critical injuries and updates to track, so check back until kickoff.

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

Week 1 Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings

Rankings are updated until kick-off. Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and Standard rankings.

Recent Fantasy Football D/ST News

Trey Hendrickson, DL - Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson is planning to end his contract holdout and report to training camp on Wednesday, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hendrickson doesn't have the new deal that he wants yet, and it seems unlikely that he'll practice until he does, so he'll effectively be going from a holdout to a hold-in.

Now that Hendrickson is back with the team, it's possible the two sides can hammer out a new deal before the 2025 regular season. The 30-year-old pass-rusher has recorded 35 sacks over the last two seasons, so as long as he's going to suit up once the regular season begins, he's going to be a highly sought-after defensive lineman in IDP fantasy leagues this fall. Hendrickson has been a Pro Bowler each of the last four seasons and led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024.

David Walker, EDGE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie fourth-round edge rusher David Walker (knee) will miss his entire first year in the NFL after suffering a torn ACL in training camp practice on Friday, according to head coach Todd Bowles. "He was making a big impact early," Bowles said. "Obviously, we were counting on him doing a lot of things, but other guys are going to have to step up. I told him he has to look at this like a redshirt year. It's unfortunate. It didn't look like it was too much on film, but it ended up being that."

Walker was expected to serve in a depth role in his first year in the league behind starting outside linebackers Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby. The 25-year-old will now look to begin a long and grueling rehab and hopefully be ready for training camp next summer.

Joey Bosa, EDGE - Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa (calf) said he feels "great" and gives himself a clean bill of health for Bills training camp, according to Nick Wojton of USA Today. Bosa missed the team's minicamp and OTAs with a calf injury, but he practiced in full earlier this week. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal worth over $12 million with Buffalo this past offseason after spending the first nine years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. He's a five-time Pro-Bowler who has recorded 72 career sacks and 156 QB hits.

However, injuries have been a consistent issue for Bosa, especially in recent years. He played 14 games in 2024, but just 14 combined from 2022-23. The Bills are sure to manage his workload in the preseason and maybe even early in the regular season in the hopes he can be on the field for a potential Super Bowl push.

Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE - Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions rusher Aidan Hutchinson had his 2024 season ended early thanks to a leg injury, but he "looks great" early in camp, according to quarterback Jared Goff. New Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard went further, stating, "I see a better player than we had last year."

Hutchinson was one of the frontrunners for NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season, racking up 7.5 sacks in just five games before the injury. The Lions will certainly welcome Hutchinson back to the fold as they have Super Bowl aspirations heading into 2025. His return makes the Detroit D/ST worth targeting as a top-six option in fantasy drafts later this summer.

Christian Gonzalez, CB - New England Patriots

New England Patriots All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) continues to sit out practice with a hamstring injury he suffered on Monday. While it's likely that he will be back for week 1 as of now, he would undoubtedly be missed if the injury lingers beyond that.

Gonzalez has been a bright spot for the Patriots and ranked 21st out of 222 cornerbacks with a 76.0 PFF grade. With the Patriots' defensive backs seemingly banged up to start camp, they will focus on guaranteeing a healthy Gonzalez when the season starts against the revamped Raiders offense in the early game window on September 7.

Maxwell Hairston, CB, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (knee) is considered week-to-week after suffering a knee injury that forced him out of Tuesday's practice, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The rookie first-round pick out of Kentucky is expected to compete for a starting role right away, and the injury is much less serious than it could have been, considering it was a non-contact injury.

The 21-year-old's development could be slowed down by his absence, but it sounds like he should be ready for the Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. In three seasons at Kentucky, Hairston tallied six interceptions and three defensive touchdowns, so the organization is hoping he can bring that playmaking ability to the next level.

Jalon Walker, EDGE - Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker/edge rusher Jalon Walker (hamstring) will miss his third consecutive practice on Thursday, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. Walker's injury has been described as "very minor" by Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. A first-round draft pick out of the University of Georgia, Walker recorded 37 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 11 TFLs in 14 games for the Bulldogs in 2024.

The 21-year-old is expected to be an immediate contributor for a Falcons defense that has been desperate for pass-rushing talent in recent seasons. It doesn't sound as though this current injury puts Walker at risk for significant missed time, but with every practice he misses, Walker loses out on valuable preparation time for his first NFL season.

Drew Sanders, LB - Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that linebacker Drew Sanders (foot) is dealing with a ligament injury in his foot and will be out "north of four to six weeks." However, the Broncos are relieved it's not a tendon injury, which means the 23-year-old could return to the team before the start of the regular season on Sept. 7 against the Tennessee Titans. Sanders suffered a foot injury in training camp practice on Saturday.

Fellow linebacker Alex Singleton broke his thumb in practice on Monday and is going to miss at least a week as well, so the Broncos are running a little thin at the linebacker spot in camp. The good news is neither Sanders nor Singleton is expected to miss the start of the regular season. The 24-year-old Sanders has played in 21 games (four starts) since debuting in 2023 and has 32 tackles (17 solo) and a sack.

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