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Fantasy football rankings - updated defense (DST) Week 15 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football DEF rankings for NFL team defenses.
Defenses matter in fantasy football, and finding the best high-upside D/ST can carry your fantasy team to a playoff win! Use our updated Week 15 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 Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and more defenses stand, among all other D/STs.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 15 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.
Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!
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 15 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 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 2 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Cleveland Browns | DST |
| 4 | 11 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 4 | 14 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 5 | 18 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 5 | 19 | New York Giants | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 6 | 23 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 6 | 25 | New York Jets | DST |
| 7 | 26 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 7 | 27 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 7 | 29 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 8 | 30 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 8 | 31 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 8 | 32 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
Week 15 Defense (DST) Rankings Outlooks
Cleveland Browns D/ST
The Cleveland Browns DST is looking to bounce back after giving up 184 yards on the ground and 31 points last week to the Tennessee Titans. However, cornerback Denzel Ward (calf) was ruled out on Friday, and four other defensive players, including linebacker Carson Schwesinger (ankle) and defensive tackle Mason Graham (ribs), are nursing injuries ahead of Week 15 against the Chicago Bears.
Despite having one of the best pass rushers in the game in defensive end Myles Garrett, the Browns DST only has two sacks over as many games. With extremely frigid temperatures forecasted for game time on Sunday, the Bears are likely to lean even more on their ground game, which the Browns have struggled to defend since Week 9. The Browns DST is a talented unit, but will likely struggle to generate fantasy points, making them a borderline start this week.
Dallas Cowboys D/ST
The Dallas Cowboys' defense carries sneaky streaming upside in a Week 15 home matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys have not been a reliable option at the defense position this season, entering Week 15 averaging the third-lowest FPTS/G. In addition, over their last two games, they have allowed at least 28 points in each, and are coming off a rough 44-point showing against the Detroit Lions. In these two games, they recorded four sacks without an interception.
However, before this rough skid, they flashed high upside in a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. In this Week 11 tilt, they held the Raiders to just 16 points, forced four sacks, and added an interception. This weekend, they could find similar success, facing an inconsistent Minnesota offense. While young QB J.J. McCarthy is coming off his best showing as a professional, he has shown major growing pains.
From Weeks 9 through 12, the former Michigan standout tossed seven interceptions and averaged only 157.0 yards per game. Given his poor decision-making with the football, and Dallas' promising pass rush that is beginning to find its footing with Quinnen Williams leading the charge, the Cowboys are a sneaky top-12 option this weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST
The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense and special teams unit is in a spot that could carry fantasy teams through Week 15. Their opponent, the Jets, is lining up the unproven Brady Cook to get the start under center with both Tyrod Taylor (groin) and Justin Fields (knee) ruled out for Sunday. Starting tight end Mason Taylor will also miss the game due to a neck injury.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars boast an injury report with zero designations on the defensive side of the ball. The Jets just allowed six sacks with three turnovers to the Dolphins last week, with Cook responsible for two of the picks and all six sacks. He'll get more preparation going into this week, but this game is played in Jacksonville, and the Jets can't hide behind Breece Hall as the Jags have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL. Jacksonville is listed as RotoBaller's second-best DST for Week 15 and should be played in all leagues with confidence.
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 15 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding defense options like the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 15.
Week 15 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 15 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 15 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 15 (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 15 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 15 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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