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Fantasy football rankings - updated defense (DST) Week 9 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football DEF rankings for NFL team defenses.
Four defenses are out of action on a bye, so the choices are a bit slimmer this week. Defenses can make the difference between wins and losses in fantasy matchups, so it's important to find a high-upside D/ST. Use our updated Week 9 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 Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Chicago Bears defenses stand, among all other D/STs.
Our defense fantasy football rankings for Week 9 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 9 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 | Los Angeles Chargers | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 1 | 3 | Green Bay Packers | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Detroit Lions | DST |
| 2 | 6 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 3 | 7 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DST |
| 3 | 9 | Baltimore Ravens | DST |
| 3 | 10 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 4 | 11 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 4 | 12 | Chicago Bears | DST |
| 4 | 13 | Indianapolis Colts | DST |
| 4 | 14 | New York Giants | DST |
| 5 | 15 | Atlanta Falcons | DST |
| 5 | 16 | Washington Commanders | DST |
| 5 | 17 | Dallas Cowboys | DST |
| 5 | 18 | Las Vegas Raiders | DST |
| 5 | 19 | Cincinnati Bengals | DST |
| 5 | 20 | Kansas City Chiefs | DST |
| 6 | 21 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 6 | 22 | Minnesota Vikings | DST |
| 6 | 23 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DST |
| 6 | 24 | Tennessee Titans | DST |
| 6 | 25 | Arizona Cardinals | DST |
| 7 | 26 | Carolina Panthers | DST |
| 7 | 27 | New Orleans Saints | DST |
| 7 | 28 | Miami Dolphins | DST |
Week 9 Defense (DST) Rankings Outlooks
San Francisco 49ers D/ST
The San Francisco 49ers' defense has been plagued by injuries all season. Edge rusher Nick Bosa (knee) tore his ACL in Week 3. Fred Warner suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle in Week 6. In Week 9, four defensive linemen have been declared out or questionable, thinning the team's depth up front.
Linebacker Dee Winters (knee) is also questionable, as is defensive back Deommodore Lewis (quadriceps), whose interception in Week 8 was the team's first since Week 11 of 2024. San Francisco's D/ST has been able to limit scoring here and there, but its inability to force turnovers (0.8 per game) and sacks (1.1 per game) curtails the unit's fantasy value. It will be a risky start in Week 9 against a New York Giants offense that has averaged 28.3 points per game over the last three weeks.
Houston Texans D/ST
The Houston Texans' defense has been excellent this season, holding opponents to 20 points or fewer in all but one of their seven games so far. Last week at home, they held the 49ers to 15 points, with two sacks and an interception. Will Anderson Jr. continues to lead an excellent pass rush, and Derek Stingley Jr. is the focal point of a strong secondary. This week, they face a tough home matchup against the Broncos and Bo Nix, but they are still the No. 10 DST in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings.
The defense has enough playmakers to be a solid play even in a tough matchup like this. It could be a massive win for the team as it tries to fight its way back to playoff contention, and so far, the defense has been up to the task most weeks, with its only down game on the road in Seattle two weeks ago. It's not a perfect spot, but the Texans' defense is still a strong enough unit to start if you have them this week.
Detroit Lions D/ST
The Detroit Lions defense had arguably its most impressive performance of the season in a Week 7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team's final game before its Week 8 bye. Working with a shorthanded secondary, Detroit allowed just nine points to Tampa Bay, forcing two turnovers and recording four sacks along the way. The Lions will host their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, in Week 9. Minnesota's offense has been a bottom-ten unit in terms of both passing and rushing yardage so far this season.
However, the Vikings will get J.J. McCarthy (ankle) back under center this week for his first start since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. Across two games played, McCarthy has thrown for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while taking nine sacks. On paper, the Lions' defense should have an opportunity to wreak some havoc against the inexperienced quarterback. Detroit will also get safety Brian Branch back from suspension and cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder) back from a shoulder injury. In Week 9 against Minnesota, the Lions D/ST profiles as a must-start unit for fantasy managers.
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 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding defense options like Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Chicago Bears. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 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 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (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 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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