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Saleh AwwadEric identifies team defenses (DST) in fantasy football to target in drafts as consistent point producers through the entire 2023 NFL campaign.
Defenses are not the main focus for most fantasy football players. However, having an elite defense can change the entire trajectory of your season. For example, the No. 1 defense in 2022 was the New England Patriots. They scored ~11 fantasy points per game, which was equivalent to the consensus 1st overall pick Jonathan Taylor's fantasy PPG in half-PPR leagues.
Instead of having uncertainty with your defense week after week, it's important to develop an actual plan on how to approach team defenses in redraft leagues.
This will be based on the defense's talent, coaching, schedule, offensive situation, and production over the last two seasons or so, assuming they have a similar defensive roster. With that said, let's get into it.
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Elite Matchup Proof - Fantasy Football Defenses (D/ST)
There are a couple of defenses each year that are dominant to the point where you are never benching them, regardless of who their matchup is. While you will have to take these defenses earlier than you may prefer in drafts, their consistency and upside can be well worth the draft capital. These are defenses that I believe you’ll be able to roster for the entire season and not have to pick up any other option except for a bye week.
San Francisco 49ers
This San Francisco defense is elite season after season, led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, and First Team All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. The Niners' defense dominated once again in 2022, allowing the fewest PPG as well as the fewest amount of total yards per game during the regular season. Despite losing defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to the Houston Texans, Steve Wilks will take on defensive duties and is more than capable.
While they did lose a couple of rotational pieces in free agency such as Samson Ebukam, they did give out the biggest contract to a defensive player in free agency when they acquired Eagles DT Javon Hargrave. This is a huge addition to this already elite defense and will make the defensive line and pass/rush defense even more dominant than it already is.
The 49ers ranked as the third-best fantasy football defense in 2022 according to FantasyPros and are in a great position to take that top spot in 2023.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles' defense dominated on a different level in 2022, racking up 70 sacks, which was 15 more than any other team in the league and the third most all-time in a single season.
The NFC champions did lose some key defensive players during this off-season in defensive Javon Hargrave, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, linebacker T.J. Edwards, safety Marcus Epps, and linebacker Kyzir White. However, the NFL draft helped them retool their losses as they acquired one of the top players in the entire draft in Georgia DT Jalen Carter as well as Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith at pick 30. They also selected safety Sydney Brown and cornerback Kalee Ringo.
The team will have a coaching change as well as defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon took the Cardinals' head coaching gig. However, Sean Desai is a fantastic defensive mind and can keep this unit playing at an elite level for the 2023 season.
Dallas Cowboys
In the two seasons under Dan Quinn, Dallas has thrived like none other defensively, ranking as the number one fantasy defense in 2021 and the number two defense in 2022.
Despite already being as elite as they were, Dallas added more help to their unit, making them even more dangerous. Trading for the former DPOY Stephan Gilmore could give them an elite cornerback duo alongside Trevon Diggs. The team also added an athletic tackle out of Michigan Mazi Smith with the 26th overall pick.
These additions coupled with the fact that the runner-up DPOY Micah Parsons is moving to the defensive line put Dallas in an exceptional position to be a matchup-proof defense. They easily have the potential to finish in the top three for fantasy for the third season in a row.
New York Jets
While the Jets were ranked just 10th in fantasy among defenses last season, they did allow the fourth-fewest PPG and were a top-three pass defense in the league.
Something that played a huge factor in the Jets not being ranked as a top-five fantasy defense was their offensive time of possession (TOP). The team had the second-lowest TOP per game in the entire league, which makes the job of the defense much more difficult. With the significant quarterback and offensive upgrades they made, the TOP will undoubtedly increase making it easier on this elite defense.
Along with the offensive jump and the additions of 15th overall pick EDGE Will McDonald IV, safety Adrian Amos, and defensive tackles Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson, this Jets defense will only be better. They have a real chance to be an every-week matchup-proof unit.
Fantasy Football Defenses You Can Hold Onto All Season
While I do think the top four above are in their own tier, there are defenses that can be borderline elite for fantasy in 2023 and have the ability to squeeze into that first group. These are the defenses that I would be targeting the most considering you won’t have to spend such high draft capital on them and they still give you every week starting potential.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has been a top-four fantasy defense in each of the past two seasons, including allowing the second-lowest PPG in 2022. The fact that the Bills were still able to finish in the top four with the injuries they suffered is incredible.
Some of their best players on defense including Von Miller, Tre’Davious White, and Micah Hyde all missed a significant amount of time during the season. With the entire unit expected to be back and healthy, there is no reason why Buffalo can’t finish in the top five once again. They also signed super bowl champion Leonard Floyd to a one-year deal, giving them a great run-stopper/pass rusher and some much-needed depth.
Longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has stepped down but head coach Sean McDermott will take on defensive playcalling duties. McDermott has one of the greatest defensive minds in all of football as he coached Carolina's dominant defense that made it to the Super Bowl back in 2015. Buffalo should be taken as a top-five defense in redraft leagues as they have the ability to be an every-week start and finish in the top three.
New Orleans Saints
This is less of the Saints' defense being dominant and more of their schedule just being very soft. With the second easiest schedule in the entire league based on 2022 win totals, the Saints start their season against TEN, @CAR, @GB, TB, @NE, @HOU, JAX, @IND, and @CHI. Realistically, you can confidently start them in eight out of the first nine weeks. This is a defense that I’ll personally be targeting heavily late in drafts.
Under Dennis Allen’s first season as head coach, New Orleans finished as a top-10 defense in 2022. This is a defense you can draft with one of your last picks and still get weekly production from them.
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick makes it a priority that New England has an elite defense year after year. They finished as the number two overall fantasy defense in 2021 and the number one in 2022.
Being top three in sacks and second in takeaways, this defense dominated once again in 2022, led by elite pass rusher Matthew Judon. The team did lose their longtime DB Devin McCourty who has been a huge part of this defense, but the additions of cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Georgia Tech EDGE Keion White can help recoup that loss.
Even with a difficult schedule in 2023, this Patriots' defense can still thrive as they’ve done for a very long time. This is another defense that I would feel confident in having for the entirety of the season.
Baltimore Ravens
With the elite linebacker duo of Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, Baltimore allowed the third-fewest PPG only behind the Bills and Niners, along with having the sixth most total sacks in the league.
While the Ravens did lose some starters from last season with Justin Houston, Calais Campbell, and Chuck Clark departing, the additions they made can make up for it. The team drafted Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson in the third round, despite him being a clear first or second-round talent. The team also added Rock Ya-Sin to play nickel for them, which was definitely a need. Not to mention their 45th overall pick from 2022, linebacker David Ojabo will be coming back from his torn Achilles. Ojabo was a clear first-round pick but fell due to his injury and not being completely healthy.
Baltimore finished with the 7th-most fantasy points among defenses in 2022 and will look to finish in a similar spot for the 2023 season.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders may have the most underrated defense in all of football. Washington finished as a top-three run defense, and a top-12 pass defense. They were also a top-three defense in total yards while allowing the eighth-fewest PPG. This sounds like a clear elite defense to me.
Despite some losses in free agency, the team added the very athletic and explosive DB Emmanuel Forbes and vertical DB Jartavius Martin to their secondary. However, the most dominant part of this defense is the line. Consisting of Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Chase Young, assuming he's available for week one. Their line creates absolute havoc for opposing offenses and is the main reason this defense ranked so highly in 2022.
They begin the season against Arizona and Denver so this is a defense that you can get late in drafts and start early on. There is a strong possibility that you can keep them rostered all season.
Fantasy Football Defenses You Can Start Early On
If you aren’t taking an elite defense that you think you can hold onto all season long, you should take a defense that has a soft schedule early on in the year. This way you can have security for the first couple of weeks and see how the defense performs.
For example, the Eagles defense was being drafted very late in 2022 but those that took them did so because of the easy schedule they had at the beginning of the season. Not only did they dominate early on, but they ended up being a must-start every week, regardless of the matchup.
Denver Broncos
Denver starts the season with matchups against LV, WAS, @MIA, and then @CHI. However, they can be a defense that you hold onto because of their talent. Factoring in that they’re getting their guys back from injury, Denver also picked up Frank Clark and Zach Allen and brought in head coach Sean Payton to shore up their offense. This is a defense and a team that should be much better overall in 2023.
Green Bay Packers
With a very soft schedule, the Packers start the season off @CHI, @ATL, NO, DET, @LV, and @DEN. This is a defense that you can start for the majority of the season based on matchups and may be able to keep all season considering how stacked the unit is.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Six out of their first eight weeks include @IND, HOU, ATL, IND, @NO, and @PIT. This unit can put up some huge weeks as they finished with the sixth most fantasy points among defenses in 2022. They were also the top united in fantasy over the last five weeks of the season. Considering that you can essentially get them for free and start them for a large portion of the season, this is one of my favorite defenses to draft in 2023.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have the easiest schedule in the entire league and will be a very popular streaming option if they're not drafted. With a ton of additions including All-Pro safety Jessie Bates, this is a defense that can be very consistent and dominate TOP with their overwhelming run game.
Miami Dolphins
While they have a difficult schedule and are in a tough division, the addition of All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey and the creation of an elite cornerback duo can push this defense over the top. They also brought in an incredible defensive coach in Vic Fangio, who’ll look to turn this unit around.]
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