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Updated Divisional Round NFL playoffs fantasy football team defense rankings (2026). Set winning lineups with our Divisional Round weekend rankings for fantasy football.
Defenses can be slept on in DFS and fantasy, yet they can and do make the difference between winning and losing, so be sure to take the unit you select seriously. We're back with our Divisional Round fantasy football team defense rankings for 2026 to help you with your tough calls. In the full set of DST rankings below, we'll find out where the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Chicago Bears defenses stand, among the other four defenses for Round 2 of the NFL postseason.
Our DEF fantasy football rankings for the Divisional Round 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.
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Updated Divisional Round Team Defense Rankings for Fantasy Football
| D/ST Tier |
D/ST Rank |
D/ST Name | Pos. |
| 1 | 1 | Seattle Seahawks | DST |
| 1 | 2 | Houston Texans | DST |
| 1 | 3 | New England Patriots | DST |
| 1 | 4 | Denver Broncos | DST |
| 2 | 5 | Buffalo Bills | DST |
| 2 | 6 | Los Angeles Rams | DST |
| 3 | 7 | San Francisco 49ers | DST |
| 3 | 8 | Chicago Bears | DST |
Divisional Round Team Defense Outlooks for Fantasy Football
Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) will not be activated from Injured Reserve for Saturday's Divisional Round contest in Seattle against the division-rival Seahawks, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The extremely banged-up 49ers' defense won't get Warner back, and they'll also be without safety Ji'Ayir Brown (hamstring). Meanwhile, linebackers Luke Gifford (quadriceps) and Dee Winters (ankle) are questionable.
San Fran's defense did a very respectable job last weekend, slowing down the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild-Card round, considering how decimated they've been by injuries all year. If they can somehow pull off the upset against Seattle on Saturday night, Warner will be itching to return for the NFC Championship against either the Los Angeles Rams or the Chicago Bears. Warner has been out since dislocating and fracturing his ankle back in Week 6.
T.J. Edwards, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (leg) suffered a fractured fibula during Saturday's Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers, head coach Ben Johnson announced. He will miss the remainder of the NFL playoffs. Edwards was carted off during the second quarter with his leg in an air cast.
The 29-year-old was an impact defender during the regular season, amassing 67 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, and half a sack through 10 games (10 starts). Going forward, he'll likely be replaced on defense by D'Marco Jackson, a 2022 fifth-round pick who made four tackles (including one tackle for loss) on Saturday night.
Ed Oliver, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (biceps, knee) was limited in practice all week and will be listed as questionable for Saturday's Divisional Round game versus the hosting Denver Broncos, according to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. The Bills will be without two starters on defense in cornerback Maxwell Hairston (ankle) and safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring), so the Bills would certainly welcome Oliver back if he is ready.
The 28-year-old interior defensive lineman has been on Injured Reserve for most of the year due to biceps and knee injuries. In just three games before being shut down, Oliver was very effective, recording 12 total tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble for the Bills. If the Bills officially activate Oliver off IR on Friday, he'll almost certainly be active on Saturday.
Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) shed his non-contact jersey in practice on Thursday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. It suggests that Gonzalez is trending in the right direction to clear the league's concussion protocol to play on Sunday in the Divisional Round versus the visiting Houston Texans. Gonzalez could be a full participant in practice after being limited on Wednesday, but even if he is, he'd still need clearance from an independent neurologist to play on Sunday.
The 23-year-old former first-rounder is one of the top cornerbacks in the league, so not having him this weekend would be a big blow to the Patriots' defense. The good news for New England is that it's looking like Houston will be without top receiver Nico Collins (concussion). If Gonzalez plays, he could be locked up against rookie wideout Jayden Higgins for most of the day.
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 Divisional Round fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding defenses such as the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Chicago Bears. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups.
Divisional Round Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for the Divisional Round. 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 Divisional Round Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for the Divisional Round (2026)? 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 Divisional Round Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Divisional Round searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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