When Should I Draft a Kicker, Defense in Fantasy Football? Expert Draft Strategy (2026)

August 24, 2026

Kevin's fantasy football defense and kicker tips, including the best strategy for both positions, the ideal rounds, and key factors to consider when building your fantasy roster.

Defense and kickers tend to receive much less attention during fantasy drafts, and for good reason. These are usually among the last positions addressed during the drafting process. This usually comes down to the fact that using an early pick on either one can mean passing up a running back or wide receiver who could become an important part of the lineup.

There is also another advantage to waiting. Namely, defenses and kickers can often be replaced during the season based on matchups. This eliminates the need to find the perfect option on draft night.

All in all, the goal is to understand when to take these positions and what to look for when you finally make those picks.

When to Draft a Defense in Fantasy Football

Defense is generally a late-round position. That is why fantasy managers should avoid spending early or even middle-round picks on a D/ST. A defense touted to be among the best in fantasy football can usually still be found much later in the draft.

The Denver Broncos are a useful example of this from last year. They entered the season as one of the most highly regarded fantasy defenses. Even so, their average draft position was only around 146th overall.

That is important because the draft is ultimately about opportunity cost. Every pick you use on a defense is a pick you cannot use on a running back, wide receiver, or another position with greater upside. A defense can be valuable, but there are usually more ways to find a usable D/ST later than there are to find a starting-caliber skill-position player.

Another reason to wait is that defensive performance can be difficult to predict over an entire season. A unit may look dominant one year and become a less attractive fantasy option the next. Counting stats like sacks and fumble recoveries can all skew a defense's weekly production.

Owing to that volatility, fantasy managers do not necessarily need to identify the defense that will finish first overall. Finding one that can produce viable numbers for the next few weeks might just suffice. This is where the early-season schedule comes into play.

One cannot choose a defense's schedule, of course. However, one can compare the schedules available before the draft and choose a D/ST with favorable matchups coming up. Looking for defenses going up against weak offenses, inexperienced quarterbacks, or teams that are expected to win very few games could work well in this regard. Those matchups can create opportunities for sacks, turnovers, and lower opponent scoring.

Falcons defense had 6 sacks and 2 interceptions in Week 2 🔥 @progressive pic.twitter.com/IoCR9XLdLK

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2025

Take the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of 2025, for instance. They were considered an inexpensive streaming option because they opened the season against New Orleans, which had an uncertain quarterback situation. The idea was not that Arizona had to be an elite defense for the entire season. The matchup simply made that defensive unit an attractive option at the start of the year.

The opposition's quarterback can also be especially important when choosing between defenses. Quarterbacks who take a lot of sacks or concede many turnovers can give the opposing defense chances to rack up defensive actions. This, in turn, gives the defense a golden opportunity to then accumulate fantasy points.

Denver showed why that matters in Week 1 of 2025 when they faced Tennessee and rookie quarterback Cam Ward. The Broncos recorded six sacks, two fumble recoveries, and finished with 14 fantasy points.

That same logic leads to one of the most common strategies for fantasy defenses: streaming.

Streaming means changing your defense during the season based on the matchup rather than keeping the same D/ST all year. A manager might draft a defense with an easy opening schedule, use that D/ST for several weeks, and then move on when the matchups become less favorable. However, it is important to check the waiver wire before making that move. Another defense may already be available with an even better upcoming schedule.

When to Draft a Kicker in Fantasy Football

The basic strategy for kickers is even simpler: wait until the final round. Kicker production is difficult to predict, and managers usually have enough usable options that they don't need to spend an early selection on one. Your final pick can still give you a kicker capable of providing solid weekly production.

Jason Myers finished as the K12 in 2024, but entered the 2025 season with a K23 ADP. In other words, he is a worthy example of fantasy managers' ability to wait considerably longer before pulling the trigger on him despite his previous production. That illustrates why chasing a kicker early in the draft usually makes little sense. There are often comparable options available later.

However, when choosing a kicker, it pays to be mindful of the offense around him. A productive offense is more likely to give its kicker opportunities to score through extra points and field goals.

Chase McLaughlin finished as the K6 in 2024, averaging 9.4 fantasy points per game while playing for Tampa Bay. His production is a telling reminder that fantasy managers should consider the entire offensive situation instead of focusing only on the kicker's individual reputation.

The upcoming matchup matters as well. When deciding between two kickers, consider the team's expected scoring output, the quality of the opposing defense, and prevailing conditions on gameday. A high-scoring offense can create more scoring opportunities, while indoor games remove some of the weather concerns that can affect field-goal attempts.

Weather is not something to obsess over weeks in advance, but it can be a useful tiebreaker when two kickers are otherwise similar.

Brandon Aubrey drills a 66-yard field goal 🔥

📺: #DALvsLV on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2oWP1UDtXB

— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2024

Kicker streaming is also common. Drafting one kicker, using him for a few weeks, and then replacing him with another kicker who has a better matchup can work well. Nonetheless, managers should be careful not to rotate the position simply to make a move. Keeping a reliable kicker can still be worthwhile.

There are also exceptions to the late-round approach. Brandon Aubrey, for example, has consistently produced at an elite level and has been viewed as one of the top fantasy kickers. His performance makes him a reasonable target for managers who want a set-and-forget option. Even then, however, he has generally been drafted much later than premium players at other positions.

An elite kicker can be worth targeting, but the position usually does not justify an early selection.

Summary

The strategy for both positions boils down to patience. Defense should be addressed in the later rounds. The early-season schedule serves as one of the most useful factors when deciding which D/ST to draft. Attention should be directed towards weak offenses, inexperienced quarterbacks, sacks, and turnover potential. Moreover, a willingness to stream the position as the season progresses can also pay huge dividends.

Kickers can usually be put off until the final round. When making that pick, it is useful to look for a kicker attached to a productive offense while considering the upcoming matchup and gameday conditions.

All in all, it makes little sense to force a decision at either position early in a fantasy draft. Saving those valuable picks for players with greater upside and then using matchups and the waiver wire to manage your defense and kicker throughout the season tends to yield better results.

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