Whether you’re allocating a roster spot to a specific defense week-to-week or streaming the position via the waiver list, you’ll need to put some thought into the D/ST spot in fantasy football.
If you decide to draft him, will you go with the suffocating stop unit like the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets? Or maybe you’ll go with the big-play defense like the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys?
You can’t really walk incorrect with any of those options, although the 49ers could have the widest range of results of all. They finished last season as the DEF10, with a new defensive coordinator on board and some roster upheaval; in short, it could be a season of mixed emotions, although there’s no doubt that there’s plenty of upside potential with this Nick Bosa-led team.
(Ranking of the 2024 Fantasy Drafts: Quarterbacks | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers)
Even if you don’t spend that much money on one of the best D/ST options, there are several units on the market that have potential.
Take the Chicago Bears, for example, who are rated as a top-9 D/ST by three of our four experts. That’s an interesting surprise option considering the Bears have the third-easiest 2024 schedule based on projected win totals and considering they were the DEF5 in Weeks 11-18 last year. Despite being widely rated as a DEF12, they’re the 20th-ranked unit by draft boards.
You can also consider the Atlanta Falcons, who have quietly rebuilt their defense over the past two seasons and have the second-lightest depth in the league based on their opponents’ .453 winning percentage last season. Star safety Jessie Bates III and recently extended AJ Terrell should pair well with new edge rusher Matthew Judon (acquired from the Patriots) and FA newcomer S Justin Simmons to form perhaps one of the league’s most underrated fantasy defenses this season, currently the 16th-ranked defense on the board.
No matter where you land in the draft order, there is an option for you. The only question is – which one will you choose?
Which defense do you think will take off in Fantasy Football in the 2024 season?
