Fantasy Defense Rankings

A fantasy football defense is not generally a position fantasy managers pay close attention to. There tends to be a lot of turnover from last season in terms of who are the best fantasy defenses in the NFL. Our fantasy football rankings will help you identify what defenses in 2022 will be the best performers.

What is a Defense in Fantasy Football?

In fantasy football, a team defense consists of a team's defensive and special team units. They score points by limiting points and yards. Another manner in which they acquire points is by getting sacks and interceptions. A defensive touchdown is worth six points. In addition to the points acquired on defense, a team's special teams can also score points by blocking punts and fields, as well as returning kickoffs and punts for touchdowns.

Defense Fantasy Rankings

Our 2022 fantasy football defense rankings start off with the Buffalo Bills. They lost Tre'Davious White last year due to a torn ACL, but he should return in 2022. There's no understating just how important he is to their unit, but they added first-round cornerback, Kaiir Elam for insurance. Buffalo also added Von Miller in free agency. Rounding out the top 5 are the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers. The Packers are an up-and-coming unit you shouldn't sleep on. The Packers lost Jaire Alexander last season, but he'll return to the starting lineup in 2022. They also drafted two first-rounders in Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt.

The Colts defense is our sixth-best defensive unit followed by the Dallas Cowboys. Darius Leonard of Indianapolis is one of the best linebackers in the NFL and will be the focal point of the Colts' defense. Dallas has a lot of interesting playmakers on defense including second-year player, Micah Parson.

Completing our top-10, starting in the eighth spot is the New Orleans Saints, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins. The Rams, despite having two of the best defensive players in the league in Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald, are 14th in our defense rankings for 2022.

Drafting a Defense in Fantasy Football

When you're drafting a defense one of the thing to look at are their respective offenses. This is because high-scoring games increase the number of plays in which defenses can score fantasy points. Running plays offer very little opportunity to score, but on passing plays, defenses can get sacks and interceptions. It shouldn't be any surprise then that the top five defenses heading into 2022 are all expected to be above-average teams.

Fantasy managers will want to try and identify defenses that have a high potential for sacks and interceptions. One such team that shows a lot of potential in this regard and who appears to have an upgraded offense is the Denver Broncos. They have one of the better secondaries in the league, however, the AFC West is a powerhouse division and could include a lot of high-scoring affairs.

Defense History

The 1984 Chicago Bears racked up 72 team sacks, which is the most ever by an NFL team. However, since 2000 sack numbers have generally been down. The Saints have the most sacks in a season since that time with 66 and the Chargers are second since that time with 61.

Since 2000, the Browns recorded the most interceptions in a single season with 33 and the Packers are second with 31.

Fantasy Defense Rankings FAQ

What are some of the best Fantasy Defenses for this Season?

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of year-to-year turnover when it comes to defenses, so in some regard, fantasy managers are flying blind when it comes to defenses. The Bills look to have one of the better defenses for 2022. In a division with the Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots, they should also be afforded many positive matchups. The Buccaneers and the Packers also stand out as two other squads that have some of the most talent on their defenses.

How do I Stream defenses?

Streaming defenses is all about playing the matchups. You'll need to pay attention to the kind of offense they're going up against. It's also important to pay attention to the quarterback and offensive line of the opposing team. A bad quarterback can lead to a lot of turnovers or a team having to play catch-up. This creates more opportunities for sacks and interceptions. A bad offensive line can create more chances for sacks and turnovers. Fantasy managers should be cautious of games with high implied point totals.

Do I need more than one defense on my roster?

Because defenses do not tend to score as many points as quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers, there's no need to roster more than 1 fantasy defense.

What Should I Look for in a Fantasy Defense?

Fantasy managers should look for a defense that has a lot of playmakers. You should look for defenses that have the potential to rack up sacks and turnovers. Fantasy managers should also pay attention to their division and what kind of matchups they'll be facing throughout the 2022 season.

Do punt and kick Returns Count for Defenses in Fantasy Football?

This is typically league specific. Some fantasy football leagues may award points for punt and kick return yardage, however, the typical scoring gives defenses 6-points for each special teams touchdowns, which does include punt and kick return for touchdowns.