We are now well into the month of July, which means we’re getting closer to the push toward fantasy football redraft season. Now is a great time to get acquainted with the draft landscape. Here are our latest defense rankings for 2025 redraft leagues.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings
1) Denver Broncos
2) Philadelphia Eagles
3) Pittsburgh Steelers
4) Baltimore Ravens
5) Minnesota Vikings
6) Kansas City Chiefs
7) Detroit Lions
8) New York Jets
9) Houston Texans
10) Los Angeles Chargers
11) Buffalo Bills
12) Seattle Seahawks
13) Los Angeles Rams
14) Green Bay Packers
15) Dallas Cowboys
16) New York Giants
17) Cleveland Browns
18) San Francisco 49ers
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20) Miami Dolphins
21) Arizona Cardinals
22) Chicago Bears
23) New England Patriots
24) Washington Commanders
25) Cincinnati Bengals
26) Atlanta Falcons
27) New Orleans Saints
28) Indianapolis Colts
29) Las Vegas Raiders
30) Jacksonville Jaguars
31) Tennessee Titans
32) Carolina Panthers
Defenses To Target in Fantasy Football Drafts
Denver Broncos
The Broncos were the No. 1 fantasy defense last year by a good margin. They averaged 1.2 fantasy points per game more than the next-best unit, which is a big gap in fantasy terms.
The Broncos were one of the NFL’s top defenses in 2024.
They brought back 14 of the 15 defenders who played the most for them.
And they added a few studs.
Vance Joseph’s message: “That was last year. This year is totally different.”https://t.co/41luc7Yx8X
— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) June 12, 2025
There’s always someone in your league who overpays for a top defense based on last year’s stats. But if the Broncos fall to you at the right price, they offer the best possible start. They open at home against rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who will be making his first career start on a Titans team expected to be near the bottom of the league. Then they hit the road to face either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones.
I expect Denver to be the top fantasy defense heading into Week 3.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins weren’t a bad defense last year, even if they don’t have the fantasy reputation of a top-tier unit. They finished seventh in total defensive EPA.
This season, Miami starts with the same shaky quarterback combo mentioned above in Indy. Then they face Drake Maye and the Patriots. Maye could be fun to watch, but New England still doesn’t have many weapons on offense.
Looking ahead, if you can stomach a likely dud in Week 3 at Buffalo, Miami becomes a great option again in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Jets and Panthers, respectively. At the very least, the Dolphins’ defense is usable in four of the first five weeks.