Fantasy football defense rankings

If it’s your first time playing in a fantasy football league, you may wonder when to take a defense and draft a kicker for your team.

The short answer: late.

Of course, all leagues are different, and you must check your league’s scoring, but defenses and kickers are generally de-emphasized in fantasy leagues.

Why You Shouldn't Draft a Defense Early

Remember, you are drafting an entire defense and special teams as if they are one player.

This contrasts considerably with fantasy baseball, where you generally start nine pitchers (defense), and they account for half your team’s scoring. Instead, with fantasy football, LB/DE Micah Parsons, CB DaRon Bland, and Kick returner KaVontae Turpin all combine for the Dallas defense and score as if one player on your fantasy football squad.

Do you have to draft a kicker in fantasy football

So, how important is that defense? Let’s break it down.

Here are some interesting facts: 

Since at least 2002, no defense has finished No. 1 in back-to-back years, though the Cowboys and the Bills have finished top-five for consecutive seasons.

The Cowboys were the top-scoring DST in 2023, with

when to pick kicker and defense fantasy football

when to get defense in fantasy football