When Should You Draft a Defense in Fantasy Football?

Fantasy football insider Jennifer Piacenti breaks down the optimal time to draft a defense for your fantasy football team.

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) intercepts a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

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. 

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 178 total fantasy points and an average of 10.5 points per game. 

The 12th-best fantasy defense, the Kansas City Chiefs, finished with 134 fantasy points and an average of eight points per game. 

That’s a delta of just 44 points for the season and 2.5 points on a weekly basis.

Those 2.5 points per game can easily be made up if one of your sleeper picks pays off. For example, Tank Dell was drafted in the last rounds in 2023. He averaged 15 fantasy points per game. Jakobi Meyers, Jayden Reed, and Adam Thielen all averaged 13.5 points or more per game. Even Chicago TE Cole Kmet finished with more fantasy points than the Dallas Cowboys (181 total for an average of 10.7 per game). 

Having an elite defense you can set and forget is nice, but don’t forget you can also stream defenses.  As the season progresses, you can pick up defenses on the waiver wire with favorable matchups. 

Resist the temptation to fill out your starting roster before drafting your bench. Taking a defense too early could cost you.

As a general rule, don’t take a DST until the last three rounds of your draft, and don’t panic if a run on defenses starts early. Waiting until the last round of the draft is still a winning recipe.