Fantasy Football Player Outlooks for The 2026-26 Season

Seattle's defense proved to be the league's best last year, but the Texans weren't far behind, led by their trio of superstars at premium positions. Edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter combined for 27 sacks in the regular season, and shutdown cornerback Derek Stingley was one of four Texans with exactly four interceptions. The team finished Top 5 in a slew of defensive stats, including second in fantasy points (9.3 per game), second in points allowed (17.4) and first in yards allowed (277.2). Offseason losses were minimal, and the Texans traded up for DT Kayden McDonald (36th overall pick) after losing DT Tim Settle to the Commanders in free agency. They're also betting on a bounce-back year from former Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who signed in Houston for three years and $24.5 million. There's not much for defensive coordinator Matt Burke to complain about, as his superstars are complemented by additional high-quality starters like CB Kamari Lassiter, LB Azeez Al-Shaair and DB Jalen Pitre. The only real drawback is a September schedule with matchups against Buffalo (Week 1), Cincinnati (Week 2) and Indianapolis (Week 3).

It took Mike Macdonald one season to turn a bad defense into a good one, and then one more season to become the best in the league (with a Super Bowl ring to show for it). Dominant real-life defenses aren't always the highest-scoring for fantasy, but the Seahawks made fantasy managers almost as happy as Seattle fans last year, averaging a league-high 10.6 fantasy points per game -- 1.3 ahead of second-place Houston and 2.1 ahead of third-place Jacksonville. Much of that gap was due to special teams TDs, of which Seattle scored four, but it also helped to rank top 5 in every defensive statistic under the sun. While coaching and depth were arguably what made the group unique, it also had star performers, including shutdown cornerback Devon Witherspoon and 302-pound pass rusher Leonard Williams. The Seahawks suffered notable offseason losses (CB Riq Woolen, S Coby Bryant, EDGE Boye Mafe) without signing comparable replacements, and yet they still have experienced projected starters at each position. That's a testament to the front office and coaching staff as well as the players, though it does mean there's less margin for error relative to last year. Either way, Seattle should be one of the first D/STs off the board in fantasy drafts.

Denver's defense is coming off back-to-back seasons as the NFL leader in sacks, pressures and QB hits, with comfortable margins in all three categories. It's a team effort, with all due respect to top pass rushers Nik Bonitto (13.5 sacks in 2025), Jonathon Cooper (10.5 sacks) and Zach Allen (8.5 sacks). Six other Broncos recorded at least 2.5 sacks last year, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph had a strong track record of generating sacks even before the 2024-25 explosion in Denver. The other key piece is CB Patrick Surtain, arguably the best cover man in the league, backed by solid starters around him at the other positions in the secondary. Depth is a concern along the defensive line after John Franklin-Myers left for Tennessee this offseason, but the Broncos otherwise have most of the same pieces from the past two years. Their schedule is probably the biggest concern for fantasy, with the toughest-looking matchups mostly occurring over the first six weeks (KC, JAX, LAR, SF, LAC, SEA) or during the fantasy playoffs (BUF, NE). Buyer beware.

While unable to match its 2024 form, the Philadelphia defense turned in another strong season in 2025, finishing ninth in D/ST fantasy points (7.5 per game), fifth in points allowed (19.1) and t-10th in takeaways (21). The first half of the season mostly featured high-scoring games, while the second half of the year saw an improvement in defensive performance that coincided with a decline on offense. The Eagles then lost EDGE Jaelen Phillips, LB Nakobe Dean and S Reed Blankenship this offseason, adding Jonathan Greenard to replace Phillips and signing CB Riq Woolen to help the secondary. No team has done a better job of adding top-notch defensive talent through the draft in recent years, and veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio largely does well with what he's given. The Eagles even appear to have a favorable schedule, including a Week 1 home game against the Commanders and Week 2 trip to Tennessee. This is one of the D/STs that should be drafted in every fantasy league, though perhaps after 3-4 others have already come off the board.

The rich got richer this June when the Rams dealt Jared Verse and three draft picks to Cleveland for future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett, fresh off an NFL-record 23 sacks. It had been a fun offseason for Rams fans even before the mega-deal, with GM Les Snead adding former Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to flip a weakness into a strength. The Rams had widely been tabbed as Super Bowl favorites even before news broke on the Garrett trade. Last year, the Rams defense finished sixth in fantasy points, with Verse, Byron Young and Kobie Turner combining for 26.5 sacks and 70 QB hits. Young and Turner are still around, as is defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who got interview requests for seven head coach jobs over the winter. Garrett's presence will vault the Rams to the top of most D/ST rankings, though the team's schedule doesn't look great for fantasy, with difficult matchups mostly occurring within the first five weeks of the season or near the end (during the fantasy playoffs).