Houston Texans Top Updated 2026 Fantasy Defense Rankings
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Defense and special teams units are usually one of the final starting positions taken in most fantasy football drafts, but that doesn't mean they can't be valuable. Last season, the Seattle DST was the most productive unit in fantasy leagues, scoring 179 points. The Texans, Jaguars, Broncos and Rams were also among the top five defenses based on points.
The 2026 offseason has already seen plenty of movement among defensive players through trades, free-agent moves and NFL draft additions, which will obviously increase or decrease the value of the overall units. The biggest moves include the Rams acquiring CB Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs, the Ravens signing Trey Hendrickson, the Panthers signing Jaelan Phillips and a slew of potentially impactful additions from the 2026 NFL draft.
With that being said, here are my updated, post-NFL draft 2026 fantasy football defense rankings. I'll be updating these often throughout the offseason, so keep checking back!
2026 Fantasy Football Defense Rankings
| RK | Player | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texans | DST1 | HOU |
| 2 | Seahawks | DST2 | SEA |
| 3 | Broncos | DST3 | DEN |
| 4 | Rams | DST4 | LAR |
| 5 | Eagles | DST5 | PHI |
| 6 | Patriots | DST6 | NE |
| 7 | Vikings | DST7 | MIN |
| 8 | Steelers | DST8 | PIT |
| 9 | Jaguars | DST9 | JAC |
| 10 | Ravens | DST10 | BAL |
| 11 | Bills | DST11 | BUF |
| 12 | Lions | DST12 | DET |
| 13 | Chargers | DST13 | LAC |
| 14 | Chiefs | DST14 | KC |
| 15 | Packers | DST15 | GB |
| 16 | Browns | DST16 | CLE |
| 17 | 49ers | DST17 | SF |
| 18 | Colts | DST18 | IND |
| 19 | Falcons | DST19 | ATL |
| 20 | Saints | DST20 | NO |
| 21 | Panthers | DST21 | CAR |
| 22 | Bears | DST22 | CHI |
| 23 | Giants | DST23 | NYG |
| 24 | Buccaneers | DST24 | TB |
| 25 | Titans | DST25 | TEN |
| 26 | Cowboys | DST26 | DAL |
| 27 | Dolphins | DST27 | MIA |
| 28 | Commanders | DST28 | WAS |
| 29 | Jets | DST29 | NYJ |
| 30 | Cardinals | DST30 | ARI |
| 31 | Bengals | DST31 | CIN |
| 32 | Raiders | DST32 | LV |
More NFL from Sports Illustrated
- Predicting the Best Rookie on Every NFL Team in 2026
- The Six Biggest Questions in the NFL After the Draft
- NFC South Report Card: Why the Saints Could Be the Team to Beat
- Cardinals Player Calls for Aaron Rodgers to Join Team: Would He Be a Good Fit?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Houston Texans Top Updated 2026 Fantasy Defense Rankings.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 12:31 PM.