Picking a defense to start in fantasy football auctions should be similar to finding a starting kicker. Waiting until the last few picks to grab one is the best option.
This depends on how you want to approach the defenses in fantasy football. There are two main strategies to consider.
The first one, and the highly recommended one, is playing the streaming game.
Streaming is looking at the waiver wire week to week for the best available matchups. This option is preferred because you don't have to use an earlier pick, nor feel locked into a defense all season. This option offers much more flexibility and the ability to target poor offenses.
The other option is taking one of the top overall defenses in hopes of them providing a positional advantage. This is unlikely: From 2020-2024, the difference in fantasy points per game between the D/ST1 and D/ST12 is 4 points or less.
You'd have to go back to 2019 to find that true advantage. The New England Patriots defense averaged an astonishing 14.5 fantasy points per game. This was 6.2 more points per game than the D/ST12. Even with this advantage, it's not valuable enough to spend more than $2 of the budget on.
With that being said, just wait until your last pick to grab a D/ST for your team; it's mathematically a smart choice.
Note: Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
2025 DRAFT SLEEPERS: QB | RB | WR | TE | DST | Deep Sleepers | 1 Sleeper From Each Team
Fantasy Football Defense Auction Values 2025: D/ST dollar projections
| Rk | Defensive Team | Value |
| 1 | Denver Broncos | $2 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | $2 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | $2 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | $2 |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens | $2 |
| 6 | Dallas Cowboys | $1 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | $1 |
| 8 | Green Bay Packers | $1 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | $1 |
| 10 | New York Giants | $1 |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | $1 |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers | $1 |
| 13 | Los Angeles Chargers | $0 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $0 |
| 15 | Kansas City Chiefs | $0 |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | $0 |
| 17 | Los Angeles Rams | $0 |
| 18 | Indianapolis Colts | $0 |
| 19 | Chicago Bears | $0 |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | $0 |
| 21 | Cleveland Browns | $0 |
| 22 | New York Jets | $0 |
| 23 | Arizona Cardinals | $0 |
| 24 | Cincinnati Bengals | $0 |
| 25 | Miami Dolphins | $0 |
| 26 | Las Vegas Raiders | $0 |
| 27 | Atlanta Falcons | $0 |
| 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | $0 |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints | $0 |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | $0 |
| 31 | New England Patriots | $0 |
| 32 | Carolina Panthers | $0 |
Compare these salary cap dollar values with our 2025 team defense rankings.