The D/ST position can be overlooked at times in fantasy football, but it can be the difference between a win and a loss.
In Week 7, there are plenty of great matchups you can target for a good performance.
You should never start a good NFL defense in a bad match, which does not equate to fantasy points. The best way to address the D/ST position is purely based on matchups.
Here are our Week 7 D/ST fantasy rankings, best starts, sleepers, and some matchups to avoid.
Fantasy Football Defense Rankings Week 7: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Track our weekly fantasy football rankings for every position's lineup tips.
Note: Players who play on TNF or in London will be labeled as such.
Updated October. 19:
| Rk | Team Defense | OPP | Rk Chg |
| 1 | Green Bay Packers | @ARI | ⬆️ 1 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers - TNF | @CIN | |
| 3 | Denver Broncos | NYG | |
| 4 | Cleveland Browns | MIA | ⬆️ 1 |
| 5 | Philadelphia Eagles | @MIN | |
| 6 | New England Patriots | @TEN | |
| 7 | Kansas City Chiefs | LV | ⬆️ 5 |
| 8 | Arizona Cardinals | GB | |
| 9 | Seattle Seahawks | HOU | |
| 10 | Carolina Panthers | @NYJ | |
| 11 | San Francisco 49ers | ATL | |
| 12 | Los Angeles Rams - London | @JAX | |
| 13 | Los Angeles Chargers | IND | |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars - London | LAR | |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | @DET | |
| 16 | Minnesota Vikings | PHI | |
| 17 | Indianapolis Colts | @LAC | |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | TB | ⬇️ 2 |
| 19 | New York Jets | CAR | |
| 20 | New York Giants | @DEN | |
| 21 | Tennessee Titans | NE | |
| 22 | Chicago Bears | NO | |
| 23 | Las Vegas Raiders | @KC | ⬇️ 2 |
| 24 | Miami Dolphins | @CLE | ⬆️ 3 |
| 25 | Atlanta Falcons | @SF | |
| 26 | Houston Texans | @SEA | ⬆️ 2 |
| 27 | New Orleans Saints | @CHI | |
| 28 | Washington Commanders | @DAL | |
| 29 | Dallas Cowboys | WAS | |
| 30 | Cincinnati Bengals - TNF | PIT | |
| BYE | Buffalo Bills | BYE | |
| BYE | Baltimore Ravens | BYE |
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 7?
Pittsburgh is at the top of the list as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals on TNF. The Bengals' offense is the furthest thing from explosive, and Joe Flacco is still getting used to things. On top of this, Flacco cannot move well, and the Bengals' offensive line has struggled. There should be plenty of sacks in a fairly low-scoring game.
Green Bay takes on Arizona, which, regardless of whether Kyler Murray plays or not, is a good matchup. There is also a potential for no Marvin Harrison Jr., which only benefits the Packers.
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers in Week 7?
Carolina is certainly a slept-on team for Week 7. While they're defensive unit is not elite, targeting those great matchups is how you play fantasy.
In Week 6, the Jets did not score a TD, and Justin Fields was sacked as many times as he completed a pass, nine times. The Panthers should be able to take advantage of this struggling Jets team and walk away with a good outing for fantasy.
Defenses to avoid in fantasy Week 7
The Titans face a New England offense that is starting to look dangerous under Drake Maye. The Titans have had their struggles, and this one could get ugly.
While Cleveland did look putrid on offense in Week 6, there is still no reason to start the Miami Dolphins against them. Some defenses are bad enough that the matchups do not matter.