If your fantasy football needs are a good wide receiver or perhaps a tight end, check those stories out. But if you need defense and special teams help, here are the rankings for Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season.
Once again, there is a big dog at the top of the defensive rankings. And this week it’s a very big dog. The Denver Broncos have a sweet matchup against the punchless offense of the Raiders.
Fantasy Football top picks
Not only is Sena Payton’s defense good, but it is playing well right now. In particular, they came up big against the Texans deep in the red zone, according to denverbroncos.com.
“Regardless of the situation, wherever the ball is put on the ground, we've got to play the football,” safety Talanoa Hufanga said. “Early on in the game, we had the goal-line stand that we had, forced them [into] a fourth-down penalty. That was a testament to the guys that, regardless of where the ball is at, they didn't get into the end zone today.”
And the Broncos played well up front, head coach Sean Payton said.
“If you want to know one thing, we controlled the line of scrimmage,” Payton said. “We felt like there was a big advantage for us in this game, our front vs. their offensive line.”
Clearly, the Broncos have the NFL’s top defense at this point, according to linebacker Jonathon Cooper.
“I don't think anybody really forgot about us,” Cooper said. “… I think we have the best defense in the league. I'm going to keep saying that and keep standing on that week in and week out. We definitely came out and showed some of that today, and what's crazy is, I think we can be even better.”
The Broncos have been a top-10 defense three times this year. That came against the Titans, Bengals (without Joe Burrow or Joe Flacco), and Jets. Those are three bad offenses, and the Broncos took advantage. Look for that to happen this week, too.
Don't overlook the Lions' defense
Another good choice is Detroit. They will take on a Commanders’ team that is decimated by injuries. Marcus Mariota will take over at quarterback for the Commanders, which is a significant downgrade from Jayden Daniels — even though Mariota is serviceable.
Plus, Terry McLaurin is still out, Noah Brown is still out, and Luke McCaffrey is out for the season. And Deebo Samuel looks a few steps slow. So who will catch passes and move the chains, let alone get into the end zone?
It looks like a feast for the Lions’ improving defense. The Lions have finished as a starting defense in 12-team leagues five times this year, including four of the last five games they’ve played.
Other standouts
The Cleveland Browns look like an interesting choice. They were largely ignored early in the season, but finished as the No. 1 defense against the Dolphins and No. 6 against the Patriots. The latter was very impressive with three sacks, a pick, and a fumble recovery.
The Browns have the ability because they do the little things, according to Cleveland.com via brownsnation.com.
“I think a big message for our defense, and I’m sure most defenses, is ‘Do your job,’ head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “And you don’t go looking for an interception, or you use your technique when you’re tackling, and the second guy [punches it] out. So, doing your job, the ball, you’ll be in position to make plays on the ball. And sometimes you have to wait for those opportunities to come, but you don’t go outside the framework of your defense.”
Another good option is Houston. The Texans have the Jaguars, who have been up and down on offense this season. And they have a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who is prone to mistakes.
In fact, the Texans are a big play this week, according to NBC Sports.
“The Texans are far and away the top DST in my BOD model, and it’s easy to see why,” Eric Samulski wrote. “Over the last six weeks, they’ve averaged 11.2 fantasy points per game and rank 1st in opponents’ scoring rate, 1st in EPA per play allowed, 2nd in conversion rate allowed, 3rd in turnover rate, 4th in the rate of tackles that go for a loss or no gain, and 9th in the NFL in pressure rate.
“They are one of the toughest teams in the league to pass against, and now they’ll face a Jaguars offense that will definitely be without Travis Hunter and could also be without Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) and Dynami Brown (concussion). I feel pretty good about this spot, even if Davis Mills is starting.”
Fantasy Football sleepers
The Buffalo Bills are in an interesting spot against the Dolphins. They are coming off a good game against the Chiefs with three sacks and a pick against Patrick Mahomes. Now, they get the Dolphins offense that can be up and down.
Another sleeper is the Baltimore Ravens. They have a challenging opponent in the Vikings, but quarterback J.J. McCarthy is still unproven. He has taken 14 sacks and thrown four interceptions in three NFL starts.
Fantasy Football Week 10 Defense Rankings
1. Denver Broncos (DEN) vs. LV
2. Detroit Lions (DET) at WAS
3. Houston Texans (HOU) vs. JAC
4. Cleveland Browns (CLE) at NYJ
5. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) vs. ARI
6. Los Angeles Rams (LAR) at SF
7. Buffalo Bills (BUF) at MIA
8. Baltimore Ravens (BAL) at MIN
9. New England Patriots (NE) at TB
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (JAC) at HOU
11. Carolina Panthers (CAR) vs. NO
12. New York Jets (NYJ) vs. CLE
13. Indianapolis Colts (IND) vs. ATL
14. Chicago Bears (CHI) vs. NYG
15. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) vs. PIT
