Sometimes, fantasy football managers are challenged by circumstances that come up early in the season. But defenses are usually pretty level throughout. Here are the fantasy football defense/special teams rankings for Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.
At the head of the list is the NFL’s best defense. The Denver Broncos are going to find themselves at the top of this list quite frequently this season. And even though they are playing a team that is coming off a good game, the Broncos are a super strong unit for Week 2.
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The Broncos meet a Colts team that scored on every possession in Week 1. The Colts might not score on any possession in Week 2. Ok, that’s a stretch, but it paints a picture of how much better the Colts’ opponent will be this week.
Against the Titans, the Broncos' fantasy football defense totaled six sacks, forced two fumbles, and only allowed 133 net yards. Wow.
But despite that impressive performance, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's unit has room for improvement, according to broncoswire.com.
“It is always important, getting the win is all that matters,” cornerback Pat Surtain said. “No matter how it looks, no matter how it may seem ugly, it may seem great, but a win is a win, no matter what. Like I said before, we have a lot to correct in the film room, get better at, and learn from.
“We’re going to look at the film, see different errors we could correct on and fix at the end of the day. We got a long season ahead of us. I’m very optimistic on what this team could be.”
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones won’t find things so easy this week. Of course, on the flipside, the Broncos defense won’t have a rookie quarterback to pick on, either.
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Look for the San Francisco 49ers to have a good day on defense against the Saints. New Orleans held up well on offense against the Cardinals, but look for quarterback Spencer Rattler to make mistakes this week.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore will find defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense tough and relentless. Saleh makes a difference, according to ninersnation.com.
“It’s huge [having Robert Saleh in the building],” linebacker Fred Warner said. “I’ve talked about it all offseason. Just the confidence that you have as a player with such a dialed-in coach like that. It was great again having him back on the sideline, making adjustments.
“I kind of had a feel for how he was going to call the game, so throughout the game when he was making calls, being on the same page, it was great. It wasn’t perfect, but you love to learn off of a win.”
Another good bet is the Rams' defense. It will get to take on Cam Ward and the Titans, who looked fairly pitiful in Week 1. The Rams could feast on sacks and turnovers.
It’s a little risky after the Ravens’ embarrassing opening-week defensive performance against the Bills. However, the matchup at home against the Browns brings the fantasy football Ravens back into a top-10 unit.
Fantasy Football Sleepers
It may take a little teeth grinding and sucking up of the gut, but the Patriots’ defense offers an interesting choice this week. The matchup against the Dolphins, who looked disjointed and awful in Week 1, looks fairly tasty, according to fantasypros.com.
“The Dolphins' offense was a train wreck in Week 1, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing two interceptions and taking three sacks in a 33-8 loss to the Colts,” Pat Fitzmaurice wrote. “The Patriots gave up 362 passing yards to Raiders quarterback Geno Smith on Sunday, but they sacked Smith four times, intercepted him once, and held Ashton Jeanty to 38 yards on 19 carries. The Patriots played their opener without star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who's been dealing with a hamstring injury but could be back this week.”
That’s enough good stuff to make the Patriots a top-five fantasy football gamble.
Another bold step would be the Cowboys’ defense. They take on a Giants offense that looked pitiful in Week 1. Also, this is a likely week where KeVontae Turpin gets loose for a touchdown on a punt or kickoff return.
Fantasy Football Week 2 Defense Rankings
1. Denver Broncos (DEN) at IND
2. San Francisco 49ers (SF) at NO
3. Los Angeles Rams (LAR) at TEN
4. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) vs. ATL
5. New England Patriots (NE) at MIA
6. Baltimore Ravens (BAL) vs. CLE
7. Arizona Cardinals (ARI) vs. CAR
8. Green Bay Packers (GB) vs. WAS
9. Dallas Cowboys (DAL) vs. NYG
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) vs. SEA
11. Detroit Lions (DET) vs. CHI
12. Philadelphia Eagles (PHI) at KC
13. Houston Texans (HOU) vs. TB
14. Buffalo Bills (BUF) vs. NYJ
15. Chicago Bears (CHI) at DET
