Relax, and don’t worry about your star fantasy football players coming off a down week. Although it can be disturbing when standout players say they don’t care about stats. Come on. But it’s time to look at the defensive side of fantasy football, and here are the rankings for Week 3 of the 2025 season.
At the top of the list are the Green Bay Packers. They can bring the pass-rush heat. And that means all kinds of problems for the Cleveland Browns. This is by far and away the unit with the most potential for a big score in Week 3.
Let’s take a look at the Packers’ matchup and see what other defenses fantasy managers can rely on as they try to build a good start to the season.
Top Fantasy Football picks
The Packers could make life miserable for Joe Flacco. Jayden Daniels couldn’t get loose from the Packers. What will the statue known as Flacco do?
With Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary, the Packers have the No. 2-ranked pass rush duo in the NFL, according to Sports Illustrated.
While Gary is chasing his first 10-sack season, Year 2 in Jeff Hafley’s scheme, and the arrival of Parsons could lift him to new heights,” Jacob Slinkman wrote. “Parsons should create more opportunities for Gary, with Parsons getting a lot of attention and double teams from the offensive line, leaving Gary more one-on-one chances.
“While they will start the season in the No. 2 spot, this duo has every opportunity to be the best pass-rushing tandem in the NFL by a long shot.”
Denver’s Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper ranked in the No. 1 spot.
Look for the Packers to get at least four sacks of Flacco. And there’s also a heightened chance of a pick-six because of the intense quarterback pressure.
Other standouts
The Falcons are starting to reap the benefits of their foray into the two first-round picks in this year’s draft. Both of the rookies, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., got on the sack train against the Vikings. And they should a load to handle against the Panthers.
Plus, the Panthers lost center Austin Corbett and right guard Robert Hunt to serious injuries in the loss to the Cardinals. That makes things even more tasty for the Falcons and their pass rush.
Additionally, quarterback Bryce Young hasn’t exactly set the world on fire for the Panthers through two weeks.
The Falcons totaled six sacks and 16 pressures against the Vikings in Week 2. And that means good stuff along the line, according to atlantafalcons.com
“You gotta talk about the kids up front,” head coach Raheem Morris said. “And you gotta call them kids. Those young guys came out and played.”
Young kids, indeed. Morris said the youth movement is rocking and rolling in the right direction.
“It's what we talked about all throughout the offseason, those guys having big roles for us, whether it was rushing, whether it was ball hawking for us. Both of those things were on display today,” Morris said. “I can't say enough about those young guys. I can't say enough about what they've done. They're learning how to play football every single day. They are learning how to live this NFL life every single day, and they're loving it and they're embracing it.”
Buffalo Bills are a good target
It’s about momentum and matchup for the Bills. They’re coming off a strong performance against the Jets, totaling four sacks, three passes defended, and a fumble recovery. And they held the Jets to 10 points.
Now, they get to face a questionable Miami offense, although the Dolphins stood up fairly well against the Patriots' defense in Week 2.
Head coach Sean McDermott said his team is doing things right, according to ESPN.
“Better understanding of the plan, coaches, led by [defensive coordinator Bobby Babich] did a great job putting a good plan together, players executed,” McDermott said. “They spent time like they did last week, don't get me wrong, but they were really intentional this week about the details and making sure they understood where they were supposed to be and when they were supposed to be there. So that's got to be an every week thing, but I like what I saw.”
Having Joey Bosa helps, too. He said playing Lamar Jackson in Week 1 helped for the Jets game.
“It was a great week to prepare for a similar type of player in Fields,” Bosa said. “Obviously, Lamar [Jackson] is real dangerous on his feet, and that's kind of the league we're playing in now with dual-threat quarterbacks. So, we tried to learn our lesson and do the best we can to stop his feet and get after him in the pass, and we were able to get a few stops early, which gave us a chance to kind of rush the passer.”
Fantasy Football sleepers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be the best fit here. The defense hasn’t been outstanding thus far, but it did get three sacks against the Texans. This week, they face a Jets team that may not have Justin Fields under center.
Plus, they can blitz to their heart’s content, according to fantasypros.com.
“The Tampa Bay defense is typically a solid unit under head coach Todd Bowles, playing tough against the run and harassing quarterbacks with frequent blitzes,” Pat Fitzmaurice wrote. “Heavy blitzing can backfire against high-quality passers, but the Buccaneers don't have to worry about that this week.”
Fantasy Football Week 3 Defense Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers (GB) at CLE
2. Atlanta Falcons (ATL) at CAR
3. Buffalo Bills (BUF) vs. MIA
4. Denver Broncos (DEN) at LAC
5. Minnesota Vikings (MIN) vs. CIN
6. Kansas City Chiefs (KC) at NYG
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TB) vs. NYJ
8. Houston Texans (HOU) at JAC
9. Indianapolis Colts (IND) vs. TEN
10. Seattle Seahawks (SEA) vs. NO
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (PIT) at NE
12. Washington Commanders (WAS) vs. LV
13. San Francisco 49ers (SF) vs. ARI
14. New England Patriots (NE) vs. PIT
15. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) vs. DEN
