Ranking the top-10 fantasy football defenses for the 2023 season is as much an exercise of projecting bad offenses as it is picking talented defensive units. While turnovers and defensive touchdowns can be hard to predict, these 10 defenses should be prioritized in drafts due to strength of schedule and ability to consistently put pressure on the quarterback and force mistakes.

With that in mind, here are the top-10 fantasy football defense rankings heading into the 2023 NFL season.

10. New England Patriots

First four games: PHI, MIA, @NYJ, @DAL

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): KC, @DEN, @BUF

The New England Patriots were the top-ranking fantasy football defense last season, but that shouldn't make them an automatic first choice this year. Fantasy defense tends to be volatile, and while New England certainly has studs all over the field on defense once again, that doesn't necessarily always translate to fantasy points.

The main issue is that the Patriots play an absolutely brutal schedule that starts off with two games against explosive offenses in the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, then two road matchups against Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott. To finish the season, dates with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen could make New England basically unplayable when you need it most.

The personnel strength of this defensive unit still deserves a top-10 ranking, but you might be better off letting someone else draft the Patriots as a top-5 defensive choice while you wait for a fantasy defense with a friendlier schedule.

9. Cincinnati Bengals

First four games: @CLE, BAL, LAR, @TEN

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): MIN, @PIT, @KC

Taking the Bengals defense requires a leap of faith, as Cincinnati hasn't produced a top-12 fantasy defense since 2015. The Bengals generated the fourth least sacks in the NFL last year, finishing 26th among all fantasy defenses.

So what gives?

Betting against Deshaun Watson in Week 1 might be the best time to do so, especially if he continues to show the rust he did last year as one of the league's most ineffective quarterbacks. While Week 2 doesn't present a good matchup, the Bengals have a nice three-game stretch (LAR, @TEN, @ARI) against teams that struggled offensively last season. While it's nice to draft a fantasy defense you can trot out every week, streaming the position and hunting good early matchups is almost always the better bet.

If you're one of the last teams to take a defense, finding a good Week 1 matchup with some soft opponents behind it is the way to go. With four playable matchups in the first five weeks, the Bengals fit the bill.

8. New York Jets

First four games: BUF, @DAL, NE, KC

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): @MIA, WSH, @CLE

How patient are you willing to be? The Jets' D finished ninth in fantasy points scored, but the opening schedule this season is brutal with a matchup against the high-powered Buffalo Bills to kick things off.

While the Jets certainly fit the profile of a top fantasy defense, the results may not come until later in the year. The Jets have good matchups towards the end of the fantasy regular season (Week 13 vs ATL, Week 14 vs HOU), but shuffling between two defenses might be required early in the season to duck difficult matchups against Allen and Patrick Mahomes. That's a tricky strategy to recommend, as you lose a roster spot that could be used on a critical position player, but the Jets feel like a team that could really take advantage of lesser opponents this season.

The Jets aren't a recommended start Week 1, but if you're open to rostering two defenses, Sauce Gardner's squad could easily still attain top-5 status by year's end.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

First four games: @IND, KC, HOU, ATL

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): BAL, @TB, CAR

The Jaguars finished seventh amongst all defenses in fantasy points last year, anchored mainly by a high interceptions total (14) and four defensive/special teams touchdowns. While Jacksonville didn't generate sacks consistently last season, 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker (3.5 sacks) should get to the quarterback more frequently along with Josh Allen. Jacksonville was third in total pressures, which should continue to generate a lot of interception and fumble opportunities.

What we're really targeting Jacksonville for is a Charmin soft schedule (tied for first in defensive SOS with Atlanta, Cleveland, Tennessee), particularly to start the season. Jacksonville gets two rookie quarterbacks (Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud) and second-year QB Desmond Ridder in three of their first four games, with Baker Mayfield and rookie Bryce Young finishing the last two weeks of the season.

If you're willing to pick up a second defense for Week 2, Jacksonville is a unit you could be able to ride all season, and with an average draft position of 17th, they should be available in the very last round of your draft.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

First four games: SF, CLE, @LV, @HOU

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): @IND, CIN, @SEA

In TJ Watt we trust. Finding a fantasy defense with a big edge rusher is always a wise move, and Watt is one of the league's best. The Steelers ranked 28th in fantasy points last year, but with Watt back healthy and playmakers like Minkah Fitzpatrick in the secondary, this is a very talented group. Pittsburgh put together four straight top-12 fantasy defenses between 2017-2020, culminating with the No. 1 defense in 2020, so there's some history to Mike Tomlin's teams having highly productive defenses.

After a tough Week 1 matchup, the schedule lightens up for the Steelers. A home date against the Browns is followed by two juicy road matchups against Jimmy Garoppolo's Raiders and Texans rookie CJ Stroud. And it gets better.

The Week 13-15 stretch (ARI, NE, @IND) could make the Steelers worth drafting and holding on to, as that appears to be a very soft stretch of the schedule when you may need it the most.

5. Buffalo Bills

First four games: @NYJ, LV, @WSH, MIA

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): DAL, @LAC, NE

The AFC East feels like the best division in football, which puts the Bills at a natural disadvantage. The production of this group is awfully hard to ignore, however, as Buffalo has finished with a top-5 fantasy defense in each of the last two seasons and has one of the best secondaries in football.

A Week 1 date with Aaron Rodgers is an interesting one to judge, as he'd typically be a quarterback you'd like to avoid. However, with a new team and personnel and with Breece Hall unlikely to be close to 100 percent, this might not be as scary of a matchup as it seems to be on paper. Buffalo's ensuing matchups against Jimmy Garoppolo and Sam Howell are definitely ones to target, making the Bills a priority early in your fantasy football draft.

The Bills are going to be tough to get with the second-highest ADP of any defense according to FantasyPros.com but should be a rock-solid option if the price isn't too exuberant.

4. New Orleans Saints

First four games: TEN, @CAR, @GB, TB

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): NYG, @LAR, @TB

If you're a strength-of-schedule truther, look no further than the Saints defense. The schedule for New Orleans is absolutely cake as the Saints will get to start their season off against Ryan Tannehill, Bryce Young, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Mac Jones and CJ Stroud in the first six weeks, then finish in Week 17 against Mayfield again. Cha-ching.

There's a history of great fantasy production here, too. The Saints defense had five consecutive top-10 fantasy defense finishes before last season's down year and still have Cameron Jordan providing pressure off the edge and Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu wreaking havoc at the next levels.

You'd want to take literally any defense with this friendly of a schedule to start the year, but it helps that the Saints have some dudes defensively, too. New Orleans regularly is one of the last defenses off draft boards, but don't feel bad reaching here.

3. Dallas Cowboys

First four games: @NYG, NYJ, @ARI, NE

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): @BUF, @MIA, DET

Micah Parsons has turned the Cowboys defense into a monstrous unit, as the Cowboys have finished second and first in fantasy points scored defensively since he came into the league. With Trevon Diggs making plays in the secondary, the Cowboys have the exact type of personnel you want in your fantasy defense, and they get results. Dallas finished first in both total pressures and takeaways last season.

The schedule for Dallas starts off pretty favorably but toughens considerably down the stretch in the last five weeks of the fantasy season.

The Cowboys defense presents an interesting question to fantasy drafters: are you betting on talent and previous production, or an easier schedule come fantasy playoff time when ranking fantasy football defenses?

Either way, it's hard to argue against the Cowboys being anything but a top- defense once again with all the talent and the proven track record of fantasy success.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

First four games: @NE, MIN, @TB, WSH

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): @SEA, NYG, ARI

The Eagles had a whopping 70 sacks last season, nearly breaking the record of 72 set by the 1984 Chicago Bears. Obviously, this is an elite defensive group with a great mix of young studs and trustworthy veterans that aren't afraid to sell out to get to the quarterback. The Eagles remarkably had three edge rushers finish in the top 12 of Pro Football Focus's player grades (Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat), so this is a defense that is going to force a lot of rushed throws and bad mistakes.

The schedule looks plenty favorable as well, as Minnesota represents the only real dangerous offense in the first four weeks that Philadelphia will have to deal with. A sweet Week 17 matchup against the rebuilding Cardinals is about as good as it gets, too.

The only thing keeping Philadelphia from the top spot is a tough stretch of the season coming out of the Week 10 bye leading into the fantasy playoffs (@KC, BUF, SF, @DAL, @SEA) with five matchups you'd typically want to avoid if you were streaming.

While the Eagles defense is absolutely start-worthy every single week, there's one team with a slightly easier schedule and a relatively similar level of talent that should probably be first in most fantasy football defense rankings…

1. San Francisco 49ers

First four games: @PIT, @LAR, NYG, ARI

Playoff schedule (weeks 15-17): @ARI, BAL, @WSH

The 49ers finished as the fourth-best fantasy defense last year, but San Francisco takes the top spot in our rankings this season. San Francisco's defense is the total package this season: a favorable first four weeks, a friendly playoff schedule, an elite edge rusher in Nick Bosa, a successful fantasy finish last year, and talent all over the field.

The 49ers should be aided by a ground-heavy attack offensively as well, which could keep scores low and have teams playing from behind as San Francisco's edge rushers get to tee off on opposing quarterbacks.

While you could argue for a few other teams in this spot, the favorable Week 1 matchup against Kenny Pickett and Week 17 matchup against Sam Howell in the fantasy finale pushes the 49ers over the top. San Francisco is typically the first defense in these kind of rankings for a reason. This is a fantasy defense you can ride all year long.