Fantasy Football Strategy: D/ST Draft Guide (2024)

Every year, most fantasy football managers focus on wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks, with some attention to certain tight ends. While these positions are crucial, many managers must pay more attention to drafting a strong D/ST. This oversight can cost you a week, and if that week happens to be during the fantasy playoffs, it could be disastrous.

In 2024, the D/ST gained significance by introducing new special team rules. Under these rules, kickers will still kick off from their 35-yard line, but the other 10 kicking team members will line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard line. This change is expected to create more opportunities for returns and make special teams a significant factor in your fantasy football league.

With this new rule, we must correctly identify which defense can be elevated by special teams’ moments in the game. However, we must follow a few other rules to lock down our D/ST. We will start with some of our tried-and-true rules before we break down the best defensive selections in this wild west of fantasy football. Here is our fantasy football strategy and advice for drafting a D/ST.

D/ST Draft Strategy (2024 Fantasy Football)

1. Sacks + Pressures = Turnovers

The best defenses are those that create chaos. Look for a team that can pressure the quarterback better than anyone else. When you’re chasing fantasy points, focus on sacks and pressures. Turnovers are often a result of this chaos, but it’s essential to understand that simply chasing a high number in the turnover column can lead to unreliable results.

In 2023, the top-five teams in sacks were the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts. Will these numbers stay the same? The Ravens’ defense is expected to remain near the top. The Indianapolis defense could improve with the addition of Laiatu Latu. However, the Dolphins have lost some of their pass rush and head coach, which could lead to a drop in their rankings this year.

After considering the sacks, we must analyze the pressure percentage created by the top NFL defenses. The top five in this category are the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins (again), San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets. What does this ranking teach us? It teaches us that these teams can cause chaos. We already spoke about the Dolphins, but what do we see that can change in 2024?

We could see a dip in pressure from the 49ers after losing Chase Young, but that defensive unit is strong all around. The Cowboys will still create havoc without their former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, but we could see some regression back to the pack in pressure percentage. However, The most significant change would be the Cleveland Browns. They added Za’Darius Smith to play across from Myles Garrett, which can create a terrifying one-two punch of pressure against their opponents. Cleveland also created the sixth-most interceptions last year, and with an improved defensive line, we could see even more turnovers in 2024.

Following the sacks + pressures method helps guide us to which teams to target when drafting. However, it isn’t the only rule, so let’s break down the following one, which is vital for roster structure.

2. Never Draft More Than One D/ST

This rule should be obvious, but it must be said anyway. Please do not draft two defenses. Even if you are streaming two defenses, there is no reason or upside to doing this with your roster. You would lose one more dart throw at another position that could help you win your league. When drafting, remember only to select one defense and to never break this rule until championship week, when your points on the bench could matter in a potential tiebreaker.

3. Play Defenses in Quarters

If you draft your defense looking ahead in Week 14-17, you are missing the mark. Those weeks are essential with the playoffs on the line, but things can change so much in an NFL season that the teams with a great defense could fall apart by that time. The most remarkable example is the Philadelphia Eagles last year, who fell apart and became the butt of jokes towards the end of the season. You are better off looking into the first four weeks and coming out of the gate hot.

Imagine landing a defense such as the Browns. They start the year with a tough offense in the Dallas Cowboys. However, did you know Dak Prescott took the seventh-most sacks in 2023? They follow that with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence, who took the 12th-most sacks and threw the sixth-most interceptions. After that, you follow up with two NFC East games facing the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.

Play your defense in quarters, and you’ll never have an issue within the position. When you reach Week 4, re-evaluate the squad because this defense could be the real deal in 2024. If that’s the case, congrats! You solved the defensive conundrum for 2024.

4. Never Be the First To Draft a D/ST

You never want to be the first team drafting a defense. Sure, you can get the pick of the litter, but honestly, most people shoot for names they recognize from last year’s production. We know that previous years’ output doesn’t add weight to our fantasy record this year. Let your opponents draft the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco 49ers while you pivot to the Clevland Browns, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts.

5. Don’t Just Target Defenses, Avoid Them!

We always work on targeting defenses, but let’s also avoid specific units. These middle-of-the-pack defenses have strong names behind them but don’t produce enough fantasy points to make you excited from week to week. Avoid teams like the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.

6. New Rule: Pay Attention to Special Teams

With special teams roaring back into the mix, we need to focus on special teams because a kick return touchdown can change the game’s name. A defense such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are strong in their own right, could be elevated with a Cordarrelle Patterson return. We also love the New York Jets and Xavier Gipson, who recorded the second-most kick return yards last season. We should also watch all the offseason talk from Mike McDaniels because Braxton Berrios recorded the third-most kick return yards. The Dolphin’s special teams could use Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert or any of their speedsters to break the game open.

Statistics change when you involve the new rules of special teams. A defensive unit like the New Orleans Saints, which was ninth overall, jumps to fourth overall with their special teams. Make sure to track the kick returner battles throughout camp, weigh out their athletic profile and make changes to your ranks accordingly.

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Remember to continue reading all the fantastic work here at FantasyPros as we guide you through the offseason to help you dominate your fantasy drafts! If you need additional advice, feel free to contact me on Twitter/X at @jpep20. Good luck this offseason!

Fantasy Draft Advice NFL Laiatu Latu Chase Young Za’Darius Smith Myles Garrett Dak Prescott Trevor Lawrence Cordarrelle Patterson Xavier Gipson Braxton Berrios Tyreek Hill De’Von Achane Raheem Mostert