When it comes to the most talented defense in the NFL, the Houston Texans enter the 2026 season atop the rest of the league. They have the best defensive end duo (Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter), a two-time first-team All-Pro cornerback (Derek Stingley Jr.) and an embarrassment of depth in the front seven.
Adding three-time Pro-Bowler Jadeveon Clowney as a situational pass rusher was just icing on the cake.
Advertisement
But when it comes to fantasy football, the most talented defense isn’t always the right one to draft. Matchups are more crucial to fantasy football defenses than any other position, plus there’s an opportunity cost of investing in a Tier 1 unit instead of drafting a positional sleeper and churning D/ST matchups every week.
Case in point: The Texans open up the 2026 season having to play the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, and then end the fantasy year against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Even if they are technically the best defense, those are seven challenging games that might not lead to many turnovers.
If you want to spend a 12th-round pick on a defense with a high weekly floor, pick Houston. Otherwise, who are the other contenders for the best D/ST to draft in fantasy football in 2026?
More: Who should be No. 1 pick in fantasy football? Ranking 5 best options
1 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
New England Patriots quarterback Behren Morton (15) does a passing drill with running back Jam Miller (30) during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28.
(Eric Canha, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
1 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
New England Patriots quarterback Behren Morton (15) does a passing drill with running back Jam Miller (30) during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28.
(Eric Canha, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
2 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) works with a member of the coaching staff during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28.
(Eric Canha, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
3 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
New England Patriots safety Peter Manuma does a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28.
(Eric Canha, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
4 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy works out during training camp practice at SAP Performance Facility on July 27 in Santa Clara, California.
(Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images)
5 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey works out during training camp practice at SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, California, on July 27.
(Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images)
6 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws the ball during training camp workouts at Loyola Marymount University on July 27.
(Katelyn Mulcahy, Getty Images)
7 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Myles Garrett of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the training camp workouts at Loyola Marymount University on July 27.
(Katelyn Mulcahy, Getty Images)
8 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Running back Jeremiyah Love – the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft – carries the ball during Arizona Cardinals training camp on July 26.
(Joe Rondone, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
9 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson participates in a team practice at State Farm Stadium on July 26 in Glendale, Arizona.
(Christian Petersen, Getty Images)
10 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) practices during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 26.
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
11 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Abraham Lucas (72) works out during the first day of training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington, on July 25.
(Steven Bisig, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
12 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) goes through drills during the first day of training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington, on July 25.
(Steven Bisig, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
13 / 13
Football is back! See NFL players in action at training camp
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes walks toward the practice field at Missouri Western State University on July 25 in St Joseph, Missouri.
(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)
Top fantasy football D/ST draft options
Los Angeles Rams
Advertisement
Adding Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie to any team would make them interesting, but the Rams already finished as a top-10 fantasy defense in 2025. Imagine if coach Sean McVay’s dreams do come true and they also lure Aaron Donald out of retirement? Good luck drafting this unit at a reasonable price – the Rams will fly up the board.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle will always field a competitive unit under coach Mike Macdonald, but last year’s No. 1 overall fantasy defense did lose linebacker Boye Mafe and a few key members of its secondary in the offseason. As long as the defensive line stays healthy, we’ll see if it matters.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Advertisement
If your preference is to play a different defense every week or two to take advantage of matchups, there’s no better opponent to cherry pick than Cleveland. The Browns have to travel into the intense Jacksonville heat for Week 1 and could leave the swamp with more quarterbacks played than points scored.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top D/ST units to target in 2026 fantasy football drafts
