Fantasy Football: Top 10 Defenses in 2023, Ranked

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.