Fantasy Football Week 3 Defense (D/ST) Rankings: Weekend Updates (2024)

If your fantasy defense hasn’t given you an edge through two weeks of the fantasy football season, it’s time to focus and identify the best streaming options for Week 3. If that’s your goal this week, we’re here to help our NFL teams Fantasy football defensive lineup (D/ST) rankings after 3 weeks.

The Buccaneers, Packers, and Raiders defenses are all having better games and are all in the top 10 of RotoBaller’s Week 3 DST rankings. Check out where other defenses like the Steelers, Chargers, and Seahawks, among others, rank.

Our Week 3 (DST) fantasy football defense rankings are created by Nick Mariano, Brandon Murchison, Andersen PickardAND Scott Engel. In addition to our staff rankings, below is a recap of the week’s most important fantasy football injury news.

Be sure to check out all of our 2024 fantasy football rankings:

• Giants defense could get a boost in Week 3
• Steelers DST remains top-tier option in Week 3
• Seahawks DST off to a solid start in Week 3
• Browns DST the best option in Week 3
• Myles Garrett to play in Week 3
• Trevon Diggs off injury report
• Nick Bosa questionable ahead of Rams game
• DST Titans could be a sneaky play in Week 3
• Brian Burns questionable against Browns

Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankings.

Level D/ST	Rank D/ST	D/ST Name	Position
1	1	Cleveland Browns	Summer time
1	2	San Francisco 49ers	Summer time
1	3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Summer time
1	4	New York Jets	Summer time
2	5	Seattle Seahawks	Summer time
2	6	Pittsburgh Steelers	Summer time
3	7	Las Vegas Raiders	Summer time
3	8	Buffalo Bills	Summer time
3	9	Los Angeles Chargers	Summer time
3	10	Kansas City Chiefs	Summer time
4	11	Green Bay Packers	Summer time
4	12	Indianapolis Colts	Summer time
4	13	Chicago Bears	Summer time
4	14	Tennessee Titans	Summer time
4	15	Houston Texans	Summer time
5	16	Baltimore Ravens	Summer time
5	17	New York Giants	Summer time
5	18	Cincinnati Bengals	Summer time
5	19	New England Patriots	Summer time
5	20	Dallas Cowboys	Summer time
5	21	New Orleans Saints	Summer time
6	22	Minnesota Vikings	Summer time
6	23	Philadelphia Eagles	Summer time
6	24	Detroit Lions	Summer time
6	25	Miami Dolphins	Summer time
6	26	Arizona Cardinals	Summer time
6	27	Jacksonville Jaguars	Summer time
6	28	Carolina Panthers	Summer time
6	29	Denver Broncos	Summer time
6	30	Atlanta Falcons	Summer time
6	31	Los Angeles Rams	Summer time
6	32	Washington’s Commanders	Summer time

Las Vegas Raiders DST – Fantasy Football Outlook

The Las Vegas Raiders defense/special teams will face a much easier challenge than they did in the first two weeks when they face the Carolina Panthers at home. The Raiders DST have had their hands full the last two weeks, facing the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, both of which don’t favor high D/ST numbers.

The Raiders defense will face Panthers QB Andy Dalton, who will replace recently dismissed QB Bryce Young. Dalton hasn’t started an NFL game in almost a year and will likely have a lot of rust to shake off. The Panthers receivers will need to build chemistry with Dalton, which could take some time. The Raiders D/ST becomes a potential top-10 D/ST in Week 3 and is a great option to stream in 10+ team leagues.

-John Johnson, RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers DST – Fantasy Football Outlook

The Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive/special teams unit is a solid pick in fantasy lineups in Week 3 when the Chargers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. The Bolts’ defensive unit scored 14 fantasy points in Week 1 and then 11 in Week 2.

They have allowed just 13 points this season, recording six sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. They have been top-six fantasy defenses both times and have the potential to do just that in what is expected to be one of the lowest-scoring games of the week. They are certainly worth playing and are still available on the reserve list in many leagues.

– David A. Marcillo, RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers DST – Fantasy Football Outlook

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been sensational through the first two weeks of the season and will hope to carry that momentum into Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Los Angeles hasn’t been particularly turnover-prone and has allowed quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) to be tackled just twice in 2024.

That could limit the fantasy potential for Pittsburgh’s defense in this contest, but it’s an extremely safe level in what is expected to be the lowest-scoring game of the week. The Chargers are expected to rely on the run, which doesn’t bode well for a Pittsburgh defense that’s giving up the third-fewest yards in the NFL. Fantasy managers should still trust the Steelers DST as one of their top options on Sunday.

-Jorden Hill, RotoBaller

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