Most fantasy leagues have moved away from the D/ST and kicker positions, replacing them with an extra flex spot. The reasoning is that both positions are notoriously unpredictable.

But that unpredictability is exactly what makes fantasy football fun. There's nothing quite like your defense dropping a 20-point performance or a kicker nailing five field goals for 17 fantasy points.

Today we break down the best D/ST and kicker strategies for 2026 fantasy football drafts. We will discuss best approach for these two positions and the top D/STs and kickers to target.

*Don’t forget to use our mock draft tool in the WalterPicks app to sharpen your draft strategy. You can customize each draft slot to mirror how your league mates actually draft.

There are always a few defenses each year that are set-it-and-forget-it, no matter the matchup. Both the Seahawks and Texans fit under that category last year. These two D/ST finished No. 1 and No. 2 in total scoring at the position.

Generally though, these top scoring defenses for fantasy are difficult to predict. Streaming D/ST requires far less investment and is usually the way to go. Temporarily target defenses with fantastic upcoming schedule blocks. The best opposing offenses to target to start the season are the Dolphins, Jets, Browns, Cardinals, Titans, and the Raiders.

With that in mind, let’s look at some defenses to target in drafts that have an easy schedule to start the season.

Los Angeles Chargers:

The Los Angeles Chargers D/ST play the Cardinals in Week 1 and the Raiders in Week 2. That’s two great matchups for a Chargers defense that is returning most of its starters from last year.

Los Angeles ranked top-10 in both sacks and turnovers last season, while also ranking in the top half in pass rush win rate.

Denver Broncos:

If you want to draft a top defense that has a solid Week 1 schedule, the Denver Broncos are a nice target. This unit scored the fifth-most fantasy points in 2025 and totaled a league-high 68 sacks. The Broncos are in a tough division but have the talent to be a set-it-and-forget-it defense this season.

In Week 1, Denver will face a Chiefs team that could be without Mahomes. Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL, and his status for Week 1 is in jeopardy. If he can’t go, Kansas City will have to roll with Justin Fields. That would be a smash smart for Denver’s D/ST.

Green Bay Packers:

The Green Bay Packers might be without Micah Parsons to begin the season, but they are still a viable target for the first two weeks. Green Bay will play the Vikings in Week 1 and the Jets in Week 2. Walter projects this D/ST to be a top-10 defense in both of two weeks.

After this two-game stretch, this Packers D/ST is likely a drop. But if you are looking specifically for a defense that you could use in the first two weeks, they are a sneaky draft target with your last pick.

Baltimore Ravens:

The Baltimore Ravens’ defense has a few solid matchups in the first half of the season. This group will play the Colts in Week 1 in Daniel Jones’ first game back from a torn Achilles, the Saints in Week 2, and the Browns in Week 6. The Ravens D/ST could even be used in a Week 5 matchup against the Falcons.

That makes this D/ST one of the better targets in drafts. Baltimore added Trey Hendrickson to its defense as well, so the sack numbers should improve from a season ago.

There is someone in your fantasy league who will overdraft Brandon Aubrey this season. He has been the best kicker since entering the league in 2023 and has finished as a top-3 fantasy kicker in all three of his NFL seasons.

That being said, sharp managers should not be targeting him. Aubrey is undeniably elite at the position, but the gap between him (K3) and Tyler Loop (K12) was just 43 points last season. That's a small difference, one that isn't worth sacrificing a viable RB or WR in the double-digit rounds.

When looking at which kickers to target in drafts this year, there are a few who stand out. The top kickers to draft are on top offenses that have plenty of drives that end in field goals.

Tyler Loop

Loop was fantastic in his rookie season. He made 30-of-34 field goal attempts and 44-of-46 extra points. Although he was a bit inconsistent from 50+ (1-for-4), he was almost automatic from inside that mark.

Loop will be the starting kicker on a Ravens offense led by Lamar Jackson. Baltimore ranked top-10 in points per game last season and bottom-5 in touchdown percentage in the red zone (47.5%). That should lead to plenty of fantasy points.

Cameron Dicker

Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker has been one of the top fantasy kickers in each of the last two years. He finished as the K3 in 2024 and the K4 in 2025. Last year, Dicker made 38-of-41 field goals and 34-of-35 extra points.

Dicker is one of the best long-distance kickers in the league. He went 5-of-6 from 50+ and 12-of-13 from 40+. Jim Harbaugh is also one of the most conservative head coaches when it comes to going for it on fourth downs. The Chargers ranked 30th in touchdown percentage in the red zone (45.8%) in 2025.

Ka'imi Fairbairn

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn will continue to be a top kicker option in 2026. He has finished as the K4 (2024) and K2 (2025) in each of the past two seasons and has made 22 field goals from 50+ since the beginning of 2024.

Fairbairn is once again a kicker target because the Texans don’t score many touchdowns. A lot of their drives stall, as they ranked 29th in touchdown percentage in the red zone (45.9%) last season.