It’s fantasy football draft season, and we’re making sure you’re covered one position group at a time. As a general rule of thumb, I wait on a defense/special teams. There’s always a squad that comes out of nowhere around the first quarter of the season that you can usually pick up on the waiver wire. So, I’ve always found it beneficial to stockpile talent at running back and wide receiver. But, to each his own – everyone has their own strategy. That’s just my two cents on defense/special teams philosophy.
Check out the positions we’ve already ranked:
The top 15 Defense/Special Teams Units heading into 2017
1. Denver Broncos – It’s hard to argue for any other team in this spot. The Broncos have been the best defense in football for the last two years. Their defensive backs are going to lock down opposing receivers, they’re going to sack the quarterback, they’re going to be a difficult defense to run on. The Broncos are the most complete defense in the NFL, so naturally, they’re the safest pick here.
2. New York Giants – Another year with Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, and Damon Harrison up front. Landon Collins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Eli Apple will be holding down the back end. This is an elite unit that held opponents to a stifling 17.4 points per game last season.
3. Kansas City Chiefs – The Chiefs were solid all around last season, but their defense and special teams were particularly good. On one hand, you have a solid secondary (Eric Berry, Marcus Peters) and a sack machine (Justin Houston). On the other, you have an elite return specialist in Tyreek Hill. This D/ST is going to score some points.
4. Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks are going to be the Seahawks as long as they have Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, and company. Still, it looked like they slipped a bit in 2016. After so many years of elite defense, it seems like they may be trending down.
5. Houston Texans – J.J. Watt’s return should bring some firepower back to one the NFL’s best defenses (statistically).
6. Arizona Cardinals – A ton of speed on defense should produce some sacks and maybe even a few touchdowns. Having several bad offenses on the schedule helps as well.
7. New England Patriots – The Patriots may never have an all-time great defense under Matt Patricia, but you can bet your ass that they are going to be steady.
8. Minnesota Vikings – I don’t like that this unit drew the NFC South on the schedule this year, but there’s no denying the talent Mike Zimmer and company have assembled.
9. Philadelphia Eagles – The addition of Derek Barnett (who is having a great offseason so far) gives an already decent Eagles D/ST just what it lacked last year: sack production.
10. Carolina Panthers – Expect a bounce back year for the Panthers – Luke Kuechly missed six games last year. He’ll be back, as will Julius Peppers. If they can corral those NFC South offenses, they should be stellar otherwise.
11. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens could surprise some people this season. The secondary has been upgraded, so if there’s any sort of increase in sacks/TDs, they’ll quickly rise through the ranks.
12. Tennessee Titans – The Titans aren’t going to give up a ton of yardage. You’re not going to want to start your running backs against this tough run defense. Now, if they can stop giving up big plays, they’ll become one of the better defenses in the NFL.
13. Miami Dolphins – So much talent, and this unit has yet to live up to that potential. Still, it’s because of that talent that the Dolphins D/ST is worth drafting in deeper leagues.
14. Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals have a schedule conducive to strong fantasy D/ST outings. So, consider them among the contenders for a bounce back season.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers defense isn’t exactly the Steel Curtain anymore. The big question mark remains the secondary, but those linebackers should record plenty of sacks.
Dark Horse: Does anyone realize that the Los Angeles Chargers were one of the top fantasy defenses last year? Yeah, I forgot about that, too. So, no one’s going to blame you if you pass over them, but just know that if they bear any semblance to last year’s squad, they could prove to be a valuable late-round selection. I also like the Washington Redskins‘ addition of Jonathan Allen to a defense that was already pretty decent at hitting opposing quarterbacks.
Deep, Deep Sleeper: The Atlanta Falcons gave up a lot of points and yardage last season, but Dan Quinn has some pieces in place that can’t be ignored. Vic Beasley, Likewise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a similar position, but they also have the added bonus of finishing strong last season. The arrow is pointing upwards for both of these teams.
Up next: the running backs. Stay tuned.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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