Spartan Nation Fantasy Football Insider: The Defense!

 DEFENSE RANKINGS             Defensive rankings are probably the most difficult for any fantasy owner to figure out. Scoring systems for

 

The Jets D is rated #1 by the Spartan Nation Fantasy Football guru. Photo courtesy of Boston.com

DEFENSE RANKINGS

 

           Defensive rankings are probably the most difficult for any fantasy owner to figure out. Scoring systems for defenses have by far the most variation between leagues, so checking your league’s scoring system before you draft is an absolute must.

 

           There are a few specific items that you should pay attention to when looking at your league’s defensive scoring system. First, check to see if kick and punt return touchdowns are awarded to a team defense. In some leagues these points will be given to the individual player while in others it can be given to the defense. Second, check to see how many points are taken away for points scored against that defense. Some leagues will have points taken away for as little as one field goal by the opposing team, while others don’t deduct points until as many as 10 points have been scored by the opposing team. Finally, look for any weird stats that aren’t usually included such as rushing yards, passing yards, or return yardage on interceptions and fumbles. Any of these items could drastically alter your defensive strategy heading into draft day. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on to the rankings.

 

1. New York Jets: The Jets’ defense really has it all on paper. The best cover corner in the league in Derrelle Revis, a defensive wizard in head coach Rex Ryan, and with the addition of Jason Taylor and a ball hawk like Antonio Cormartie this should spell a very nice year from the Jets. Cromartie will also let quite a few big plays go by to go along with the turnovers he’ll probably produce, so owners should keep that in mind. However, I don’t see one player’s risk-taking nature hamstringing the defense in any appreciable way, and they should be the first defense off of the board.

 

2. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles will get to the quarterback this year, and that spells success for any fantasy team. Any football fan knows that pressure on the quarterback tends to cause one of three things: sacks, incompletions, or turnovers, all things fantasy owners love to see. This team created a ton of pressure last year, and that was all done with a multitude of injuries to their linebacking corps. And, as much as the Spartan in me hates to say it, I think Brandon Graham is going to be a pass rushing force this season. Expect big things from Philly this season.

 

3. Baltimore Ravens: The still have Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Ed Reed, and they can all still play. But it isn’t just those three guys, they have quality players across the board.  This team should be extremely stout against the run with Haloti Ngata and Terrence Cody, who is being raved about in Baltimore. The biggest question with this team will be the cornerbacks. They went through a rough patch with injuries at that position last year, and if those guys are healthy this year I expect the Ravens D to be near the top of the league like it always is.

 

4. San Francisco 49ers: They get to play the Rams and Seahawks a total of 4 times, need I say more? Well I will, they have one of the best linebackers in the game with Patrick Willis, and I think season two in the 3-4 defense is going to bring about even more improvement as the players continue to increase their comfort level with that scheme. I think Nate Clements is too old to be truly effective anymore, but it looks like Shawntee Spencer should step in nicely at the number 1 corner position for the Niners. This unit was darn good last year, and should be a very solid unit yet again.

 

5. Minnesota Vikings: This unit was overrated all last year, and comes into this season with a bunch of question marks. Is Pat Williams getting too old to be truly effective? Can E.J. Henderson come back from that gruesome injury last season? Will the cornerbacks be able to stay healthy? However, even if these things all go against the Vikings they still have Jared Allen. Unless his mullet was like Sampson’s locks I expect another year where he racks up a ton of sacks. That will lead to mistakes by opposing quarterbacks, and enough opportunities for the Vikes to make them a viable fantasy option.

 

6. Dallas Cowboys: Dallas had a great scoring defense last year, ranking second in the league. However, that doesn’t necessarily make a great fantasy defense. Dallas didn’t get nearly enough sacks last year, and they don’t have a particularly opportunistic secondary. However, because Dallas isn’t going to give up many points it makes them a very safe option for a fantasy owner since you won’t see too many, if any, weeks where they get you negative points.

 

7. Green Bay Packers: I’m not as high on the Packers defense as a lot of fantasy writers. Charles Woodson was incredible last year, but he isn’t young and we have to wonder how long he’ll be able to keep it up. I think Woodson will still be great this year, but not defensive player of the year great. And it’s looking less and less likely that Al Harris will be ready for the season opener. Secondly, the Pack really only have one legitimate pass rush option in Clay Matthews. Nick Collins and Woodson will probably account for some exciting interceptions and even a few defensive touchdowns, but it won’t be enough to vault the Packers to the elite fantasy defense they were last season.

 

8. Cincinnati Bengals: This unit could have been a fantasy force if Antwan Odom hadn’t hurt his Achilles last season. He should be back to 100% this season, and that will certainly help the Bengals’ pass rush. This team’s biggest assets are their corners, Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, though. They’re both solid cover guys, and will get their fair share of picks. This team can stop the run too, with Domata Peko eating up double teams and a solid corps of linebackers. The Bengals really don’t do anything spectacularly, but they do it all well.

 

9. New Orleans Saints: This is a unit that made its living creating turnovers last season. That is a really risky way to pick your fantasy defense. What it means is that you may snag 20 points from your defense one week, but only 2 or 3 the next week. If you don’t mind the stress this type of defense creates then the Saints could be a great pick for you. If you don’t have the constitution to deal with that type of production then I suggest steering clear for your own mental health.

 

10. Pittsburgh Steelers: Last year showed that Troy Polamalu is the heartbeat of this defense. When he missed 11 games last year the Steelers’ defense tanked. With Polamlu and Aaron smith back on the field this season the Steelers should be improved, but they still aren’t that great. Their corners are suspect, and frankly if your defense hits the skids when you lose a safety, even an all pro one, that’s a symptom of some talent problems. The Steelers still have talent though, and are a worthy starting defense in fantasy leagues.

 

11. New York Giants: What happened to this defense? They came into last season as the top ranked defense, and then promptly proceeded to give up 40 or more points 5 times in the second half of the year. I think that injuries to Justin Tuck, Kenny Phillips, and Aaron Ross, amongst others, really hurt this team. However, it also seemed last year as if there were deeper problems with this defense. The Giants seemed to quit on the coaching staff when things got rough last year, and if that was the case there could be huge problems this year. That said, there is enough talent on the defense to warrant taking a shot on them as a potential starting defense.

 

12. New England Patriots: How many Lions fans would have thought that Leigh Bodden would be the brightest spot on the Patriots’ defense last year? The Patriots are stout up the middle with Vincent Wilfork and a newly healthy Jerod Mayo. The big problem is that there are a lot of questions surrounding the Patriots’ pass rush. They’ll be starting nearly all new faces in pass rush positions with the departure of Adalius Thomas, and that’s something to watch if you plan on drafting the Patriots.

 

13. Denver Broncos: The Broncos started last year like gangbusters. However, the disappeared shortly after.  The Broncos made some solid signings in the offseason though, so I expect them to improve a little bit. I would have liked to see them draft some defensive talent this year though instead of going with Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas in the first round. The secondary is still solid with Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins, but both of those guys are old and could hit the wall any day. The Broncos should serve as a good bye week option for your fantasy team, but be careful if you pick them as your starter.

 

14. Houston Texans: This defense has plenty of good players, yet always seems to underperform. The biggest issue here is the secondary. With Dunta Robinson gone that unit lost a ton of talent. This leaves the Texans starting Glover Quin, who’s never had an NFL interception, and rookie Kareem Jackson. That is a recipe for disaster in the pass defense. However, this team still has Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, and Bryan Cushing after his suspension is up. This unit will produce a few good games this year, but not enough to warrant serious consideration as a starting unit.

 

15. San Diego Chargers: This team was schizophrenic last year. They produced four double digit scoring efforts last year, but at the end of the year they never got above 3 points. They have a solid secondary that can create some turnovers. However, Shawne Merriman hasn’t been himself the last two years and without him the pass rush just isn’t quite the same. Watch their matchups because they could be a good bye-week fill in against the right team.