Defense rankings....Raiduhfan..don't look..bwah
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:55 pm
Elite Fantasy Defenses: No reason to get cute and play matchups; if you’ve got one of these defenses, you should be starting it every week, barring anything catastrophic.
1. Baltimore Ravens - Their secondary boasts 3 of the 7 best defensive backs in football, Terrell Suggs is poised for 15 sacks, and did I mention Ray Lewis?
2. New England Patriots - Bruschi or no Bruschi, this defense is as consistent as it gets for your fantasy team.
3. Philadelphia Eagles - There’s more proven talent on this defense than the rest of the NFC East has combined; expect plenty of turnovers once again.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers - All the veterans are back, and Polamalu will score big for fantasy owners.
Great Fantasy Defenses: These defenses should be started every week unless they’re facing a terrible matchup. This group also includes defenses with elite talent but significant injury concerns.
5. Carolina Panthers - So much talent it’s silly, but health issues make this defense a little scary to select high in fantasy drafts.
6. Atlanta Falcons - D’Angelo Hall is a great player for fantasy owners, and Edgerton Hartwell will solidify the run defense.
7. Buffalo Bills - A lot of talent on this oft-overlooked group, but rookie QB Losman is going to put them in some bad situations.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Led by the best pair of defensive tackles in football, the Jags’ D will benefit from what should be a vastly improved offense.
Good Fantasy Defenses: These are defenses that you should play if they’ve got a favorable matchu, and you have no better defense on your roster. Owners drafting one of these defenses will be well suited to take another in the same range of the ratings.
9. Washington Redskins - For all the criticism Joe Gibbs has taken, he does have this defense playing great. Sean Taylor should get it together, too.
10. Minnesota Vikings - Added a ton of quality players, but potential chemistry issues, an fast home turf, and an offense that lacks a running game make this defense one of the most easy to overrate.
11. Chicago Bears - Quietly played very well last year, especially when Urlacher was in. If he stays healthy, this could be a near-elite defense.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Aging a bit, but still has plenty of quality players. May be overrated by football fans still living in 2001.
13. San Diego Chargers - Got what they needed in free agency, and the young secondary should develop.
14. New York Jets - John Abraham should be back to rack up sacks, and this veteran group should put up solid numbers for your fantasy team.
Average Fantasy Defenses: None of the defenses from this point on should start regularly for your fantasy team. However, these defenses are very good backups for your fantasy team, and can start when facing very favorable matchups.
15. Cincinnati Bengals - Underrated defense that has a ton of no-name-big-play guys for your fantasy team.
16. Arizona Cardinals - The additions of Rolle and Griffith give the troubled secondary immediate credibility.
17. Dallas Cowboys - Much-improved talent, but will all the rookies mesh right away?
18. Seattle Seahawks - A lot of big name, low production guys. A good defense to avoid in fantasy leagues.
19. Kansas City Chiefs - Made significant additions, but major injury risks and an offense-first culture should be major red flags to fantasy owners.
20. Houston Texans - Added a couple nice players this off-season, but not enough overall talent to be anything more than a fantasy backup.
21. Denver Broncos - The entire Browns’ defensive line, a shaky secondary, and a division full of elite offenses eliminate this defense from consideration as a fantasy starter.
Bad Fantasy Defenses: The only time it is acceptable to draft one of these defenses is if you have one of the aforementioned “elite fantasy defenses” already on your roster.
22. Detroit Lions - Didn’t get enough help via the draft to make this group worthy of a roster spot on fantasy teams.
23. New York Giants - The absence of any turnover-makers means this defense is a bit better in real life than it is for fantasy purposes.
24. Indianapolis Colts - Will get plenty of INT’s, but could give up 45 points in any game.
25. Green Bay Packers - Did any team with a poor defense do LESS to improve themselves than Green Bay?
26. Cleveland Browns - Getting rid of the overpaid defensive line was a great long-term move, but it will hurt this weak defense even more in 2005.
27. Miami Dolphins - Just too many questions on all levels of this defense for serious fantasy consideration.
28. New Orleans Saints - They’ve finally a little talent, but a turnover-prone offense will keep it from showing.
29. St. Louis Rams - Unmotivated group that lacks both talent and consistency.
The Rest: Don’t even consider these defenses for your fantasy team unless you’re trying to lose games
30. San Francisco 49ers - Absolutely no reason to even consider this unit for your fantasy team.
31. Tennessee Titans - Bad last year, and lost about 75% of their talent.
32. Oakland Raiders - Bad last year, and lost 100% of their talent. A truly awful defense.
1. Baltimore Ravens - Their secondary boasts 3 of the 7 best defensive backs in football, Terrell Suggs is poised for 15 sacks, and did I mention Ray Lewis?
2. New England Patriots - Bruschi or no Bruschi, this defense is as consistent as it gets for your fantasy team.
3. Philadelphia Eagles - There’s more proven talent on this defense than the rest of the NFC East has combined; expect plenty of turnovers once again.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers - All the veterans are back, and Polamalu will score big for fantasy owners.
Great Fantasy Defenses: These defenses should be started every week unless they’re facing a terrible matchup. This group also includes defenses with elite talent but significant injury concerns.
5. Carolina Panthers - So much talent it’s silly, but health issues make this defense a little scary to select high in fantasy drafts.
6. Atlanta Falcons - D’Angelo Hall is a great player for fantasy owners, and Edgerton Hartwell will solidify the run defense.
7. Buffalo Bills - A lot of talent on this oft-overlooked group, but rookie QB Losman is going to put them in some bad situations.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Led by the best pair of defensive tackles in football, the Jags’ D will benefit from what should be a vastly improved offense.
Good Fantasy Defenses: These are defenses that you should play if they’ve got a favorable matchu, and you have no better defense on your roster. Owners drafting one of these defenses will be well suited to take another in the same range of the ratings.
9. Washington Redskins - For all the criticism Joe Gibbs has taken, he does have this defense playing great. Sean Taylor should get it together, too.
10. Minnesota Vikings - Added a ton of quality players, but potential chemistry issues, an fast home turf, and an offense that lacks a running game make this defense one of the most easy to overrate.
11. Chicago Bears - Quietly played very well last year, especially when Urlacher was in. If he stays healthy, this could be a near-elite defense.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Aging a bit, but still has plenty of quality players. May be overrated by football fans still living in 2001.
13. San Diego Chargers - Got what they needed in free agency, and the young secondary should develop.
14. New York Jets - John Abraham should be back to rack up sacks, and this veteran group should put up solid numbers for your fantasy team.
Average Fantasy Defenses: None of the defenses from this point on should start regularly for your fantasy team. However, these defenses are very good backups for your fantasy team, and can start when facing very favorable matchups.
15. Cincinnati Bengals - Underrated defense that has a ton of no-name-big-play guys for your fantasy team.
16. Arizona Cardinals - The additions of Rolle and Griffith give the troubled secondary immediate credibility.
17. Dallas Cowboys - Much-improved talent, but will all the rookies mesh right away?
18. Seattle Seahawks - A lot of big name, low production guys. A good defense to avoid in fantasy leagues.
19. Kansas City Chiefs - Made significant additions, but major injury risks and an offense-first culture should be major red flags to fantasy owners.
20. Houston Texans - Added a couple nice players this off-season, but not enough overall talent to be anything more than a fantasy backup.
21. Denver Broncos - The entire Browns’ defensive line, a shaky secondary, and a division full of elite offenses eliminate this defense from consideration as a fantasy starter.
Bad Fantasy Defenses: The only time it is acceptable to draft one of these defenses is if you have one of the aforementioned “elite fantasy defenses” already on your roster.
22. Detroit Lions - Didn’t get enough help via the draft to make this group worthy of a roster spot on fantasy teams.
23. New York Giants - The absence of any turnover-makers means this defense is a bit better in real life than it is for fantasy purposes.
24. Indianapolis Colts - Will get plenty of INT’s, but could give up 45 points in any game.
25. Green Bay Packers - Did any team with a poor defense do LESS to improve themselves than Green Bay?
26. Cleveland Browns - Getting rid of the overpaid defensive line was a great long-term move, but it will hurt this weak defense even more in 2005.
27. Miami Dolphins - Just too many questions on all levels of this defense for serious fantasy consideration.
28. New Orleans Saints - They’ve finally a little talent, but a turnover-prone offense will keep it from showing.
29. St. Louis Rams - Unmotivated group that lacks both talent and consistency.
The Rest: Don’t even consider these defenses for your fantasy team unless you’re trying to lose games
30. San Francisco 49ers - Absolutely no reason to even consider this unit for your fantasy team.
31. Tennessee Titans - Bad last year, and lost about 75% of their talent.
32. Oakland Raiders - Bad last year, and lost 100% of their talent. A truly awful defense.
