2023-08-14 07:00:00
The players of the Fantasy NFL They tend to treat defenses and special teams (D/ST) in one of two ways: either they worry too much about it, or they don’t pay enough attention to it. We rarely see owners pay the right amount of attention to defense and special teams. There will always be a group that hits a top-tier D/ST in Round 10 or 11, draining defense value and depriving themselves of solid offensive contributors that their leaguemates will take over with subsequent turns. Others will wait until the last round to select the best D/ST available, a strategy that may also have more risk than reward.
Anyone can select a top-tier D/ST like the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys or Bills at pick No. 150, but consider such a decision in terms of WAR (wins above replacement). Did you get any wins by selecting a D/ST at a point in the draft where your opponents will be holding Kyler Murray, Raheem Mostert, Zay Jones and Dawson Knox?
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Do not fool yourself. You passed up much-needed value and depth elsewhere to try to get the No. 1 defense, which is rarely where the first defense selected at the end of the season ends up. Additionally, the difference between last year’s No. 1 D/ST New England and the No. 13 Seattle Seahawks was four points per game (10.9 to 6.9). The top seven D/STs averaged 7.9 or higher!
We will always be frank about this: the first owner to select a defense rarely wins the championship of the league, but the owners who don’t put any effort at the D/ST position, from draft research to weekly broadcasts, They will also be at a disadvantage. Aim for a middle ground when it comes to D/ST preparation.
In our experience, the most successful owners tend to select a D/ST in the last four rounds of your draft. If 60-75 percent of the best defenses have already been selected, it is important to analyze the calendars and proactively plan for the weeks.
Certain defenses, like the Chiefs, could be useful to start the season (vs. DET, @JAX, vs. CHI), but you might want to have them when they face the Jets and Vikings in Weeks 4 and 5. Similarly, the Jaguars have Indy, Houston and Atlanta in three of their first four weeks, but the Chiefs and Bills in Weeks 2 and 5.
Keeping an eye on each team’s 2023 schedule and offseason player changes is imperative. On paper, the Steelers might look unimpressive if you just look at their 2022 stats, but remember they spent half of last season without standout TJ Watt, who suffered a pectoral injury. With Watt back and a schedule that includes the Texans, Rams, Jaguars and Packers in the first 10 weeks, Pittsburgh should be a solid value.
We can’t imagine a better schedule for a D/ST than the Saints, who are also led by highly intelligent defensive coach Dennis Allen. New Orleans’ schedule is so good we have to share it: Titans, @ Panthers, @ Packers, Buccaneers, @ Patriots, @ Texans, Jaguars, @ Colts, Bears, @ Vikings, BYE, @ Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Giants, @ Rams, @ Buccaneers, vs. Falcons.
That, my friends, is a schedule that should result in it ending like one of the five best fantasy defenses. Green Bay, Tampa Bay, New England, Indy and the Rams aren’t the scary offenses they used to be. In fact, they are likely to be shadows of their former dominance next season. Take advantage of your league mates not doing their due diligence and examine all the schedules to find defenses with hidden potential. Several other teams have seemingly favorable Weeks 1 and 2 (Washington, Green Bay, Arizona, Chicago, Atlanta), but we wouldn’t bother with the bottom three D/STs on that list.
Speaking of the Packers, they continue to display an above-average D/ST from start to finish. Linebackers Preston Smith, De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker and Rashon Gary anchor a solid 3-4 defense, with standout cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas patrolling the skies. The Packers also have a good schedule, with Chicago, Atlanta and New Orleans to start the season, and matchups with the Broncos, Rams and Steelers in Weeks 7, 9 and 10.
Of course, we can also use the calendar, past results, and personnel changes to help us identify weaknesses. The Patriots were impressive last season, but Jack Jones could face discipline for a firearms charge and cornerback Joejuan Williams left for Minnesota in free agency. New England is also off to a brutal start to the season: Philly, Miami, Jets, Dallas, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Buffalo and Miami again. You could try to trade for this D/ST in Week 8, as the Pats’ second-half schedule is much easier, but don’t draft them too early in the draft. It’s better to look for value for a top-10 team with a more favorable schedule, like the Ravens, or an improved D/ST like the Jets or Dolphins.
The ranking of the best defenses in Fantasy NFL 2023
Pos. Equipment
1 Philadelphia Eagles
2 San Francisco 49ers
3 Buffalo Bills
4 Dallas Cowboys
5 Baltimore Ravens
6 New England Patriots
7 New York Jets
8 Miami Dolphins
9 Pittsburgh Steelers
10 New Orleans Saints
11 Kansas City Chiefs
12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13 Cleveland Browns
14 Los Angeles Chargers
15 Cincinnati Bengals
16 Washington Commanders
17 Denver Broncos
18 New York Giants
19 Carolina Panthers
20 Jacksonville Jaguars
21 Detroit Lions
22 Green Bay Packers
23 Houston Texans
24 Los Angeles Rams
25 Indianapolis Colts
26 Seattle Seahawks
27 Minnesota Vikings
28 Arizona Cardinals
29 Chicago Bears
30 Tennessee Titans
31 Las Vegas Raiders
32 Atlanta Falcons
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