Fantasy: 6 team defenses you need to target in drafts
Finding a fantasy defense is a difficult task. So is avoiding the wrong defense.
The previous year's statistics are little more than a reference guide, as team personnel, schedules, and strength of opponents can change drastically. A defense that cruised to a No. 1 ranking the past season is likely to face much more difficult opponents, and the unit's skyrocketing ADP is based on those 2017 accomplishments.
Choosing a top-ranked defense at a mid-round ADP while passing over a more useful and less volatile player can also have negative consequences. That gives fantasy managers an incentive to roll the dice on a defense later in their drafts, and then scour the waiver wire while playing matchups throughout the season.
With that in mind, here are the defenses you'll want to target.
Pittsburgh Steelers
First three games: @ Browns, vs. Chiefs, @ Buccaneers
The Steelers are being slept on early in draft season. The unit finished the 2017 campaign ranked fifth in yards allowed and seventh in points allowed per game, and the Pittsburgh defense currently has an ADP of just 14.05, according to Fantasy Football Calculator.
The Steelers' opening schedule is one of the most appealing in the league, as they'll start against a seemingly improved though still not proven Browns team, followed by a home date against the Chiefs, which will be Patrick Mahomes' second-career NFL start. Then they travel to face the Buccaneers, who will be playing in their third game without suspended quarterback Jameis Winston.
Pittsburgh's 2018 schedule is tied for the fifth easiest based on their opponents' winning percentage from 2017, according to ESPN.
New Orleans Saints
First three games: vs. Buccaneers, vs. Browns, @ Falcons
The Saints had one of 2017's most surprising defenses, finishing the year ranked 10th in points allowed per game, while tying for ninth with 25 takeaways, and for seventh with 42 sacks.
Much of the same group returns in 2018, with first-round pick Marcus Davenport bolstering the pass rush. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore enters his sophomore season coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, and safety Marcus Williams will look to build off a strong debut season of his own.
The Saints are currently available early in the 13th round.
Philadelphia Eagles
First three games: vs. Falcons, @ Buccaneers, vs. Colts
The Super Bowl champions aren't receiving the expected hype, as they're the fourth defense off the board on average behind the Jaguars, Rams, and Vikings, despite a 19th-ranked strength of schedule.
Only the Rams allowed more points than the Eagles in 2018, but Philadelphia retained fantasy value by ranking fourth in takeaways. Michael Bennett and Haloti Ngata were added this offseason to strengthen the already formidable defensive line, and a healthier year from cornerback Ronald Darby will give the Eagles an even more imposing secondary.
They'll be heavy favorites for their home opener against the Falcons, then get the Winston-less Buccaneers, and also play host to a Colts team led by Andrew Luck, who could still be showing signs of rust following a lost 2017.
Houston Texans
First three games: @ Patriots, @ Titans, vs. Giants
The Texans have a tough start with a Week 1 appointment in New England, followed by a trip to Tennessee in Week 2 for a second consecutive road test against a 2017 playoff team. Then they'll return home in Week 3 to face the new-look Giants, a team that will be on the road in Texas for the second straight week.
The most appealing part of the Texans' schedule comes at the end of the fantasy season and the start of the playoffs between Weeks 13 and 15, when they'll square off against the Browns and Colts at home before a road date with the Jets. It's difficult to hang on to a defense for the whole fantasy season, but when J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, and Tyrann Mathieu are all active and healthy, the Texans will possess enough weekly upside to be considered in most matchups.
Baltimore Ravens
First three games: vs. Bills, @ Bengals, vs. Broncos
The Ravens defense isn't a powerhouse unit anymore, though the lack of support from an offense that struggles to stay on the field for long stretches hasn't helped. But a picturesque opening schedule is enough to warrant a last-round selection.
The Bills will enter training camp with a wide-open quarterback battle, a depleted offensive line, and a receiving group that could be among the league's worst. The Bengals bring back the same core offensive personnel that ranked 26th in 2017 while averaging 18.1 points per game. And Case Keenum will be making his road debut with the Broncos in Week 3.
Feel free to discard the Ravens and begin streaming defenses before they head on the road for three straight games, starting with the rival Steelers in Week 4.
Los Angeles Chargers
First three games: vs. Chiefs, @ Bills, @ Rams
The Chargers will welcome Mahomes into his full-time starting role in Week 1, before heading to Buffalo to take on the Bills and their shaky quarterback depth chart.
The Chargers' defense was the main reason for the team's 9-3 finish after an 0-4 start in 2017. The 14.9 points allowed during those final 12 games by Los Angeles would have easily ranked first in the NFL over the full year.
The Chargers used their 18th overall pick to select safety Derwin James, ending his draft-day fall. He'll join a secondary already filled with talent that features Jason Verrett, Adrian Phillips, and Casey Hayward.
The Chargers' current ADP makes them the sixth team defense off the board at the end of the 10th round, but they could be this year's sleeper and finish at the top of the fantasy ranks.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
(All average draft positions courtesy Fantasy Football Calculator)